A bumpy ride
Today we were moving on towards Sapa, in the far North. Before the sleeper bus, we had quite a few hours to kill, so we decided to take a trip to the Cat Ba National Park. After quite a late night, we were late getting up, and once we’d gathered our things we checked out. We headed to the Full Moon Party Hotel, which is where we booked the bus from. Thankfully, they let us store our luggage here whilst we wasted time elsewhere. We also had breakfast at the hotel which was convenient.
Originally, we’d planned to meet Qian and go to the Cat Ba National Park together, but she said she’ll meet us there with someone else. Mat and I hired a bike between us, next door to the hotel. Same as before, the bikes always come with low fuel, so that’s the first stop you have to make. Paul, who was our boat tour operator, told us the standard price of fuel per litre and not to accept any higher. Down the street, we got fuel off of one fellow, tried to haggle him down, but he ended up taking the fuel back, and a bit more! Mat spotted he took some of our fuel, so made him put some back. Good lad! We found a cheaper place just a bit further, so we fuelled up, and sped off on the bumpy roads! To see our first motorbike experience, click here.
Welcome to the jungle
After a wrong turn or two, we were speeding down the road inland, with nothing but mountains and forests surrounding us. The roads were quite bumpy, and they were unforgiving on your butt. When you drove through a pot hole, you felt it! We arrived at the Cat Ba National Park and managed to get free parking across the road from the entrance. It only costs 50’000 VND to enter, so it was a definite bargain! The weather was beautiful, and the temperature was high. For more info on the Cat Ba National Park, click here.
We weren’t sure where Qian and her friend were because there’s no signal at this location. Mat and I thought sod it and began our ascent. The beginning consisted mostly of steps, but the environment itself was cool because it felt like a proper jungle. As per usual, I was sweating buckets, so nothing new here! After around 30 minutes, we reached the first viewpoint and I have to say, the view was spectacular. You could see the forested mountains for miles around, it was sublime. I was also able to see the little village we parked in, and it was cool to see it was in a valley.
To the top
After a 10-minute rest, we continued on towards the peak. This was a little trickier as the path was quite steep and rocky, it required some use of my hands. However, the peak of the Cat Ba National Park was only a further 10 minutes, so not bad at all. The peak itself was very small and crowded, we were just standing and sitting on jagged rocks, there wasn’t a platform. The scenery was even better than before, seeing more of the same, but from a higher altitude, and 360 degrees. We made sure to take some good photos, as well as having a decent rest.
After 10 minutes at the top, we left and gave other people a chance at seeing the views. Once we made it to the viewpoint, we met Qian and her friend from the hostel who owed her a favour, so he brought her here. After a brief break, Mat and I continued our descent, leaving a trail of sweat wherever we went. Once we reached the base, we had some food at the café we had parked next to. It was definitely well needed. Once we’d polished our food and drink off, we headed back to the town on our bike. This time we took the coastal road, overlooking the beaches and sea. This place is truly stunning.
Running for the bus
After we’d reached the town, we returned our bike and then withdrew some more cash. We also enjoyed a delicious milkshake from a café, and it was absolutely divine. After we enjoyed our drink, we looked at the time and realised it was very close to our bus leaving. Mat and I had to make a mad dash down the street towards the hotel where the bus departed from. Luckily, we made it in time, but we were the last ones to arrive…bar Qian that was. After several more minutes, Qian turned up and we all boarded the bus safely. This was going to be quite a long bus journey, so we had to settle in for the long haul.
We got talking with a German girl called Hannah who was also heading for Sapa. After a decent conversation, she agreed to tag along with us, the more the merrier! The rest of the bus journey was forgettable, there were a few stops for toilet breaks and a shop, but not much else. I had a half decent yet mostly uncomfortable sleep.
