Famous Houses of Worship on Phú Quốc | Vietnam

1. Sùng Hưng Cổ Tự

This is the oldest site of worship on the island, with two temples and a graveyard here stretching back to time immemorial. The current pagoda dates from the late 1800s, though it’s so well kept that nothing here is actually old; I think every single tile and piece of furniture has been replaced, one by one, over time. It’s still a very active place of worship, but honestly not worth a visit unless you happen to pop by on the way to something else.

2. Cao Dai Temple

I was never aware of Cao Dai until visiting Vietnam. Cao Dai is a modern syncretic religion, founded in southern Vietnam in 1921, with the central tenet that all religions are timely, topical manifestations of one great power on high, Cao Dai. Of course, the Cao Dai religion is the third and final revelation from Cao Dai. In temples, Cao Dai is represented by the all-seeing eye.

In combining Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, Daoist, Muslim and Catholic beliefs, Cao Daiists have come to worship a pantheon of immortals and saints, from Guan Yin to Joan of Arc. And because the Vietnamese founders were themselves mediums receiving psychic messages from ever more immortals as to how best expand their church, these immortals tend to be literary and political figures they would have encountered in their education or during their lifetimes: Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, Lenin, Sun Yat-Sen, Winston Churchill, etc.

The idea of psychically contacting Lenin and Churchill during a séance to brainstorm how to draw more congregants tickles me! Yet Cao Dai is the third largest religion in Vietnam, following omnipresent Buddhism and a small but old Catholic minority. Most of its growth happened extremely quickly, with a million followers joining in the twenty years between its founding and the end of World War 2/beginning of the First Indochina War. Cao Dai sided with the French, then Americans, and were consequently banned following reunification in 1975, but allowed again during the capitalist shift in 1997. Today there are around 3 million Cao Daiists worldwide, due to the emigration of Vietnamese worshippers following those wars.

I swear I was told multiple times that Cao Dai began on Phu Quoc, and that’s why it was important to visit the temple. Of course, a quick google dispels that notion. Perhaps one of the founders was born here? Or maybe the religion is dominant here, where elsewhere it’s a tiny minority?

Graham Greene described Cao Dai temples as “the full Asiatic splendor of a Walt Disney fantasy,” and I found that to be true. I don’t believe this one to be a particularly compelling example, but it is steps from the market, so not much effort is required to look.

3. Dinh Cậu

There has been some sort of worship site here since the 17th century, but the current small temple was built in 1937. This is where fisherman about to leave for long trips come to pray to the goddess of the sea, as well as Cau Tải and Cau Quy, the two Buddhist protectors of fisherman and other seafarers.

The surrounds have been built up a lot over the past ten years or so, with a long jetty, big parking lot, and paved street where there was once just a beach and some rocks. Comparing what I saw to old photos, the expansions have made the place far less picturesque. It’s still worth checking out because it’s a good view and in the center of town.

So, in my opinion, none of these are worth going out of your way to see, but, due to their convenient locations, you might as well.

Lan Hạ Bay’s Floating Fishing Village off Cát Bà| Vietnam

Everyone cruising out of Ben Beo harbor on the ubiquitous Cat Ba boat tour has the same thought: how do people live in this floating village?If you take a close look at Lan Ha bay on google maps, you’ll see several floating guest houses! I was curious enough to arrange a stay at one.

To be quite honest, I was miserable; the experience really highlighted all the conveniences I love and rely on. There’s no air conditioning, and a fan doesn’t help much under a corrugated metal roof in the summer heat; WiFi is nonexistent and phone service is spotty; water pressure is absolutely nonexistent, they bathe by rinsing with rainwater collected in barrels; all electricity comes from a big rechargeable battery, so sometimes there isn’t even enough to charge your phone; food is limited to the fish they farm, the veggies and herbs they can grow seasonally, and instant noodles.

If you are prepared to endure this for a couple days, you can enjoy peaceful unlimited solo swimming and kayaking. Everything you buy at the homestays will be low quality and incredibly expensive, and you obviously can’t prepare food yourself. It’s hard to learn much about their lifestyle because their English is extremely limited, so if you are interested in how and what they farm you must stay a while and be very observant.

