Monkey Island Cat Ba - Trekking, Beaches & Resorts (2026)

How to Get to Monkey Island:

It is an adventure to get to Monkey Island. You may opt for a ferry from Beo Port - Cat Ba Town, and it shall take approximately 10 to 15 minutes. In this area, the boat ride offers nice scenery of the clear waters and limestone karsts that Halong Bay is famous for.

Ferry Options

Ferries run throughout the day and can be either private or shared. Prices range from $5 to $10 (USD) depending on the time of year/season and demand.

Tours

Most tourists prefer boat tours which include other Halong Bay attractions, including Monkey Island. This will give you an overall experience of the bay's nature and also enable you to visit other places with just one trip.

What to Expect in Monkey Island

The name Monkey Island does not limit the activities that are undertaken here; it has great landscapes and different activities targeted towards entertaining people.

Interesting fact - The monkeys on that island actually came from Thailand, brought in for tourists. The ones that originally lived there were pretty rare, so tourists barely got to see them. To fix that, they brought in monkeys from Thailand to keep the visitors happy.

Wildlife Encounters:

It houses around 2 dozen macaque monkeys that roam freely within the island. While they are basically friendly, caution should be made as they may be mischievous, especially when it comes to food! The presence of these teasing creatures makes a visit altogether unique.

From what we have heard from people who did the tour that sometimes monkeys can get pretty aggressive and there have been rare instances of monkeys biting people.

We would advise you to travel in a big group and do not keep food in your hands while walking around the area.

Beaches:

There are mainly two beaches in the island, Cat Dua 1 and Cat Dua 2. One can swim in the crystal-clear waters of Cat Dua 1 and sunbathe on the longer beach. Cat Dua 2 provides solitude among heavy vegetation.

Cat Dua 1 is the beach most people photograph, because of the white sand.

Activities:

• Kayaking: Paddle around the island into the lagoons behind it. The water is generally calm but you should still always wear a life jacket as the bay can get pretty deep at some spots.

• Hiking: For the adventurous soul, hiking trails lead to scenic viewpoints where you can enjoy a wider view of Lan Ha Bay.
  The views from the peak are pretty epic to be very honest but we struggled hiking at the very end due to very sharp volcanic rocks which might remind some of Mordor from the movie Lord of the Rings. Yes, we are movie nerds too!
  Wear proper hiking shoes and do not try to climb in flip flops, trust us!
  We saw so many tourists stuck on the way due to difficult climbs and some were actually wearing flip flops since they didn't realise how hard it was going to be.
  If we are being honest, it is quite a dangerous hike especially when rocks are slippery due to dew in the early morning so we would recommend you to only hike if you have some prior experience and have proper shoes.

• Cliff Diving: For the truly daring, some areas around the island are deep enough to jump from the rocks.

P.S For anyone looking to travel further in southeast Asia, you can try to do Komodo Liveaboard tour in Flores islands of Indonesia!

The limestone without the monkeys

Monkey Island is half a day: a beach, a viewpoint, and macaques that will take your lunch.

It is the same limestone as Phong Nha, six hundred kilometres south, where it forms caves instead of islands. The national park caps entries per day. Our Elephant Cave and Ma Da Valley day trek takes a full day.

Places to Stay

While most people take guided day trips to the island, an overnight stay on Monkey Island can complete the experience. The Monkey Island Resort provides bungalow-style accommodations right on the beach, starting at approximately $30 per night for basic bungalows, and worth it to relax after a day of adventure.

Meanwhile, budget travelers will find guest houses offering private rooms starting from $7 per night in Cat Ba Town. In this way, your trip will capture both the serenity of the island and the lively atmosphere of Cat Ba Town.

Dining and Local Cuisine

When it comes to food, Monkey Island is pretty limited compared to Cat Ba Town. In any case, seafood is fresh and available in local floating restaurants, while small vendors selling snacks can be found around the beaches. For more diversity, get back to Cat Ba Town, where plenty of restaurants serving both Vietnamese dishes and international dishes can be found.

Further Exploration off of Monkey Island

With additional time in Cat Ba, take some additional day trips or tours to view other:

• Cat Ba National Park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with diverse ecosystems and trails for different levels of hiking. The hike is not too hard and totally worth it when you see the seas of green everywhere you look from the peak!
  

• Cannon Fort provides both historical context and panoramic views over Lan Ha Bay. Besides visiting the actual cannon and weapons used by Vietnamese soldiers you should not miss the Cannon Fort Cafe area which has a huge telescope to check out the views of Cat Ba Island. The sun sets behind the islands opposite.

• Viet Hai Village is a beautiful fishing village where you can hike or bike through greens.

Quick answers

Are the monkeys dangerous? They bite and they steal. These are macaques habituated to visitors, which makes them bold rather than shy. Do not carry anything shiny in your hand.

Should I feed them? No, and it causes most of the bites. The banana sellers on the jetty are selling you a problem.

What if I am bitten? Wash it immediately, then go to the hospital on Cat Ba. The rabies risk is not theoretical and treatment has to start quickly.

How long should I spend? Half a day. The beach is small and the climb to the viewpoint takes twenty minutes over sharp rock.

Shoes? Yes, for the climb. The limestone cuts bare feet and flip-flops slide on it.