International tourists enjoy exploring the natural beauty of Cat Ba Island. Photo source: Shutterstock
Amazing nature and "priceless" green ecosystem
Thielmann (a 28-year-old German tourist) traveled thousands of kilometers to Cat Ba just to... climb cliffs and then jump into the water, but was unexpectedly fascinated by this island. The "deep water soloing" that Thielmann pursued is one of the experiences favored by foreign visitors when coming to Cat Ba. Along with that, more than 3.6 million visitors came here in 2024 to swim, visit, and relax on the bay; trek 10km through the primeval forest or visit the ancient fishing village of Viet Hai, explore Monkey Island, watch the sunset at the cannon fortress...
The tourist experiences in Cat Ba are considered extremely unique, but not yet perfect with gaps in high-end accommodation and resort services that need to be filled. However, no one can deny that the nature and “green” ecosystem of Cat Ba is truly a treasure present in the Gulf of Tonkin with immense value.
Cat Ba archipelago belongs to Cat Hai district (Hai Phong city), including 367 islands spread over an area of about 300 km2. Here is Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve, Cat Ba National Park, with a world heritage area of 22,250 ha, the largest marine forest in Vietnam with an area of over 17,000 ha and diverse ecosystems.
The Cat Ba Archipelago Heritage Area is an outstanding, representative example of typical tropical and subtropical marine-island ecosystems of Asia with 7 adjacent ecosystems, developing successively including: The primary rainforest ecosystem on the largest limestone island in Vietnam; The most developed coral reef ecosystem in the Gulf of Tonkin; The largest mangrove ecosystem on an island in Vietnam; Tidal ecosystem with unique mosaics of attached organisms that are rarely found elsewhere; Saltwater lake ecosystem; Terrestrial cave ecosystem and freshwater underground cave; Cat Ba seabed ecosystem.
The area of primary forest of about 1,045 hectares on Cat Ba Island is one of the important factors that contribute to the ecological value and biodiversity of the heritage. In particular, the Cat Ba langur is a rare species listed in the World Red Book, and this species appears nowhere else in the world. In addition, researchers have discovered many endemic plants here, adapted to living only on limestone islands, which are found nowhere else in the world.
In September 2023, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee recognized Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago as a World Natural Heritage. From here, Cat Ba tourism is given more opportunities to break through and accelerate in the new period.
To seize that opportunity, in addition to promoting the value of natural "treasures" and expanding the four-season tourism experience to attract tourists, Cat Ba also aims to develop into a world-class "green" tourist destination.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Do Cong Thung, possessing a "giant green lung" which is Cat Ba National Park of over 26,000 hectares, Cat Ba "on its own" has the ability to reduce pollution and purify the air. However, that is not enough for sustainable development and reaching a higher goal of becoming an ecological, smart island.
“Therefore, Cat Ba needs a master plan, a standard plan for long-term and sustainable tourism development, closely linked with other sectors to unify goals and common actions to reduce pollution. That is the first priority.”
In order to turn Cat Ba into the first carbon-free tourism island in our country, it is expected that in the near future, the government and major investors will join hands to create conditions for all residents on the island as well as tourists to completely use environmentally friendly means of transport such as cable cars, electric cars, bicycles, etc. The public electric car system will be planned synchronously throughout the island, with stops/parking/charging stations... ensuring convenience for residents and tourists. This is considered one of Vietnam's pioneering tourism projects towards carbon-free air and dedicating a lot of space to the community.
Treasures waiting to be awakened
According to experts, the green pearl of Vietnamese tourism is not an unreasonable title for Cat Ba, especially with the 6 national and international titles that this archipelago owns. However, to turn Cat Ba Island - the tourist center of Hai Phong into a true "paradise", it will require the right strategy, direction and worthy investors. This reminds us of the story of the journey from the smallest island nation in Asia to one of the most luxurious resort paradises in the world of Maldives.
Before the Maldives paradise existed today, everything would have ended if it were not for the meeting of Italian explorer George Corbin and a Maldivian man Ahmed Naseem. Together, they opened a new era for Maldives because they believed that this place could develop into a "tourist paradise" based on a single factor: the sea here is more special than many other places. Those are flat white sand beaches formed from dead coral. The sea water here, although very salty, is crystal clear, because the largest island here does not have enough space to form the smallest flow enough to be called a river, so there is no silt or sand poured out, not causing the water to be cloudy. And especially, the sea water has many layers of color such as dark blue, blue, turquoise...
Cat Ba Island needs to improve its high-end tourism services to truly break through and become worthy of the title "pearl" of Vietnamese tourism. Photo: Anh Duong
The sublime and mysterious beauty of nature that cannot be found anywhere else are also things that Cat Ba possesses. Even located in the east of Cat Ba Island, adjacent to Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha Bay is also considered a sleeping paradise. A calm, arc-shaped bay with many large and small islands of countless interesting shapes, creating a charming landscape. The bay has more than 100 pristine golden sand beaches inviting visitors to explore. Many sandy beaches stretch between two rocky mountains, quiet, without big waves, truly ideal beaches for visitors to experience.
For tourists who love Cat Ba, each visit is an exciting journey of discovery. In the near future, those experiences will be enhanced with a high-class tourist project and the largest public beach on the island, located right in the central bay of Cat Ba, which today still retains its pristine, attractive appearance and the legends of its long history and culture. This place is always a space that inspires endless inspiration for tourists because of the wonderful harmony of nature. The unique and special tourism value of Cat Ba Island - rarely found anywhere else, along with the orientation of developing a "green island", sustainably, promises to help Cat Ba attract more and more tourists, especially international tourists and high-spending tourists. At that time, only tourism developers with potential combined with a methodical investment strategy can bring Cat Ba to a worthy position on the regional and international tourism map.
Source: https://infonet.vietnamnet.vn/cat-ba-thien-duong-cho-duoc-danh-thuc-5028526.html
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