Hải Phòng & Cát Bà Island: Urban Port Culture Meets Island Wilderness

Vietnam’s Overlooked Port City

Hải Phòng, Vietnam’s third-largest city, is perpetually overshadowed by nearby Halong Bay. But this bustling port city has its own charm — tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, a vibrant flower market, and some of the best seafood in northern Vietnam. It’s also the gateway to Cát Bà Island, which many seasoned travelers prefer to Halong Bay itself.

Cát Bà Island

The largest island in Halong Bay, Cát Bà is half national park, half fishing community. The island offers the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation:

• Cát Bà National Park — home to the endangered Cát Bà langur (fewer than 70 survive), with trails through tropical karst forest to mountaintop viewpoints
• Lan Hạ Bay — Halong Bay’s quieter, equally stunning sister bay, accessible by kayak from Cát Bà. Over 400 karst islets, turquoise water, and almost no tourist boats
• Hospital Cave — a multi-story cave hospital used by the Viet Cong during the American War, now open for tours
• Rock Climbing — Cát Bà’s limestone cliffs offer world-class deep-water soloing (climbing above water with no ropes)

Hải Phòng Cuisine

Hải Phòng’s culinary identity is defined by the sea:

• Bánh Đa Cua — the city’s signature dish: red rice noodles in a crab-based broth with fried tofu puffs, water spinach, and shrimp paste. Found nowhere else in Vietnam.
• Nem Cua Bể — deep-fried crab spring rolls, crispy on the outside, oceanic sweetness within