"Cai Rong, Van Don Island, Vietnam" a Cai Rong Travel Page by matthk

Cai Rong is a quaint little fishing town located on the serene Bai Tu Long Bay in the North of Vietnam. Its main attraction lies in the beauty of the bay. The town is very much off the beaten track (at least for the moment...) which makes communication and such very interesting. But if your patient and like a little adventure, you will reap the rewards of this lovely place. The beautifually still bay holds an archipelago of protruding limestone islands, just as excilirating as those of Halong Bay. Unlike Halong Bay, however, it is lacks the thousands of toursists visiting it every day. Make sure you hire a fishing boat and driver for the day and discover the many island and caves of the bay. Cai Rong also provides a great opportunity to get under the skin of a small Vietnamese town not yet transformed by mass tourism.

Catch a public bus from Hanoi to the seedy streets of Halong City. The bus should terminate at the Ferry terminal near where the new bridge is being built (as of Dec 05). Try find another bus at the same terminal that goes to Van Don. Trying to find the right bus is part of the fun. Even more fun is the bus ride itself. Anyone that has travelled by public bus in Vietnam will know what I'm talking about. Catch this bus through to the bridge that goes over to Van Don Island (it takes a couple of hours). I forget what this town is called. There are plenty of bored motor cycle drivers around that will drive you out to Cai Rong (40mins) on Van Don Island. They will drop you right in the centre of town and it is about a 30 min walk down to the Cai Rong pier, where there are a few hotels around.

The hotels don't speak English and appear very quiet. Most have excellent views over Bai Tu Long Bay and are very cheap. Bargain on a piece of paper if you can't speak Vietnamese.

Apparently Cai Rong is well on its way to tapping in on the Halong Bay craze. Indeed, it is just as beautiful, so it's hard to not see why it has happened earlier. The local government is in the process of recieving proposals from investors, Hanoi etc. and there is a big marina planned for just out of town. See the attatched picture (thanks to Lou Pione).