Around 90 Cat Ba langurs are left in the wild, all on one island. What they are, why you probably won't see one, and how to visit responsibly.

Last updated: July 24, 2026

Last updated: July 24, 2026

Written by the Beka Travel guide team on Cat Ba Island. We do not run a tour here, so what follows is what we tell guests who ask, checked against Vietnamese sources rather than copied from other travel blogs.

Last updated: 1 August 2026

Last updated: 1 August 2026

Quick Summary: What is Cannon Fort, and can you visit? Cannon Fort, also called Entrenched Fortification 177, is a hilltop military relic 177 metres above Cat Ba town, with two large anti-sea cannons, trenches, tunnels and a bomb-proof bunker. It is not currently open to visitors. Vietnamese tourism listings describe the site as having stopped receiving guests, and no official ticket is on sale. Treat it as a landmark you read about rather than a stop you plan around.

Last updated: July 24, 2026

Last updated: 31 July 2026

We have been running boats out of Cat Ba since 2017, and in that time we have seen the island at both extremes. We have watched the 7am ferry queue stretch back a kilometre on a public holiday, and we have had the whole of Lan Ha Bay to ourselves on a grey Tuesday in November.

This Cat Ba Island travel guide is written from that side of the water rather than from a desk in Hanoi.

Last updated: July 24, 2026

Last updated: 30 July 2026

Quick Summary: Lan Ha Bay is a calm, island-studded bay south of Ha Long Bay, with around 400 limestone karsts and far fewer boats. Beka Travel runs a day tour ($30), a 2D1N cruise ($99), and a 3D2N cruise ($239), all departing from Cat Ba. Best visited March-June and September-November for warm, calm days on the water.