Exploring Vietnam: Cruising Lan Ha Bay from Catba Island
In this episode we’ll be exploring the streets of Hanoi, catching a cable car to Catba, and cruising the beautiful Lan Ha Bay. Of course, we didn’t just magically arrive here, first we had to fly from Perth to Hanoi. Thanks to Malaysian airlines, our luggage didn’t arrive until late the next day, so we were stuck wearing those same clothes for way too long. We did spend a little time doing some of the usual tourist stuff while in Hanoi, but we were keen to get moving as soon as we could, once our luggage had arrived. From Hanoi we were able to catch a bus…..and a cable car to Catba Island. We spent most of our first couple of days here resting, so we didn’t really get to explore as much as we’d like to. I’ve actually been to Catba before, back in about 2007. A lot has changed in that time. They’ve extended the shoreline, and are building a whole lot of new attractions, as well as accommodation. Some of this stuff is already open, like this water, light, music thing, but most of it is still being built. We’re keen to visit again once it’s all up and running Our final day in Catba, was spent on a cruise exploring Lan Ha Bay. Like the nearby (and much more well known) Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha is an area of water with literally hundreds of small limestone islands dramatically jutting out from the ocean. Unlike Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha has the advantage of being lesser known, and therefore a lot less crowded with boats and people. If you want a quieter, much more relaxing cruise Lan Ha is by far the better choice. I’ve done both, and definitely preferred Lan Ha Bay. We stopped in Viet Hai Village for a quick fish massage, which neither of us especially enjoyed, and then a quick bike ride. Then we were back on board for Lunch. After lunch we made a quick stop for a bit of Kayaking, where unfortunately I dropped my camera never to be seen again. You’ll be sadly missed Insta360 One R 1 inch module. Once back on board we spent the afternoon swimming, relaxing in the spa, and simply taking in the views as we approached sunset. What a beautiful day out.