City guide Cat Ba Island
- Grocery Delivery Not available; shopping is done in person at local mini-marts or the wet market. No grocery app was confirmed. Shop at Cho Cat Ba.
- Gyms & Fitness Centers Local outdoor 'gym' at the Waterfront Park; some hotels like Perle d'Orient have high-end… No public gym was named. A resort-gym tariff was not opened.
- Highest Income Tax Bracket 35% for monthly income above 80 million VND. 35% on annual taxable employment income above 1,200 million VND (above 100 million VND a…
- Highway Access Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway, followed by the Tan Vu-Lach Huyen bridge to the ferry… CT.04, the Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway, runs 105.5 km from Hanoi to Dinh Vu. The Trang Cat…
- Historic Buildings French colonial-style architecture remnants in the older part of Cat Ba town. Cannon Fort and Hospital Cave are the preserved war sites. UNESCO notes Mac-dynasty…
- Historical Sites Trung Trang Cave and the archaeological sites in Hien Hao. Trung Trang Cave is mapped on the island, and the Cai Beo area has habitation going back…
- Internet Speed 35-50 Mbps; Fiber is common in hotels, but outages occur during storms. No Cat Ba-only test is published. Ookla Vietnam median fixed download was 361 Mbps in…
- Language Classes Private tutoring can be arranged via the Cat Ba Language Center (English focus). none
- Laundry Services Numerous shops along Nui Ngoc Street; prices range from 20,000 to 30,000 VND per kg. The One Hostel offers laundry. A Cat Ba price per kilo was not published.
- Libraries & Study Spots No public library; large hotel lounges like Flamingo Cat Ba are the best quiet study… No public library was named. The One Hostel lounge, with free Wi-Fi, is the practical…
- Local Brewery The Bigman Brewery; serving local craft beers on the waterfront (50,000+ VND). No brewery. Sidewalk bia hoi is the local pour. A domestic draft in the Vietnam survey is…
- Local Heritage The Golden-headed Langur, one of the world's most endangered primates, native only to the… The Cat Ba langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus) lives only in this archipelago and is…
- Local Markets Cat Ba Seafood Market; best visited early morning at 6:00 AM. Cho Cat Ba is the daytime market. Evening seafood stalls line the waterfront.
- Main Train/Transit Hub Hai Phong Railway Station (transfer to the island via speedboat from Binh Pier). No station on the island. Hai Phong railway station (Ga Hai Phong) is at 75 Luong Khanh…
- Museums & Art Venues Hospital Cave (Quân Y Cave); a secret bomb-proof hospital used during the war. Hospital Cave (Hang Quan Y), about 10 km north of town, is the wartime hospital, about…
- Music Scene Live acoustic sets at Woodstock Beach Camp during peak season. The One Hostel runs rooftop music until 23:30. The Bigman bar lists DJs rather than a…
- Must-See Landmarks Lan Ha Bay (less crowded alternative to Ha Long Bay) and Cannon Fort (for sunsets). Lan Ha Bay, inside the Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage Site, and Cannon…
- National Parks Nearby Cat Ba National Park (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) covers 50% of the island. Cat Ba National Park is on the island, not a trip away. Basic entry is 80,000 VND; 120,000…
- Nearby Nature Escapes Cat Ba National Park; features world-class hiking trails like the Ngu Lam Peak trek. Ngu Lam peak in the national park is about 1.5-2 hours return. Asia Outdoors is mapped at…
- Networking Events Informal meetups at 'The Bigman' craft beer bar on Friday nights. No remote-worker meetup. You meet other travellers, not a professional calendar.
- Parcel Delivery Service VNPost located on 1/4 Street near the harbor. Vietnam Post, 18 Pho Cat Ba.
- Popular International Cuisine Marigold Restaurant (Indian) and Napoli Pizza (Italian). Oasis Bar on 1/4 Street lists Vietnamese and Western plates. A current Indian or Italian…
- Population 16,000 residents About 56,000 people live on Cat Ba and about 15,000 on neighbouring Cat Hai, inside a…
- Power 220V, 50Hz, 🔌 Type A, C, and G sockets (Type A/C most common). 200 V at 50 Hz, with plug types A, C, E and F. Types A, C and D, and dual 110/220 V…
- Property Tax Very low non-agricultural land use tax (0.03% to 0.15%). No annual wealth tax. Non-agricultural land-use tax on houses and apartments is 0.03% to…
- Property Transaction Tax 2% Personal Income Tax on the sale price plus 0.5% Registration Fee. The seller pays 2% personal income tax on real-estate sale proceeds. The buyer pays a…
- Public Transport Passes None; travel is primarily via private motorbike or the 'Hoàng Long' bus-boat-bus combo… None. The Dong Bai ferry is 10,000 VND on foot, paid in cash. There is no monthly card.
- Regional Travel Speedboat to Hai Phong (150,000 VND) or Ferry to Tuan Chau/Ha Long City (100,000 VND). Dong Bai to Cai Vieng is 10,000 VND on foot or 45,000 VND with a motorbike. The Tuan Chau…
- Religious Sites Cat Ba Temple and various small shrines along the harbor. UNESCO names the remains of the temples Cac Ba and Cac Ong. A current visiting-hours page…
- SIM Card Viettel or Vinaphone. Viettel has the best island coverage; 150,000 VND for 4GB/day for 30… Viettel, Vinaphone and Mobifone sell prepaid SIMs with a passport. Buy one in Hanoi or Hai…
- Scenic Viewpoints Cannon Fort (Phao Dai Than Cong) for panoramic views of Lan Ha Bay. Cannon Fort sits on a 177 m peak, with views over the island, the coast and Lan Ha Bay. An…
- Short Term Rentals Airbnb is limited; better deals found via Facebook Groups like 'Cat Ba Archipelago… The One Hostel and town guesthouses for a few nights; ask the owner about a weekly or…
- Social Events for Expats Voluntary beach cleanups organized by local dive shops and 'Green Cat Ba'. No expat club. The One Hostel runs quiz nights and guest events; that is a hostel…
- Street Art Limited; look for local murals near the Cat Ba primary school. No street-art walk is described in the island guides opened for this pass.
- Street Food Stalls Waterfront promenade in the evenings; grilled skewers and roasted corn. Cho Cat Ba and the evening waterfront stalls, for bun tom and grilled seafood.
- Studio Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. 45,000,000 VND per m² ($1,800/m²). Example: 40 m² = $72,000 (Leasehold common for… Xanh Island, the Sun Group project in town, is asking from about 72 million VND per m2…
- Studio Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. 25,000,000 VND per m² ($1,000/m²). Example: 40 m² = $40,000. none
- Table Tennis Spots Community center near the public park often has residents playing in the evenings. none
- Tap Water Not drinkable; use bottled water or filtered refill stations (approx. 10,000 VND per… Not for drinking; use bottled or filtered water. A 50 oz bottle is about 13,000 VND…
- Tax System Worldwide income for tax residents (183+ days in country). Residents (183 days or more in a calendar year or in 12 consecutive months, or a regular…
fix pass. Power, Currency & Banking, Banking for Expats, Affordable Shopping Spots, Local Markets, Main Train/Transit Hub, Best Hospital, Must-See Landmarks, Historical Sites, Nearby Nature Escapes, Scenic Viewpoints (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Vietnam, https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/vietnam/, https://www.vinmec.com/eng/hospital/vinmec-hai-phong-hospital-1, https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/cong-nhan-ga-hai-phong-la-diem-du-lich-20250508172117006.htm, https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5958483585, https://asiaoutdoors.vn/)