08.11. The island of Cat Ba

Today we boarded a bus early in the morning that took us to the coast to the city of Haiphong from where we took a ferry to the island of Cat Ba. This quite large island is mostly a national park, stretching over the Vietnamese mountains that we love so much. There is only one "town" on the island, where our accommodation is located.

After settling into our hostel, we went to the town to look for a tour that would take us to the bays of the island and to Halong Bay on the mainland tomorrow. The different providers did not offer really different tours, but there were different prices everywhere. However, we decided not to go to the overcrowded Halong Bay, as it would have been a long way to go just to take the same photo that many have already taken. Instead, we will explore the surrounding bays that also house many of the characteristic "floating rocks" of Halong Bay.

When we found a tour that cost almost half the price of the others, we were a bit skeptical, but decided to give it a try and booked with the cheaper provider.

Since it was already early afternoon and there wasn't much we could do until it got dark, we found a quiet beach in a bay and enjoyed the sun and the sea while reading, playing cards, and swimming.

As it started to get dark, we climbed a mountain that was already named "Sunset Point". And it was justified, because from above there were beautiful views of the harbor with the many small fishing boats of the locals and the foothills of the island, behind which the sun set and colored the sky red.

We stayed on the viewpoint for a long time, so we were soon the last ones. However, we didn't consider how quickly it would get dark. Consequently, we only made it back thanks to our phone flashlights and got lost for a very short time...

Back in the city, we went to celebrate our first month on this trip and enjoyed the night with a few Americans and Germans from the roof of one of the high-rise buildings.

The days are really flying by, but not in a negative way. We are experiencing so many different and exciting things and have contact with friendly people, so we don't notice how time passes. I am so happy that I chose to take this trip before starting my studies and to be able to experience this wonderful backpacking adventure. Because this way of traveling is just something special - you live from day to day and let many things come your way. And I am sure that I will set off as a backpacker again someday.