Must-visit caves in Cat Ba Island

Vietnam is blessed with many natural treasures to explore. Besides the popular Halong Bay, there are thousands of other wonderful islands in the Gulf of Tonkin.  As the largest island in Halong Bay, Cat Ba is well-known as the World Biosphere Reserve which includes magnificent caves.

About Cat Ba Island

Hai Phong is a coastal city which spans 100 square miles, including the Cat Ba Archipelago, comprises of 367 islands. Cat Ba island is home to over 13,000 inhabitants and 4,000 locals who live on floating fishing villages.

If you want to visit a less-crowded location than the famous Halong Bay but as beautiful as Halong Bay, Cat Ba island is the one for you.

Besides the National Park and sandy beaches, your trip would not be complete without adventuring the cave scene there.

Hospital Cave

It takes only 30 minutes to ride from Cat Ba Town to the Hospital Cave, which makes it an easy day trip for the tourists.

Before becoming a popular attraction on Cat Ba Island, Hospital Cave played a crucial part during the Vietnam War. This well-built three-leveled cave used to be a secret hospital and a safe house for soldiers up until 1975. The cave was designed for wounded soldiers and as a shelter for the locals to hide away from bombers.

Hospital Cave has now become a historical site that offers tourists a valuable insight into how people lived during hardship.

Following stone steps into the cave, you will be surprised by seeing full equipment and medical rooms inside.

Starting from the first floor, there are 14 function rooms such as operation rooms, waiting areas, and medical rooms. Continue on the second floor, you can find a theater, practice room, and fitness testing room. On the third floor, there are rooms for officers and a reception.

Hoa Cuong (Diamond) Cave

Hoa Cuong Cave is located 20 km from the town center of Cat Ba, resting deep inside a gigantic mountain. The cave is also a great location that tourists choose to visit.

Hoa Cuong Cave is 100 meters long and 20 meters tall. There is a small lake existed inside the cave.

When the locals shined a light directly onto the stalactites and stalagmites, it would sparkle like glittering diamond so they named it “Diamond Cave” in English or “Động Hoa Cương” in Vietnamese.

Thien Long Cave

Thien Long Cave was discovered by the locals in 2000. From Cat Ba Town, visitors should reach Thien Long Cave in about 40 minutes by driving.

The frontier of the cave is only 4 meters wide by 6 meters tall. Once passing the entrance, you will explore different passages and gateways which will make you feel like walking inside a maze.

Thien Long cave is divided into three chambers, one main chamber and two other small chambers with stalactite hanging from millions of years ago.

Inside the main chamber, tourists will discover a huge stone pillar. According to the locals, the stone pillar is an ancient tombstone which was discovered  1000 years ago and excavated in 2002. The second one has stalactites shining from the top of the cave. To get through to the last chamber, tourists need to climb over a large stalactites shape as a turtle.

Tourists will definitely fall in love with how these stalagmites and stalactites resembling animal shapes so well.

Trung Trang Cave

Trung Trang is the largest valley in Cat Ba island. Inside the valley, there’s a cave being named the same. It takes 20-30 minutes from the Port to Trung Trang Cave. The cave spreads over 300 meters towards the mountain and is located in a high spot of the tropical green forest, which gives this place a peaceful atmosphere.

Among all the caves in Cat Ba Island, Trung Trang Cave stands out because of its majestic stalactites and stalagmites. The further in you go, the more unique features of Trung Trang Cave you can find such as limestone pillars and stalks when rubbing the stalk on the pillars, an interesting sound is created.

The entrance has many steps and spaces that are wet and narrow. Once getting inside, the ceiling will get lower.

Besides the raw beauty blessed by Mother Nature, Trung Trang Cave is also home to many species such as bats, birds, and reptiles.

So if you are searching for an adventure that includes beautiful scenery and sandy beaches, choosing an overnight cruise to embark is the perfect fit. Bhaya Legend’s customized routes bring passengers to Trung Trang Cave. There are many activities on the island while cruising through the limestone karst formation of Halong Bay like kayaking, cycling, and relaxing on the beach

Cat Ba Island is fortunate to have so many fantastic caves and natural beauty. Complete your adventure in Halong Bay with this heavenly location like nowhere else on Earth.