My itinerary started at around 9am and I went kayaking mainly around the area of Lan Ha bay and Ha Long Bay. I didn’t follow an specific route and just simply let my curiosity to guide me around the different rock formations. I found all those cliffs and caves so inspiring and exiting to explore that I spent my full day finding hidden corners and lagoons. During all day I saw not even one other traveler on kayak as most of the people go on the cruises that basically bring you to 4-5 known spots. However the area is so extended and diverse that exploring on your own will bring you to places as amazing as the touristy ones but untouched.
I also found some floating houses and small villages, apparently the area is know for pearl harvesting. Probably because these communities and the thousands of cruises that frequent these bay the water is unfortunately not very clean. I imagine that without the human impact these waters would be pristine and turquoise, sadly that’s not the case.
Cat Ba is undoubtedly a naturally fascinating area to visit because it offers an unique landscape, impossible to find anywhere else on earth. Kayaking around the bay is in my opinion the best way to discover it as you will find yourself alone in amazing untouched parts of this otherwise very known and visited area.