If you are looking for authentic experiences where you can live like a local, this is definitely it.

Việt Hải Village, Cát Bà | Vietnam

Viet Hai village is an agricultural hamlet located in a valley amongst Cat Ba’s mountains. It’s picturesque, but literally the only thing to do here is walk or bike the single U-shaped road to the foot of the mountains, and back. It’s only accessible by boat or by hiking through the national park, so it’s very small and peaceful.

It is physically possible to do the whole route (Cat Ba town —> the national park —> Viet Hai Village —> Ban Beo harbor —> Cat Ba town; or the reverse) in a day, but it would be tiring verging on miserable. Either a taxi or a 3 hour walk is required to get from Cat Ba Town to the park entrance; the trek through the park to the village is is 4-6 hours if you don’t climb to the peak, an extra 2-3 hours if you do; it takes perhaps 40 minutes to explore Viet Hai village; the ride or walk to the harbor near the village is a further 5km, so a quick ride but a long walk; you must hire a boat in advance to bring you back to Ban Beo harbor because the ferry only leaves once per day at 1PM and boats there belong to locals who turn in early, no one is expecting tourists to turn up; finally, from Ben Beo harbor to Cat Ba town is another motorbike ride or quite long walk. Walking the whole thing, even if you are an incredibly fit trekker, would be a 12-16 hour hike with no breaks. Even benefitting from taxis or benevolent motorbikers when possible, it’s still a 7-8 hour round trip at best.

It’s far nicer to hike through the national park to Viet Hai, stay in one of the lovely homestays overnight, explore the village the next morning and take the ferry back to Ban Beo harbor at 1PM. You can also do the reverse: hire a taxi from Cat Ba town to Ban Beo harbor, hire a boat at Ban Beo Harbor to get you to the harbor near Viet Hai village, trek the 5km from the harbor to the village, stay there overnight, and trek through the park and make your way back to Cat Ba town the next day. More people do the first option because it’s cheaper, more convenient in terms of arranging transportation, and more time efficient. Also, the village is super relaxing, a much nicer place to rest after a long day!

If I would do it again, I would have rested an extra day at my comfy village homestay. I wouldn’t seek Viet Hai village out as a destination, but as a respite after a very long hike, it’s excellent.

A Sunset Walk Along the Harbor and Beaches of Cát Bà | Vietnam

To be honest, Cat Ba is far from my first choice for a beach vacation in Vietnam. During low season, it’s too cold for the beach; in high season, it’s absolutely crawling with families with young children. There are only 3 swimmable beaches, and in high season the sole road to access them is overrun 4x/day by hotel shuttles ready and willing to mow down pedestrians (I saw them hit a person and a motorcycle!)

The beaches are not accessible by bike; there are plenty of stairs to go from beach to beach. When I was there in high season, Cat Co 2 (the beaches are named 1,2, and 3) was covered with construction debris and inaccessible; the combination of construction noise and hundreds of screaming children made it undesirable to visit the beaches at all.

These photos and videos were taken during low season, in sweater weather. A few brave locals dared swim, but the hotel beach bars weren’t even open. Even so, it’s worth spending an evening walking from the main strip, along the harbor, up the hill to the beaches, along the elevated walkway, and back. On a sunny day the scenery is beautiful, and the sunsets are really pretty too.

Rock Climbing & Kayaking Cát Bà | Vietnam

One of my best days in Cat Ba was spent rock climbing, kayaking and cruising with Langur’s Adventures. There are two climbing outfits in Cat Ba; Langur’s and Cat Ba Climbing. I went with Langur’s because it was cheaper and advertised a no-experience necessary climb, perfect for me! Apparently each company has exclusive areas only they are permitted to climb, so if you are more experienced than I am, check out the options to see what you’ll like. My full day, beginner level, morning rock climbing/ afternoon kayaking, with lunch included, was around $50.

