Not only famous for being the "Red Phoenix Flower City" with attractive cuisine, Hai Phong is also an ideal destination for short day trips with bays and islands classified as "beautiful as a dream", giving visitors diverse choices such as Lan Ha bay, Hon Dau island, Long Chau islands, Bach Long Vi island...
Explore Sang cave in Cat Ba. Photo: Pham Van Tung
Cat Ba island
Cat Ba is an island district about 9km from the center of Hai Phong city, favored by nature with cool weather all year round. In summer, visitors can enjoy the fresh water and the fresh nature. On Cat Ba island, visitors can visit many different destinations such as Lan Ha bay, Monkey island, Cat Ba National Park... Visitors can also enjoy a variety of appealing seafood dishes such as mantis shrimp, geoduck, and horseshoe clam, among others. Cat Ba island is considered one of the ideal tourist destinations, a destination that travel companies always favor to choose in Hai Phong.
Tu Do island
Tu Do island is a small island among 388 islands in the Cat Ba archipelago and is a unique island in Vietnam, possessing 2 seafronts that few people know about. At the beach of Tu Do island, visitors can participate in activities such as swimming, kayaking, SUP paddling, exploring other small islands, visiting the bay by boat or trekking, or enjoying the cool shade of the canopy while lying on the hammock reading, listening to music, or relaxing. In the evening, visitors can have a BBQ party, enjoy fresh seafood caught right on the island... Tu Do island still retains the most poetic and pristine features of nature, so all activities that visitors participate in are very private. The best times to visit Tu Do island are in April - June or September – October.
Lan Ha Bay
One of the best scenic spots in Hai Phong that you definitely should not miss is Lan Ha Bay. Located to the east of Cat Ba island and connecting the island to Ha Long bay, Lan Ha bay has an area of more than 7,000 hectares with about 400 large and small islands and 139 fine white sand beaches. From April to June, the sea here is calm, with sunny weather, a cool wind, and a clear blue sky, making it suitable for boating and diving activities. Due to the pristine scenery and quiet space, Lan Ha bay has become an interesting weekend destination. The density of limestone mountains on the bay is quite thick, creating many small bays and pristine cave systems, providing visitors with many attractive experiences such as bathing, diving, watching corals, kayaking to visit Tung Gau cave, Vem cave, Cai Beo bay, Monkey island, Van Boi beach... In Lan Ha bay, visitors can visit other destinations such as: Cua Van fishing village, Nam Cat island, Monkey island... or Cai Beo floating village, with a history of thousands of years.
Do Son beach. Photo: Luu Thanh Dat
Do Son Beach
Do Son beach is divided into zones I, II, and III, in which zone II is popular with tourists because it is an area with beautiful and fine sand. Not only is it fun with many activities, but at Do Son, visitors can enjoy many delicious and fresh seafood dishes. The restaurant system here is also very diverse. Visitors can easily enjoy delicious and cheap meals with their families and friends.
Hon Dau Island
The Hon Dau is an egg-shaped small island with an area of only 1km2 and is nearly 1km from the Do Son peninsula. The space in Hon Dau is open and cool, suitable for weekend trips. Here, visitors can experience marine tourism activities, take photos, or see with their own eyes the animals living here, such as deer, rabbits, birds... On Hon Dau island, visitors can visit the historic lighthouse, built between 1892 and 1898, standing 140m above the sea.
Long Chau island. Photo: Nguyen Tuan Anh
Long Chau Islands
Locals often call Long Chau island the Dragon Eye Island because, seen from above, the islands are shaped like a dragon's eye jewel in the middle of the open sea. The place consists of 30 islands, rocks, and banks with an area of about 1km2. The scenery of Long Chau island is stunningly pristine, so tourists who love to experience and explore can choose this destination for their journey. Long Chau island is also where the stone lighthouse built in 1894 stands, located at 109.5m above sea level, capable of lighting up to 50km and being compared to the "god's eye" while protecting national security in the northern sea.
Bach Long Vy Island
The most remote island in the Gulf of Tonkin, Bach Long Vy island, is about 110km from the mainland. This is a crucial island district in Vietnam's strategy for economic development, security, and marine defense. Visitors to the island have the opportunity to visit the Bach Long Vi marine protected area, where rare fauna and flora are strictly protected, or check-in at the lighthouse, which has an altitude of 80m. You can climb to the top of the lighthouse and admire the vastness of the land, the sky, and the sea. Besides, you can visit Bach Long Tu, the first temple on the island with majesty and antiquity, which has an important position in the cultural and spiritual life of the people here.
Ha Tinh