We are now in the planning process of building a friendly retreat and hangout for climbers and adventurers to stay in close proximity of eachother. In the mean time, we’ll refer you to a wide variety of our friends who all run great establishments to meet any budget.

Please be advised that any rates shown are general rates. Cat Ba Island is a seasonal holiday location, rates tend to rise only during the busy months - June, July, August - in which case the rates can more than double.

As with anything in Vietnam, do not rush into a decision. Feel free to leave your bags at our shop and browse around at all your options. Make sure to look at the rooms and check such things as water pressure, lights, cleanliness, TV, and price.

CAT BA ISLAND

Cat Co 2 - is situated on the southeast coast of Cat Ba Island and a short walk from Cat Ba Town offers camping on the beach. They do not accept reservations in advance or online, so you'll have to walk over and ask in person. They offer bamboo huts of varying sizes, and also have some tents for hire - they are not too keen on yu coming with your own tent however, and will charge the same as hiring one from them. All huts or camping share bathrooms and showers.

Butterfly Valley - we are working on getting campsights available here right next to the climbing area, but nothing is available as yet. Trinh and Nga, a couple of local bee farmers who cook for climbers at their house (aka The Hive), are almost finished building a bamboo bungalow for homestay. We'll write more about these options as they come along.

National Park - we keep hearing about an option to camp in the national park, but no luck in getting a formal answer. There are homestays available in Viet Hai village which is only accessible after a 5 hour trek through the park or by boat. Homestays are offered with tour packages and the price is included in the package.

HA LONG BAY - camping is only permitted in designated areas

Nam Cat - Operated by the National Park themselves. They have enough bungalows to sleep 20 people. They keep high quality kayaks there as well.Nam Cat is a short kayak ride away from three bolted climbing areas we developed as well as some really nice Deep Water Soloing. It's tough to book here because they fill these with tour packages as well, but we have some pull and may be able to make it happen for you.

Monkey Island - this is an island in Lan Ha Bay which is a 30 minute junk ride from Cat Ba Island. You can either stay in a house on the island or outside in tents provided. Usually people stay here as part of a package tour, but it's possible, but not easy, to venture there on your own by kayak or boat and try to grab a place to stay. There is no food for sale, so you'll need to bring your own and plan accordingly.

Price Range $4-15 per night

Cat Ba Town has so many different options for accomodations. There are plenty of budget hotels that overlook Cat Ba Bay and also some more inland that do not.

Generally you can find a $5 USD hotel on the outskirts of Cat Ba Town or centrally located without views of the bay. The only time it's tough to find a room this cheap is during the summer months when tons of Vietnmese travellers flock to the island to escape the heat. Like everything in Vietnam, it's cheap for a reason. Either you'll get a very basic room with nothing other than a bed and cold water, which is worth the price. If you find a nice room for very cheap, remain weary, because you'll find that one way or another the cheap cost will catch up with you.

Often hotels with cheap rooms will hassle you to buy tours from them and eat in their restuarant to make up for the low rate of the room. This can get annoying for those just wishing to get away from it all. So, of all the places to stay in Cat Ba - below are the only worry free accommodations we know of where you can rest easy.

Come visit our shop and we'll help you find a place that meets your budget. Below are our recommendations:

1) The Noble House Guestrooms - $20 per night - A member of Hosteling International, this is located in the same building as our climbing shop. Great location and fun vibe. Its got a cool vibe and very foreigner friendly. The only downfall is its position over the bar which can get a bit noisy in the summer. Each room has it's own unique theme hand designed by a local French/Vietnamese artist - Mai La Canaille - including handpainted walls, handmade linens, and other neat crafts. All the furniture is handmade by bamboo. There are only 5 rooms available here.

2) Cat Ba Dream - $7-15 per night - Brand new hotel well located on the front and with a cool terrace restaurant on the first floor!

3) Bayview Hotel - $7-15 per night - small friendly hotel. Nice clean rooms with great amenities for the price. No Hassles. Ask for Missy Ha and tell them Erik and Coca sent you.

4) Sunset Hotel - $4 - 15 per night - This hotel run by Mr. Tung (make sure it's the right Tung) and his wife Kim is a nice option for budget travellers. They have back rooms for cheaper or rooms overlooking the bay at a slightly Higher cost. They also offer free coffee and tea to their customers.

Price Range - $20-80 USD per night

There are currently few options for mid-range accomodations on Cat Ba Island. Three hotels on Cat Ba Island that fall in this range from cheapest to most expensive:

The Noble House Guestrooms - centrally located in Cat Ba Town, there are only 5 rooms available with an average price of $20 USD per room. Each room has an individual theme hand painted and designed by Mai La Canaille, a local French/Vietnamese artist. The atmosphere is a fun and friendly family environment. All the furniture is handmade and finished bamboo. Our climbing shop is located on the mezzanine of the main floor.

The Princes Hotel - this hotel has professional staff and lots of rooms. The rooms are nice and clean with proper ammenities. The size of the rooms is larger than most. A sauna, steam bath, and massage rooms are on the top floor with a seaview bar on the roof. Also, a kareoke room in the basement and pool table on the main lobby floor. The most enticing aspect of this hotel is the level of professionalism of staff for the price of each room (average $20 USD). You won't be bothered to buy tours, drinks, or anything else like you might be subject to at other hotels!

The Holiday View Hotel - this is a 3 star hotel on the eastern corner of Cat Ba Town. They have a variety of suites each with different ammenities (prices $40 - $80 USD). The staff is professional and the rooms are quality for the price.

There is also a beautiful island called Paradise Island (Cat Ong), which is a short boat taxi ride away from Cat Ba Town which has 5 nice bungalows. Activities such as volleyball and kayaking are available. You can book a private bungalow (about $70 USD per bungalow) here through our climbing shop. It's a great place to get away from it all, relax, and enjoy the isolated and quiet beauty of Ha Long Bay. Outdoor barbeque on the beach every night introduces some fresh seafood specialities. The staff on the island can arrange for a boat taxi to take you back to Cat Ba Town for some excitement, if you're feeling cheeky!

Price Range: $70-180 USD per night.

Luxury accomodations are the only type available on the beach other than camping on Cat Co 2. Your two options are:

Sunrise Beach Resort - Located on Cat Co 3 beach, this is a beautiful retreat with professional service and many ammenities such as spa, massage, inground pool, restaurant, and fitness facility. This is a good option for those looking for romantic getaways, rest and relaxation, or pampering.

Cat Ba Island Resort- located on Cat Ca 1, the vibe here is more upbeat and family oriented. They have a large water slide as well as tennis courts, fitness facility, spa, restuarant, and good service. The spa has been recently redesigned and is of a very high quality - expect to pay a little more for this luxury!