halongbaycruise.infoIndependent cruise guide, Vietnam

fishing villages

Lan Ha Bay fishing village: Cai Beo, and the floating villages of Halong Bay

The Lan Ha Bay fishing village beside Cat Ba town is Cai Beo, about 2 km (1.2 mi) in a straight line north-east of Cat Ba town. No official route or visitor hours are published for it, so whether your boat stops there is the operator's call. On Halong Bay the Ha Long Bay Management Board puts two fishing villages on its routes: Cua Van on route 3, where it names kayak or traditional bamboo boat, and Vung Vieng on route 4, where it names fishing with locals, bamboo boats, kayaking, pearl farm visit.

Both Halong Bay villages keep the board's visitor hours, and both lie in Halong Bay, Vietnam (Vịnh Hạ Long), a different bay with different rules from Lan Ha Bay. The guide below sets them side by side so you can match a village to the route your cruise sails.

  • 8:00 to 17:30Cua Van visitor hours in summer, per the board
  • 7:30 to 17:00Vung Vieng visitor hours in summer
  • about 2 km (1.2 mi) in a straight lineCai Beo from Cat Ba town

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Floating houses and fish pens of Cai Beo fishing village below the hills of Cat Ba.

where and how

The fishing villages, village by village

Two villages on Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island, two on Halong Bay. For each: where it lies, the official route that stops there, how you visit as the source states it, the visitor hours and whether kayaks may go there.

  1. Cai Beo Cat Ba town Ben Beo pier © OpenStreetMap contributors

    Cai Beo (Cái Bèo)

    Lan Ha Bay, beside Cat Ba town

    Where
    about 2 km (1.2 mi) in a straight line, north-east of Cat Ba town. From Ben Beo pier: about 0.7 km (0.4 mi) in a straight line.
    Route
    No current route list for the Cat Ba bays: routes are announced by the competent authority under current rules
    How you visit
    By boat from the Cat Ba side; ask the operator whether its route stops at the village or only passes it
    Hours
    No visitor hours published
    Kayak
    No zone announced for the Cat Ba bays (May 2025 report)
  2. Viet Hai Cat Ba town © OpenStreetMap contributors

    Viet Hai (Việt Hải)

    On Cat Ba Island, on land beside Lan Ha Bay

    Where
    about 8.5 km (5.3 mi) in a straight line, north of Cat Ba town
    Route
    A land village, not a stop on a bay route
    How you visit
    On foot or by bike; one Lan Ha Bay cruise below lists a morning bike ride to the village, as the listing states
    Hours
    No visitor hours published
    Kayak
    Not on the water
  3. Cua Van Trinh Nu Cave © OpenStreetMap contributors

    Cua Van (Cửa Vạn)

    Halong Bay, with the Cua Van floating cultural center

    Route
    VHL3, its first stop: port - Cua Van floating cultural centre - Tien Ong Cave - Ho Ba Ham lagoon - Ba Men temple - Ang Du - Bamboo Forest
    How you visit
    The Ha Long Bay Management Board names kayak or traditional bamboo boat
    Hours
    Summer 8:00 to 17:30; winter 8:00 to 17:00
    Kayak
    In a zone the province announced (2023), from 5:30 to 18:30
  4. Vung Vieng Cong Do © OpenStreetMap contributors

    Vung Vieng (Vông Viêng)

    Halong Bay, a fishing village on route 4

    Route
    VHL4: port - Hang Co (Thien Canh Son) - Hang Thay - Cap La Cave - Vung Vieng - Tung Ang ecological area - Cong Do island - Hon Xep park
    How you visit
    The board names fishing with locals, bamboo boats, kayaking, pearl farm visit
    Hours
    Summer 7:30 to 17:00; winter 8:00 to 16:45
    Kayak
    Left out of the 2023 zone list; the board’s route page still names kayaking

On every tourist boat inside the Halong Bay heritage area, Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024 bans discharging wastewater and using single-use plastic and plastic bags (inside the Halong Bay heritage area). Hours change on 16 April and 1 November. Charts: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Lan Ha

Cai Beo and the Lan Ha Bay fishing villages

Cai Beo lies at the water's edge beside Cat Ba town, about 0.7 km (0.4 mi) in a straight line from Ben Beo pier, where most Lan Ha Bay boats board. Its floating houses and fish pens line the water off the village. The Cat Ba Island guide covers the town and the piers.

Hai Phong, not the Ha Long Bay Management Board, runs the Cat Ba bays. The 2020 route list for them named a Lan Ha fishing village on two routes, but Decision 253/2025 replaced it on 12 January 2026 and lists no routes: routes are announced by the competent authority under current rules. No visitor hours are published for Cai Beo either. In practice that leaves the village stop to the operator, so look for the village by name in the itinerary.

