Cat Ba Island is known by many as the gateway to Halong Bay, however this island offers so so much than that. In fact, one of the best ways to experience the island and all it has to offer is by hiring a motorbike for the day and taking to the road with only an inkling of a plan in your mind. Luckily for you, that inkling of a plan can be found here. For exploring places with such incredible beauty and historic backgrounds, I find it is always best to not plan too much and see where the road takes you. However, a rough idea of which direction to take is an essential bare minimum that will ensure you get the most out of riding around this hilly paradise. So without further ado:
This guide will give you the lowdown on renting a bike, must-see sites, the best route to take, where to refuel, and tips for staying safe on the road. By the end of this, you should feel confident enough to mount a bike and take to the road. Start your engines – the ultimate motorbiking adventure on Cat Ba Island awaits!
What kind of bike are you after?
Scooter, semi-automatic or full manual? Scooters are easiest for newbies but limit where you can go. Semi-autos give you more control but the clutch is automatic. Manuals are for the more advanced and should really only be driven if you have been taught how to ride one. If you are new to riding motorbikes, I would definitely recommend getting a scooter. These are the most common form of transportation around Vietnam and you’ll see that most of the locals drive scooters too. There really isn’t a need for anything more than a scooter on Cat Ba.
International Drivers License
Yes, it is required that you own an International Drivers License however from my own experience you are not asked for this when renting a bike. You can leave a form of ID or cash as a deposit for your bike if needed. The only time you will need to show your International Drivers License is to the police if you come across a checkpoint. Fortunately I did not come across any during my time on Cat Ba, however there was a checkpoint with a lot of police in the town centre one night around 8pm.
Wear a helmet
Before you swap out your hiking boots for wheels, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind. The most important thing, always wear a helmet. In Vietnam it is compulsory to wear a helmet when riding a motorbike or scooter. If you or your passenger are not wearing a helmet you can be fined between VND 400,000 to VND 600,000. More importantly, for your own safety, it just isn’t worth the risk to not wear one. If you have driven a bike in Vietnam, or taken a grab bike, or even just walked along the side of a road you will know that traffic rules are basically non-existent and that beeping horns is basically the signal for everything road related. This can make driving a little bit chaotic and confusing if you aren’t entirely confident on the roads. Whether you are the driver or the passenger, wearing a helmet is essentially the smartest thing you can do when in Vietnam.
Give your bike a once over
A “twice over” might be better advice. Check tires, brakes, lights and take ‘before’ pics so you don’t get blamed for any scratches or dents already there. This can get quite monotonous when you’re renting a bike quite often however it is always better to be safe than sorry. From my own personal experience, please check the lights on your bike! As most people usually rent their bike in the morning it doesn’t cross their minds to check the lights are working (myself included) and it’s not until the sun sets at 5pm and you’re halfway back to your accommodation on a road you don’t know that you realise you can’t see a thing! In my case, I manged to bring the bike back (painfully slowly) to the rental agency only for the owner to give the headlamp a smack with his hand and ta-da! Let there be light! Another important thing to remember is you will more than likely never receive a bike with more than a few revs worth of fuel in the tank. In some cases the fuel gauge won’t even work so who knows how much petrol you have. This is normal so don’t get too upset with the rental agency, just ask them where the nearest petrol station is. Make sure that filling your tank is the first thing you do or you might end up walking back (fuel-less and petrol-less).
Follow the rules of the road
Repeat this in your head at least 10 times: “Drive on the right hand side. Drive on the right hand side.” Obey speed limits, use turn signals, and watch out for stray animals. There is a very loose understanding of a slow lane on the right curb and a fast lane on the left lane, however lorries, cars, and bikes will simply weave in and out of both lanes. In Vietnam, there are rules governing traffic and driving (believe it or not). Driving in Vietnam can feel like somewhat of a harrowing experience as the roads are notoriously chaotic with motorbikes weaving in and out of traffic and vehicles driving on both sides of the roadway. However, drivers are expected to follow regulations to ensure safety for themselves and others on the road. My advice here is to stick to the right, follow the road signs, and try to follow the crowds of experienced motorcyclists if ever in doubt.
Recommended One-Day Route
My friend and I only had a couple of days in Cat Ba so we did a little bit of research and decided on a couple of things that we really wanted to see. For an island as beautiful as Cat Ba we decided that the most important thing to us was to cover as much ground as we could and enjoy a day out on the bike. My friend doesn’t love driving a motorbike, but luckily for him, I can’t get enough. We hired a motorbike from my hotel for VND 100,000 for a full day. I hopped on this somewhat rickety bike and headed to collect my friend from his hotel and stop at the petrol station A.S.A.P. With Luke on the back of the bike we began to move significantly slower (this is completely due to the state of the bike and nothing to do with Luke’s weight as this boy can’t possibly weigh more than my backpack). The receptionist at my hotel told me to drive directly to a petrol station near the docks and to refuse anyone that offered to sell me a bottle of fuel (I never asked if this was because it is more expensive or because the fuel quality is bad but I’m presuming he only wants us to fill his bike with the “good stuff” and wouldn’t really care how much money we spent). Once we had filled the tank and stocked up on water, snacks, and sugary drinks, we set off up the hill towards the national park. The route we decided to take would include a lot of gorgeous scenery and a few hidden gems along the way.