The day started out cruising the karsts until we reached a rocky private beach. There were 3 roped routes, one very easy and two still probably easy but with a harder start. The guides were absolutely wonderful, very helpful and supportive. I was so slow at first, afraid of falling. So, my guide told me to fall. He ordered me to fall and see what happened! So I did, and apart from a light scratch on one knee as I started to spin against the rock, I was completely fine. He created a monster. Much less afraid of falling, I was able to climb to the best of my ability.

I learned a few first day lessons. First, it takes a lot of arm strength, much better to have strong arms and a low weight than be bottom heavy like me. Second, there’s no 100% right way, it all depends on your skill level and strength, and only personal experience helps you make the best decision about the next hand and footholds. Third, it hurts your hands! You’re putting a lot of your weight on rocky handholds, after all. Also, speed is of the essence: taking too long to decide where to go next tires out and cramps up your muscles, and your hands bruise and get sweaty. Lastly, it’s a bit addictive! The first thing I thought when I woke up the next morning was that I wished I could give that rock another go.

After climbing we had lunch on the boat, then went kayaking. Lunch was good, typical for these kind of tours: fried tofu, spring rolls, grilled shrimp, white rice, $2 beers. Kayaking was in roughly the same area the day tours go to, but quieter lagoons. We also kayaked past a floating fishing village and through more open water. We spent a couple hours on the water, so it was both harder exercise and more time spent looking at things closely. We stopped at a floating restaurant for tea, and checked out their “lucky fish.” Unlike the other fish at the floating fish farms, a lucky fish is kept in its own area under the house and continuously fed for its natural life, as a sort of symbol of prosperity. So the lucky fish can be many years old and absolutely huge, as this one was!

After kayaking we got back on the boat and headed back to the harbor. We spotted a couple Cat Ba langurs on the cliffs on the way back. It was a dreary day, but the scenery was still beautiful. I absolutely recommend spending a day this way!

Cannon Fort, Cát Bà | Vietnam

A little hiking, a little history, and great views make for a great day out, and Cannon Fort fits the bill! I went during COVID times, so the little restaurant at the top was closed, but overflowing boxes and bins of empty beer bottles indicated the locals were still really enjoying the sunsets here, which are supposed to be the best on the island.

Cannon Fort was maintained by the French in the early 20th century to defend the Haiphong harbor, and the two eponymous cannons there are both French from 1910. The structures and tunnels, however, were built by the Japanese during WW2, when they overran Vietnam. Later it was taken back by the Vietnamese, taken back by the French, taken back by the Vietnamese, and actually stayed in use throughout the Vietnam War. Apparently 6 American planes were actually shot down from here, and there’s still an active military base and airport you will get shooed away from as you walk up the hill beyond the entrance.

The uphill walk from Cat Ba town only takes perhaps half an hour or 40 minutes, but it’s steep enough to be a real workout. Sometimes there’s a guy at the gatehouse who charges each person 30,000; sometimes the gate is just open. There’s a place to park a motorbike. Once there, exploring takes an hour or hour and a half max; it’s a closed circuit with absolutely no chance of getting lost.

I recommend stopping by Casa Bonita afterwards for food and drinks; it’s on the way if you’re walking from Cat Ba town, and one of my favorite restaurants on the island.

Cát Bà National Park: Hiking the Peak, Trung Trang Cave & Hospital Cave| Vietnam

If you are in the mood for nature and light exercise, a day at Cat Ba National Park is great! It’s an easy ride on a motorbike, which you can rent for less than $10/day. I don’t feel confident on a motorbike and Grab doesn’t work on Cat Ba, so I walked down to the taxi stand on the main strip and struck a deal with a cab driver to chauffeur me to the park and caves for the day then bring me back. I don’t remember exactly but believe I paid around $40. If you really want a workout you can walk from Cat Ba Town, but it would take around 3 hours.

Right inside the entrance to the park is a really nice homestay with a restaurant, so if you want a coconut coffee to get you going or need to eat lunch, it’s convenient and the food is good. With a 9 or 9:30 start, I was easily able to have a coffee at the homestay, hike the peak, eat a relaxing lunch, visit both Trung Trang and Hospital Caves, and be back in Cat Ba town by late afternoon.

