Best Things to Do in Halong Bay, Cat Ba Island & Lan Ha Bay (with Kids) - Travel Guide
Learn the 6 best things to do in Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island Vietnam: kayaking, swimming, squid fishing, cycling, caves and Viet Hai village tour. A family travel guide with kids or without. This is my full guide to the best things to do in Cat Ba in north Vietnam. Here you will find the island surrounded by Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay. So this is doubles as a best things to do in Lan Ha Bay and a Halong Bay things to do video. It was filmed with kids on a three day, two night trip. We cover Cat Ba versus Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay versus Halong Bay, and how to reach each activity whether you cruise or stay in Cat Ba National Park. Contents 00:00 Halong Bay with Kids 00:58 Kayaking 02:41 Swimming at Ba Trai Dao 04:11 Squid Fishing 05:07 Bike Ride on Cat Ba Island 06:53 Viet Hai Village 08:55 Trung Trang Cave 10:12 Choosing a Cruise We start with kayaking, which defines the region. Lan Ha Bay kayaking and Halong Bay kayaking both put you under towering limestone karsts, through caves and into hidden lagoons, with monkeys overhead. We cover the equipment, gear, how a kayaking tour works, and where canoeing fits into your experience. Next is swimming. We visit Ba Trai Dao, the Three Peaches islets, a tide-dependent beach reached on a day trip boat, then jump off the back of the cruise. We talk water temperature, cleanliness, pollution, and snorkelling. Whether you are on a Lan Ha Bay cruise or Halong Bay cruise, you can reach it. Squid fishing at night is third. We explain how it works off the tender after dark and whether it holds up for kids as a family activity. It runs as an evening activity on the three days, two nights Calypso Cruises itinerary, and many others. Bike riding on Cat Ba Island is fourth. We follow the cycling route through the karsts and hills, past dense jungle, wildlife and villages. A Cat Ba Island bike ride is a lot of fun and a bike rental is easy to sort on arrival. Fifth is the Viet Hai Village tour and lunch. We walk the old huts and bamboo bridges, see the farming tools and communist history, feed the fish with our feet (Ichthyotherapy), and taste local liquor including snake wine before a feast. It stands out among the best Cat Ba Island things to do as our favourite. Caving is sixth. We explore a cave, a grotto the locals call Trung Trang Cat Ba. It's one of the caves Vietnam is famous for. We cover getting there, the climb in, the lighting, bats, geology formations, and the crawl spaces thst take you through the mountain. Doing Lan Ha Bay or Halong Bay with kids changes what matters, so I flag which activities suit a family. I show how a cruise with kids handles each, and answer whether Halong Bay is worth it and whether it is safe for children. What more could you want from your Cat Ba Island and Halong Bay travel guide? Well, for logistics we cover where Lan Ha Bay is, getting from Cat Ba Island to Ha Long Bay, using it as a base for tours, and doing it as a day trip from Hanoi. I'm Chris Stead, an award-winning journalist, travel editor and creator of the Motivated Travel Show. I produce premium, honest, cinematic travel reviews and guides designed to help you travel smarter, better and with more confidence across Australia, Asia and beyond. This is part of our Vietnam Series and Southeast Asia With Kids series. Watch those playlists for the full route, and our other Vietnam guides for where to go next. #halongbay #catbaisland #lanhabay #travelguide #motivatedtravel