Hospital Cave
Our first stop (after only taking one wrong turn) was the Hospital Cave. The cave is located on the main road in the village of Trân Châu and crosses Cat Ba Island from north to south. Built between 1963 and 1965, Hospital Cave served as a secret bomb-proof hospital during the American War. This cave was used by the Viet Cong during the war to treat injured soldiers and acted as a maternity ward for the women of the island. Hospital Cave also functioned as a safe house for Viet Cong leaders to host meetings and plan defence strategies. The cave is open for exploring and gives you a glimpse into the island’s history. We paid VND 40,000 to enter and were given a quick brief about the cave before entering. While exploring the cave ourselves we did see a group who were getting a private tour so I guess this is also an option if you are interested. I would highly recommend reading up a bit about the cave before you go in so that you can experience the most out of it. A lot of it is not very self-explanatory and there are no signs or descriptions of anything, and so you leave with a longing for more information. After checking out the old medical equipment and living quarters, we left out the back way and headed back towards our bike.
Most Northern Point of the Island - Gia Luan Harbour
If you continue to follow the road North after leaving the Hospital cave you will pass a couple of hidden gems including the Trung Trang Caves, the entrance to the national park, and a couple of beautiful viewpoints. As we were both a bit under the weather and short on time and money we decided to skip the trek through the National park. If you have time and don’t mind to pay VND 80,000 entry, we heard that Ngu Lam Peak was worth the climb. Instead we popped our earphones in, buckled our helmets, and drove straight from the Hospital Cave until we reached the end of the island. The views were unbelievable and every now and again we would communicate to one another with a couple of stupidly excitable hand signals and beaming smiles. At one point there was a very slight incline and Luke was more than prepared to jump off the back of the bike and walk alongside it. To our surprise the bike managed to sputter its way up the hill, being overtaken by locals with entire families on one bike on its way. Once we turned the corner we both gasped at the view as the blue ocean surrounded by thousands of emerald green islands waved hello. We decided to stop here for a break, hydrate and just take in the scenery.
We mutually agreed that the little restaurants we had driven past just 10 minutes ago seemed like an excellent idea and we made our way back to the town of Gia Luan. We remembered passing a very colourful and friendly looking family-run restaurant called Đức Anh Restaurant and decided to head straight there. We had to avoid eye-contact with all the locals running out and trying to get us to stop at their restaurant as we drove through the town which was difficult as always. This little restaurant was the perfect place for a pit-stop and refuel (for us, not the bike). We ordered steamed rice and fried vegetables to share and it was absolutely divine, especially since we were starving! Luke spotted a local football pitch and ran down to score a quick goal before we set off back towards Cat Ba town.
Radar Tower - (free) 360° Viewpoint
Heading South, just before you pass the entrance to the Trung Trang caves is a crossroads. We decided to take a right here instead of going straight to mix up the scenery on the way back, this road loops around the west side of the island before redirecting you into the town centre. After taking in the incredible views of the sea, we drove through the town and towards a spot that we thought would be a perfect sunset spot. We had heard that there’s a hard to find path nearby the entrance of Cannon fort. We drove the bike up this path for about 2 minutes and parked it at the top. A set of stairs sits to the left of where a couple of bikes are parked so we headed up the steps, silently praying that the steps wouldn’t take us more than a couple of minutes to climb.
Our prayers were answered and 5 minutes later we reached the top. We stood beneath the cell tower and took in the 360-degree view of the surrounding area. On one side lay the city, on another side rose the hills and natural landscape, and finally a beautiful bay full of boats appeared on the opposite side. At this viewpoint is a bunker, if you climb on top of this bunker it gives an incredible view of the sunset, you can even climb further up the hill behind the bunker and watch the boats and the sunset. Luke and I decided that we would climb half way up the cell tower to see how much better this incredible view could possibly get.
(DISCLAIMER: it’s important to exercise caution as some of these towers may be old and climbing them may not be legally permitted and might have potential dangers) (also it was incredible). There were a couple of other tourists but they all sat on the top of the hill to watch the sunset while we decided to stay on top of the bunker and take in the view from every angle as the sun changed from yellow, to orange, to deep red, and the sky slowly grew darker and darker. After watching one of the most beautiful sunsets I had witnessed in Vietnam, the two of us walked back to the bike, torches in hand, and made our way back to town for dinner.
Conclusion
So there you have it, the ultimate guide to conquering Cat Ba Island on two wheels. There is plenty more to do on Cat Ba island, including a day trip on a boat to Ha Long bay, the Butterfly Valley, hike through the National Park, etc. However, for those looking to rent a bike for the day and explore the island at their own pace, this guide offers a great starting point. Life’s short, the road is calling, and adventure awaits on Cat Ba Island. Stop thinking about it, I mean it, Get. Lost.