For a nature reserve there’s not much flora or fauna in the park. Despite its World Heritage Site status, security has been lax enough to allow poaching, to the point where endangered species like the Cat Ba langur are on the brink of extinction. However, if you just want to breathe fresh air and hike in nature, the trail to the highest point on the island is really short, taking just an hour or so, and pretty easy too: it’s 90% steps and 10% scrambling when you get to the top. The views are beautiful and it’s high enough to get that vertiginous feeling!

There’s an alternate difficult hike from the park entrance to Viet Hai village nearer the east coast of the island. This hike requires some trekking skill and serious endurance; it takes 8 to 12 hours. It’s not marked on the park map, but can be arranged in advance with a guide.

Trung Trang cave is actually the name for a system of 150 connected caves, where different stalagmites and stalactites grow, and some ancient human remains have been found. Of course, the section tourists can access is much smaller, but still very interesting looking. The entrance is a quick walk down the road from the park entrance.

Hospital cave was built with Chinese aid during the Vietnam war; it’s a three story concrete building with emergency exits, freshwater access, and air shafts, all built within a preexisting cave system. It was in continuous use for around 12 years, serving both as a hospital and safe house for VC leaders. It’s sparsely decorated with mannequins of soldiers, but that wasn’t the strangest thing I saw here . . . It seems they rent out the third floor for parties and events?!

Again, Hospital Cave is just a minute’s walk down the main road. I wouldn’t want to get married there, but I did really enjoy the day!

Phu Quốc Cuisine | Vietnam

Phu Quoc has such amazing food! I love seafood, so trying all the local cuisine was really a joy for me. I tried to rank them from most to least local, and rare to common. Phu Quoc has many indigenous species, in addition to more common species that would be exotic anywhere else, not to mention local styles of cooking. So, ordering them wasn’t an easy task! If you visit Phu Quoc, definitely budget for restaurants. If you are only on the island for a short time, the hands down best restaurant is Nhà Hàng Hải Sản Xin Chào at 66 Đường Trần Hưng Đạo, TT. Dương Đông, Phú Quốc.

And here’s a link to my google map of everywhere worth going on the island, including restaurants: Genevieve Fields' Phu Quoc

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1. Ghẹ Hàm Ninh (Flower Crab)

Ham Ninh’s indigenous crabs, usually called flower crabs but sometimes guard crabs (a direct translation from their name in Vietnamese), are known for being particularly sweet; it’s best to choose medium sized crabs as they tend to be sweeter than larger crabs.

While I adore lobster and shrimp, I’ve never been much for crab because they’re so much work and mess for such little meat! I prefer soft shell crabs, and crabcakes. Though the Ham Ninh crab is tasty, I didn’t find its flavor special, and it was certainly nothing different enough to be “worth” the table work.

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2. Canh Nấm Tràm (Boletus Mushroom Soup)

These particular mushrooms only bloom on paperbark trees in the island’s primary forest after early spring (March, April) rains. So, despite their bitter taste, their rarity makes them an expensive seasonal item. They are always cooked in a bland seafood soup with shrimp and squid. Again, I’m very pleased to have tried this local specialty but wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

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3. Tôm Mũ Ni (Slipper Lobster)

Slipper lobster is yet another species indigenous to the island, and the taste and texture is sort of halfway between shrimp and lobster. In my opinion, giant shrimp are more satisfying when simply dressed and grilled, and the flavor and size of Western lobsters is far superior. However, if you’re craving more of a lobster flavor and don’t have the budget for true lobster, these are a reasonable choice. For $20 you can have 4 or 5 slipper lobsters grilled.

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4. Còi Biên Mai (Horn Scallop Sinew)

Rare anywhere else, horn scallop sinews are cheap and bountiful on Phu Quoc. Though they’re called scallops, they’re actually the sinew connecting the scallop to its shell. The meat of these big triangular scallops just doesn’t taste very good, so the sinews are what’s grilled and eaten. They can be purchased for $2-3/skewer at the night market, or at beach bars frequented by locals. I love scallops and I loved these! They taste like scallops, perhaps less strong; I didn’t notice any particularly novel flavor and they could shine in many preparations. I would absolutely eat these again.

