HAIPHONG
Mainland connection to Cat Ba is more than a ferry stop
Worth It? Only if time allows, or you’re planning on going to Cat Ba for a DIY Halong Bay trip.
What to Do Walk about the lovely center, including the Tam Boc Lake, and get your ferry tickets for Cat Ba.
Best Time to Go September to November; it’s crammed with Vietnamese tourists from mid-June to August, and drizzly and cold in winter.
How Long? A day.
Gateway Direct buses to Hanoi and Ninh Binh, or ferry to Cat Ba
Fact Haiphong was little more than a fishing village before the French took control in 1874, but it has its history. The legendary “female general” Le Chan, who led the Trung Sisters’ rebellion against the Chinese in 40AD, is from the area.
Ever the busy port town, Haiphong is the gateway to Cat Ba Island – if you’re planning on spending a couple DIY days at lesser-seen parts of Halong Bay, you’re best coming through this busy port town of 1.5 million. Throughout its compact French-colonial center are faded villas, tree-lined canals and parks – and a bit of a seedy air (based on the many ‘massage, boom boom’ offers male visitors may get).
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