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It’s the weekend again and here I am again… 😀 Was trying not to ask but I’ll ask.
Let’s say I am on Cat Ba island and I want to visit the Viet Hai village and a floating village, seems like Cai Beo is most famous.
Let’s say I want to do this independently, not on a tour – I can resort to the tour if I don’t find another suitable option.
1) Would I find someone to hire for the day to boat me and Travel Companion to both places? Do I ask the hotel or do I just turn up at the waterfront? How much would this cost, roughly?
2) This link https://authentiktravel.com/two-must-see-fishing-villages-on-cat-ba-island
seems to suggest I can manage both pretty independently.
For Cai Beo, several websites say that I can take a taxi to the right port (?) and take a boat. But how do I take a boat? Are they there waiting to be hired?
Same for Viet Hai. Do I go to the port and get a guy to take me to the other side? And same on the way back? Or needs pre-arranging?
I have read that there is a public boat but only a couple of times a day so seems inconvenient although it would be great.
I also learnt from another thread here that the trek through the national park is not what I want to do, so that option has been discarded already 🙂
Ideally, I’d do both on the same day but still have enough flexibility on the itinerary to do it differently.
——-
Once I am there, do I just hang out, stroll around? (boat around if the village floats?). I mean, that is pretty much my favourite thing to do in the world, but wondered if there is anything in particular to do other than enjoy the amazingness of being right there, right then.
Also, is it okay to go there and be a nosey tourist, or does it offend the local people in some way? Is there overtourism? Or are they okay and perhaps make a living out of it? (i read in some places that you might be able to buy drinks etc., and maybe there is a small fee at Viet Hai? Or am I confusing it with some other place).
Edited: 2 years ago
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It’s the weekend again and here I am again… 😀 Was trying not to ask but I’ll ask.
Let’s say I am on Cat Ba island and I want to visit the Viet Hai village and a floating village, seems like Cai Beo is most famous.
Let’s say I want to do this independently, not on a tour – I can resort to the tour if I don’t find another suitable option.
1) Would I find someone to hire for the day to boat me and Travel Companion to both places? Do I ask the hotel or do I just turn up at the waterfront? How much would this cost, roughly?
2) This link https://authentiktravel.com/two-must-see-fishing-villages-on-cat-ba-island
seems to suggest I can manage both pretty independently.
For Cai Beo, several websites say that I can take a taxi to the right port (?) and take a boat. But how do I take a boat? Are they there waiting to be hired?
Same for Viet Hai. Do I go to the port and get a guy to take me to the other side? And same on the way back? Or needs pre-arranging?
I have read that there is a public boat but only a couple of times a day so seems inconvenient although it would be great.
I also learnt from another thread here that the trek through the national park is not what I want to do, so that option has been discarded already 🙂
Ideally, I’d do both on the same day but still have enough flexibility on the itinerary to do it differently.
——-
Once I am there, do I just hang out, stroll around? (boat around if the village floats?). I mean, that is pretty much my favourite thing to do in the world, but wondered if there is anything in particular to do other than enjoy the amazingness of being right there, right then.
Also, is it okay to go there and be a nosey tourist, or does it offend the local people in some way? Is there overtourism? Or are they okay and perhaps make a living out of it? (i read in some places that you might be able to buy drinks etc., and maybe there is a small fee at Viet Hai? Or am I confusing it with some other place).
Edited: 2 years ago
I have messaged my hotel to see what they say – I also think it might be possible that they can get a local guy for a hopefully reasonable fee. Otherwise, I will either go there with no plan and if this fails I find something else to do, or book a tour as I assume that can be done even at short notice – yes tour has the downside of not being tailored to you and usually rushed, but there are times when I can’t get places by myself, so that is the next best thing (I do not kayak. I did once and it was enough for me aahah :)).
Travelling December so plenty of time, I just find travel planning is a nice hobby so I do a lot of looking around and wondering like this 🙂
Sure, if you find out how things work there, pls report back!
When are you travelling?
I’ll actually be staying at a homestay IN Lang Chai fishing village in a couple of week’s time – but my plan is to relax in the middle of the village/ocean, rent a kayak and paddle around to look at the surrounding karsts without a tour telling me what to do. That said, my host informs me that it’s not difficult to sort a boat to/from Ben Beo if we did want to explore the island (presumably for a fee).
If that sounds appealing, I can give you more details after we’ve been there (also, what’s your planned accommodation budget)?
LOL – well that was the answer I was looking for 🙂
As some websites seemed to imply you just turn up and take a boat. There are places where people with boats just hang out waiting for customers. I couldn’t figure out if this was one of them or not. So now I know 🙂
How do you wing it when you don’t have time and there’s no frequent boat?
Not to mention that you would have to swim to the Cái Bèo Floating Village if you don’t have anything pre-arranged. 🤣🤔😀
John
I am not planning to stay in Viet Hai, just visit for half a day or so…
So I am trying to figure out if I just “wing it” when I’m there or I need to pre-plan/arrange something. Or just go on a cruise that takes care of everything for me, but it has less time than I’d like to have in the village.
There’s no real schedule at Bến Bèo.
During peak season (summer) and the holidays, there are more trips.
If you stay at a homestay in Việt Hải, they will arrange a pick up for you.
Cheers,
John
“For Cai Beo, several websites say that I can take a taxi to the right port”
Yes. You can take a taxi to Ben Beo Port, easy.
I have read that there is a public boat but only a couple of times a day so seems inconvenient although it would be great.
Yep, there is a public boat.
Yep, only runs a couple of times a day. It does not constantly run back and forth.
“Once I am there, do I just hang out, stroll around?”
There would be more to do in Viet Hai. As your link mentions; After the boat ride from Ben Beo pier – you have to get there by walking, bicycle or Xe Om Motorbike. They are very much used to tourists – it is a stop on many cruises.
You can also hike to Navy Peak which has IMO a better view point of Lan Ha Bay than Cannon Fort.
Out on the Floating Village you can watch them feed the fish they raise, repair the netting + fish pens etc. And observe their daily life. But, there is not much to do.
(on the last point, don’t be under the impression that I point cameras on people’s face or things like that, I am super respectful and I know I am a random white person turning up at their “home”, and sometimes that makes me a bit worried – my partner is somewhat less travelled and feels very much like an intruder. But I feel that seeing more of the world just makes us richer! When I have been in the Mekong area, as recounted already on this forum, I just biked or walked around and people either smiled, said hi, sometimes ignored me. All normal.).