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5. ốc Giác (Baler Snail)

Baler snails are giant; the meat alone is typically as large as a man’s fist. Due to their size, they have to be prepared carefully in order to not go rubbery. One of the more popular and successful preparations is thinly sliced and sautéed with onions and banana leaves. Some people prefer them grilled or boiled, and also eat the roe. For me, these were just OK. The flavor was mild, sort of mushroomy, fine but I would not seek it out again.

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6. Bào Ngư (Abalone)

I’ve always thought of abalone as a shell, ideal for buttons or small household objects. I never considered eating them! They are really tasty, with a more delicate taste than clams or mussels, subtly smoky, closer to oysters but not as vinegar. The beautiful shells remaining on the dish at the end of the meal is a bonus. I would definitely order these again if I saw them on a menu.

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7. Mực (Fried Squid)

I have never liked calamari, but was promised the squid here was super fresh and tender. It did not disappoint! If I go back I will try to have the egg squid, a seasonal specialty.

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8. Gỏi Cá Trích (Raw Herring Salad)

Raw herring salad is possibly the island’s best known recipe, and the one I felt most apprehensive about trying. I needn’t have! Tossed with shredded coconut and wrapped with pineapple, rice noodles, green papaya, carrots, lettuce, mint and peanuts, then dipped in a slightly sweet sauce, it’s incredibly refreshing. It’s perfect for lunch on a warm day.

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9. Bún Quậy (Noodle Soup with Shrimp Cakes and Squid)

This dish has been an island breakfast favorite for around 100 years. The base is white rice noodles with bland seafood broth; the deluxe version includes shrimp cakes, fish cakes, and a boiled squid for 55,000 dong, though you can order it without the squid or with just one type of cake if you prefer. The gimmick here is that you make your own sauce with soup powder, chili, msg, sugar and a squeezed kumquat, and add to your soup to taste.

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10. Canh Chua Cá Bớp (Sweet and Sour Cobia Soup)

Cobia is the most popular fish on the island. It reminds me a bit of swordfish. I don’t love it, and this soup base is pretty straightforward. Meh!

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11. Vỏ ốc (Conch)

One of my favorite meals of all time was in Key West over 20 years ago now, the conch at Café des Artistes. I don’t remember much about the preparation, only that it was the first time I’d tried conch, and it was absolutely delicious! Obviously a beach joint in semi-rural Vietnam is not going to share much with a truly fine French restaurant, but I was still really surprised by how little I enjoyed the conch here. It was inedibly rubbery. Is conch typically that way, or did they ruin it?

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12. Nhum Biển (Sea Urchin)

Sea urchins have a rich, almost beefy taste that I love. They’re typically just grilled over charcoal with a bit of onions, oil and peanuts, though I’ve also had them with an egg fried in (an unfortunate flavor masking preparation that is used for shellfish with alarming frequency in Vietnam). There is usually a small and large size on offer, and the larger ones are meatier and have a stronger taste, which I prefer.

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13. ốc Nhảy (Jumping Snail)

My pictures disguise how small these snails are! You have to pick out the meat with a safety pin, paperclip, toothpick, sharpened old chicken bone, or the like. I love eating snails, but snails this small are hard work! This type of snail is considered beer food in Vietnam and is available cheaply in the market, at roadside stands, and pretty much any restaurant. They’re typically boiled before eating. Not worth it for me, but a must try if you want to eat like the locals.

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14. Bánh Canh Ca Thu (Mackerel Fish Cake Soup)

Banh canh is an ubiquitous style of Vietnamese soup with tapioca flour noodles or half rice/half tapioca flour noodles. All coastal areas will offer this soup with fish broth, and what goes in the bowl depends on the restaurant: fish balls, fish cakes, fried fish cakes, chunks of fresh fish, fried fish filets, a combo of fish cakes and pork or pork sausage, etc. This is a common lunch or dinner food, and typically costs 40,000 dong ($1.75) or less.What makes it famously good on Phu Quoc is the quality of the fish; not only can you get deluxe versions with crab or tuna, but even the cheap versions made with bits of miscellaneous fish and fish balls are relatively good. If you don’t have money to spend, you’re in a rush, or you’re looking for a homemade meal a little bit too late at night, this is a good choice.

