Photo story: climbing and kayaking in Cát Bà, Vietnam, the rugged alternative to Ha Long Bay
In the country’s north, Cát Bà emerges from the jade waters of Lan Ha Bay like a lost world. But this is a living, working island, where fishermen ply the waters and travellers come in search of adventurous pursuits.
Cát Bà island, with its floating seafood restaurants, is often a stop for travellers exploring the famous Halong Bay nearby, and while the island is developing a tourism scene of its own, fishing remains an important local industry.
The majority of the local fishermen don’t actually live on Cát Bà itself, but reside on Cai Beo, a purpose-built floating village of 300 or so homes.
Almost all the residents depend on the sea for their livelihood, be it fishing or tending to the upkeep of larger boats that ply the surrounding waters.
A number of companies run boat trips through the limestone islets around Cát Bà, offering an inspiring way to discover this ancient landscape, shaped over tens of millions of years by the region’s tropical climate.
While meandering between islets on boat tours, passengers pass tiny fishing villages and secluded coves tucked between soaring limestone cliffs that plunge into the sea. On Cia Beo floating village, a fisherman takes a break for lunch; here, workers, their families and their pets live atop the bay so they can tend to their aquaculture.
Exploring the island beneath the waves is a must: the crystal clear waters are home to a colourful array of marine life, including dazzling corals.
Pausing during a hike in Cát Bà National Park, a traveller named Diamond strums ‘Something in the Way’ by Nirvana on his ukulele.
Paradise beaches aside, Cát Bà is far from being a sleepy coastal idyll. The island is a true adventure playground, where travellers can throw themselves into land- and water-based activities, from climbing and hiking in the national park to kayaking and standup paddleboarding. Here, kayakers explore a hidden cove on a tour organised by Langur Adventures.
A climber chalks up before joining a deep-water soloing route. These climbs are accessible only by small boat and the climber uses no ropes; if they fall, they do so into the water
below. Not for the faint-hearted, this style of climbing is an exhilarating experience many travellers visit the island specifically for.
Expert climbing guide Ben Wilman scales a rockface barefoot, off the coast of Cát Bà.
Chú Biên captains a boat that takes climbers through the iconic topography of Cát Bà island to deep-water solo climbing routes. Chú drops travellers off on their chosen climb and then hangs back for them to either complete the route and jump from the top of the rockface into the sea or to lose their grip and fall into the water below.
A climber on a secluded beach tackles a route on one of the hundreds of rock stacks that surround Cát Bà. This, and many routes like it, are only accessible by boat making the experience truly unique and intimate.
Climbing equipment hangs from a tree on a secluded beach.
Only accessible by boat, Castaway Island Resort provides groups with a variety of different pursuits such as paddle boarding, kayaking and rock climbing, as well as luxury food and accommodation.
Cát Bà is home to the critically endangered golden-headed langur, also known as the Cát Bà langur. This is one of the world’s rarest primates, with fewer than 70 individuals restricted to a rocky area of less than eight square miles. Years of hunting depleted their numbers, but conservation efforts and the increased protection of Cát Bà National Park have been important steps in ensuring the monkeys’ survival.
