Trekking through the jungle in Cat Ba

A great experience for those who love adventure is a trek through the jungle to the pristine fishing village of Viet Hai in Cat Ba National Park.

With this trip, visitors can choose to rent a boat from Ben Beo port to go to Viet Hai fishing village, or challenge themselves by trekking through the forest in Cat Ba National Park, Hai Phong for about 5 hours.

Cat Ba National Park has an area of 26,240 hectares. To be able to walk through the forest in the National Park, visitors need to buy tickets at the gate of the National Park.

There are two routes that visitors can choose from. The first route is from the forest entrance to Ao Ech, 4 km long, with a ticket price of 40,000 VND/person. The second route is from Ao Ech, crossing challenging rocky outcrops to find Viet Hai fishing village, 7 km long, with a ticket price of 80,000 VND/person. Before starting the trekking trip, visitors need to report to the National Park Management Board (including name, address and contact phone number). This is a valuable biosphere reserve area with diverse and rugged terrain, so the experience in the forest needs to be strictly controlled.

Cat Ba National Park has a mysterious natural beauty, especially with many different ecosystems in the "basin" of the forest, including evergreen forests on limestone mountains, flooded forests on high mountains and mangrove forests with cave systems that are home to bats. When going deep into the forest, visitors will directly witness the change in weather, from cold to foggy. The road through the forest connects diverse terrains, from towering bamboo forests to sharp cliffs, as well as green fields of piper lolot.

Since the trekking area is strictly protected by the National Park Management Board, visitors need not worry about getting lost. There are many painted trails on the cliffs and signs to help visitors easily traverse the mountains and forests.

An impressive destination in the ecosystem chain of this National Park is Ao Ech, with an area of 3.2 hectares. During the dry season, the pond dries up and the trees become bare, creating a wild beauty that attracts ecotourism lovers. When coming to this area, visitors should pay attention to wear modest clothing and avoid sitting in places with wet bushes. To get to Viet Hai fishing village from Ao Ech, visitors will follow the road on the mountainside for about 4 km, where there are large, smooth rocks, steep, winding rocky hills and winding vines. When climbing to the top of the mountain, visitors will see the valley rising with a dense cluster of lolot leaves and from there, Viet Hai fishing village will gradually appear.

Viet Hai fishing village also leaves a beautiful impression with the model of "clean house - beautiful garden". Hibiscus flowers are planted on both sides of the road and the house doors are never locked. The ripe fruit in the garden is not picked by anyone. Visitors can rent bicycles to explore and learn about the ancient houses in the fishing village.

When leaving the fishing village to go to Cat Hai wharf, visitors should rent an electric car for about 150,000 VND for a trip for up to 10 people. After about 10 minutes of traveling, visitors should call the boat from Ben Beo port to pick them up, at a cost of 500,000 VND for a trip.