And on my list for next time:

Tiết Canh Cua (Crab Blood Pudding)

Hải Sâm (Sea Cucumber)

Ca Thu (Grilled Mackerel)

ốc Gai (Barbed Snails)

Bánh tét mật cật Phú Quốc (Phú Quốc New Year’s Cake)

Mực Trứng (Egg Squid)

Bún Kèn (Ken Noodles)

The Hội An Countryside: Crafts and Coconut Boats | Vietnam

One fun day trip in Hoi An is Heaven & Earth’s Countryside bike tour with Coconut Boat ride. It costs about $40, and lasts from 8am to 3pm. If you skip the boat ride, it’s $10 cheaper.

I’m a chubby almost-40 who’s spent maybe 3 days on a bike in the past 20 years, and my guide could not have been more understanding or helpful. We walked the bikes or took breaks when I felt tired, she brought and bought me sufficient water, etc. It was around 8 miles and mostly flat; the challenge for me wasn’t so much aerobic as feeling I was battling intense heat, blistering sun, and dehydration . . . and it was only March! A good (alcohol free) night’s sleep prior, baseball cap (not a non la that will catch the wind, fall backwards and/or choke), airy clothing (not UV protective Lycra, what was I thinking?), sneakers (not flip flops, if you have any desire to save your pedicure) and a thick sunscreen (hey, at least I got one thing right) are absolute musts!

The first place we visited was a woodworking village. There were many sculptors working small pieces like statues of Buddhist deities, and others making furniture to order. The pieces made from sandalwood smell amazing! The other job here is boatbuilding. A large but simple wooden boat for ferrying tourists or fishing costs around $3000, and more than half of that is the cost of lumber. Apparently the margins are slim enough that young people aren’t willing to learn the trade.

The second place we went was a rice wine distillery. It’s a one man operation and all sales are local; there’s not enough profit in it to wholesale to restaurants. Traditional medicinal wines can be made to order; I saw a giant centipede wine (intended to alleviate back and muscle pain), a king cobra wine (aphrodisiac), and an herbal infused wine for menstrual cramps. Wine is really a misnomer for this stuff, which is always over 30% and usually more than 50% alcohol. Maybe that’s why my guide swore up and down the period wine really works . . .

The sideline at the distillery is pork! The leftover fermented rice is fed to pigs.

The third place we visited was a place where a local lady makes palm frond mats. The mats take her 2-4 days to make, depending on how complicated they are. Most are simple wide stripes but special orders can be difficult. She typically works with another woman, but COVID has slowed down their local economy too, with far fewer orders. The mats are typically used on wooden beds and on the floor as ‘tables’; in rural Vietnam the dining table and chairs are only for the ancestors, holidays, and highly esteemed guests, normal people eat on a mat on the floor. I never really noticed this particular type of mat before, but now that I’m aware of them, I see them everywhere: just inside people’s homes, draped across tables, hung on fences to dry.

The last place we visited was a large traditional house where 4 generations lived together. The current house is actually a 1990s replica of the original 200+ year old house, destroyed by the French during the war in the ‘50s. Originally a family of wealthy landlords, today the family is no richer than anyone else post war and post communism. They just really wanted their house back! The grandpa saved his whole working life to build it back properly, but the influx of tourists after embargoes were lifted in the ‘90s was what helped him finally do it, by selling traditional home cooked lunches to all the tour groups. He still has his war paraphernalia sitting around: his helmet, a canteen, vases made of bronze from French cannons.

Last but not least was a visit with a lovely old woman who makes coconut boats. I was surprised to find they are woven flat, not around molds. They are waterproofed with cow dung and tree sap, and only sometimes finished with paint or a commercial varnish. One steers a coconut boat by leaning to one side, which becomes your prow, and rowing small infinity sign shapes straight ahead with a practically upright oar. I was shocked at how quickly these move!

Apparently if you go on a weekend or at busy times (10-12 or 2-4) the competing boat tour guides get wild with pumping dance music, karaoke and crazy tricks. I went at lunchtime when they were napping on the water, and it was sufficiently peaceful (though it remains Vietnam, there’s still faint EDM and construction noise coming from somewhere).

If you want to do the coconut boat ride separately, just search for ‘coconut boat’ or ‘basket boat’ on google maps and you’ll find a ton of places all along the same strip of the river. They’ll ask 250,000 dong for the ride but you can bargain down to 150,000 or even 100,000.

A Grab ride out there is only $3, but good luck getting one back, they don’t seem to come to this neighborhood! I had to walk until I came across a dude having lunch who happened to be a cab driver for a hotel; he drove me back in his minivan and I paid 100,000 dong cash.

All in all, it was a fantastic scenic day and I highly recommend it!

Cat Ba: The Classic 1 Day Boat Tour | Vietnam

The classic Full Day Boat Tour from Cat Ba to Monkey Island is one of the best experiences I had in Vietnam! I went twice and would do the exact same tour a third time, that’s how fun it was. No matter which company you use, the tour is exactly the same; Lan Ha and Ha Long bays are national parks/UNESCO sites, so entry and exit times are strictly controlled. For the same reason, the prices are ultra competitive, between $15 and $30 per person (depending on company and season). You can buy them on tripadvisor, klook, or in cash the day before (or even the morning of).

I went with L’s Travels, which I was happy with. A friend did Captain Jack’s twice and highly recommended them. L is more chill and Captain Jack is more of a party boat. If you want to get a feel for the vibes of different companies, check out their reviews on TripAdvisor. All the companies use the same type of boat and serve the same basic lunch (rice, tofu and tomato, morning glory, scrambled eggs).

The first hour or so is spent just cruising the bay. As you leave the port, you sail through a fishing village, and see how fisherman literally live on the water, with floating houses, a floating market, bar/restaurant, etc. Once you get past the village and into more open water, the views are just incredible. They’re still beautiful on a cloudy day, but it’s worth it to wait for a beautiful day!

The next big activity is kayaking. There’s a central kayak station that all the tour companies visit at slightly staggered times. The lagoons are grand and scenic, and didn’t feel crowded even with lots of people on the water. The water is totally calm, zero skill or strength is required. There are caves dripping with stalactites to row through, and areas shallow enough that you could wade in. A couple local fishermen did, to retrieve their shellfish baskets.

Kayaking these lagoons is the only time I saw the elusive, critically endangered Cat Ba langur up close. There are only 70 or 80 of these indigenous, large white headed monkeys left. I was incredibly lucky; some tour guides go a whole season without seeing one. The langur I saw was not at all shy, and seemed interested in watching us!

The third stop of the day is a lovely secluded beach for swimming. As a weak swimmer I was worried, but you don’t have to go very far before the water is so shallow you can stand up. There are also life jackets available.

The last stop of the day is the appropriately named Monkey Island; the minute you get off the boat there are so many monkeys, who love to pose for pictures and beg for snacks. The little island restaurant may serve real food and drinks; all anyone seemed to buy was beer, bottled water, Oreos and potato chips to give the monkeys.

There’s a tough scramble to the top of Monkey Island, where the views are beautiful. If, like me, you don’t know what a scramble is, it’s halfway between a rock climb and a hike. It requires sneakers or hiking sandals, there are sections that are vertical, and you do take the risk of hurting yourself badly should you misstep. This is craggy rock, not stairs or dirt. Most reasonably fit youngish people can get all the way to the top, but it is a bit scary.

There’s plenty of time for both scrambling to the top of Monkey Island and sunbathing or swimming, so don’t worry about choosing.

Finally, the trip back to the harbor has the same magical views, and you get on land and ferried back to the office around 4:00 or 4:30. Local restaurant owners line up outside and hand out coupons for free drinks or discounts at their places, so most people grab a free beer with their new acquaintances from the boat.

I only wish the tour ended after sunset; I’d love to experience a sunset among those karsts. I can’t recommend the classic boat tour highly enough; I think it’s a fantastic deal for a fantastic day.