Kayaking near the villages follows the Cat Ba bays' status: No zone announced for the Cat Ba bays (May 2025 report). A listing that offers it there is the listing's word. The kayaking guide has the status for every bay.

Viet Hai is the other village Lan Ha trips name. It sits on Cat Ba Island about 8.5 km (5.3 mi) in a straight line north of the town, reached on foot or by bike. Hanoi: 2-Day 1-Night Lan Ha Bay Cruise with Meals & Activities lists a morning bike ride to Viet Hai, kayaking and swimming, as the listing states. Its card follows. For the bay itself, see the Lan Ha Bay guide.

Cat Ba floating village (Cai Beo)
Boats moored among the floating houses of Cai Beo.Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kayaks or bamboo boats in Lan Ha Bay
Floating fish farms and houses in a sheltered cove of Lan Ha Bay.Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
HLB 1 night

GetYourGuide, Venezia Cruises

Hanoi: 2-Day 1-Night Lan Ha Bay Cruise with Meals & Activities

Sails: Lan Ha Bay. Route not stated in the listing. Pier: Pier not stated in the listing.

  • 2 days 1 night, 1 night on board
  • Bay fee not named in the inclusions: VND 400,000 per adult (Hai Phong City People's Council, Resolution 47/2025)
  • Hanoi transfer not in the price
  • Kayak or bamboo boat listed
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before start for a full refund (as listed)

from US$126 per person for the lowest option on the listing, as listed on 14 November 2026

All in from Hanoi: VND 4,350,000 (about US$170)

4.8 from 912 reviews

Check dates: 2-Day 1-Night Lan Ha Bay Cruise

Kayak on Lan Ha Bay: No zone announced for the Cat Ba bays (May 2025 report), as the listing states.

Cat Ba floating village (Cai Beo)
A green fishing boat crossing the channel off Cai Beo village in light mist.Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Cua Van

Cua Van floating village on Halong Bay route 3

Cua Van is the first stop on route VHL3, and the board's list for that route runs port - Cua Van floating cultural centre - Tien Ong Cave - Ho Ba Ham lagoon - Ba Men temple - Ang Du - Bamboo Forest. The village has a floating cultural center, and the board names the boats you visit it in: kayak or traditional bamboo boat. The center keeps 8:00 to 17:30 from 16 April to 31 October and 8:00 to 17:00 from 1 November to 15 April.

Cua Van is also one of the four zones where, as state press reported in 2023, the province found water recreation meets the national conditions, so kayaks may run there from 5:30 to 18:30. Further along the same route, the board states that visitors enter Ho Ba Ham lagoon by traditional bamboo boat at low tide, and Ba Men temple holds its festival on the 19th and 20th of the first lunar month, by the board's dates.

Route 3 allows nights on board, so both day cruises and overnight cruises can include Cua Van. The Halong Bay guide sets route 3 beside the other routes, and the Halong Bay map shows where the villages lie.

Wide Halong Bay seascape with karst islands
Limestone peaks rising from open water in the eastern part of Halong Bay, close to Cua Van.Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Vung Vieng

Vung Vieng fishing village on route 4

Vung Vieng is a stop on route VHL4, which the board lists as port - Hang Co (Thien Canh Son) - Hang Thay - Cap La Cave - Vung Vieng - Tung Ang ecological area - Cong Do island - Hon Xep park. At Vung Vieng the board names fishing with locals, bamboo boats, kayaking, pearl farm visit. The pearl farm visit is the board's line; no listing on this guide names one. Visitor hours are 7:30 to 17:00 in summer and 8:00 to 16:45 in winter.

Kayaking here is less settled than at Cua Van. The 2023 zone list left out Vung Vieng, Ba Hang, Cong Ngang, Tung Sau, citing missing piers, signs or safety facilities, while the board's route page still names kayaking. If kayaking matters to you, ask the operator in writing whether it runs at Vung Vieng now; a bamboo boat is the board's other named way to see the village.

The same route starts at Hang Co (Thien Canh Son), whose hours are shorter: 7:30 to 17:00 in summer and 8:00 to 16:45 in winter. A morning on route 4 can take in the cave and the village; the official routes page has the fee for each route.

on their water

Visiting a fishing village with care

  1. Treat it as someone's home. Ask before you photograph a person or step onto a platform, and keep to the boat when the guide does.
  2. Leave the plastic on shore. Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024 bans discharging wastewater and using single-use plastic and plastic bags on tourist boats inside the Halong Bay heritage area. Bring a refillable bottle.
  3. Go inside the hours. Cua Van and Vung Vieng keep the board's visitor hours, which change on 16 April and 1 November. Arriving late does not stretch them.
  4. Agree a price first. If someone offers to sell you seafood or row you around, settle the price before you start.

questions

Questions about the fishing villages

Which fishing village is in Lan Ha Bay?

Cai Beo, at the water's edge beside Cat Ba town, about 0.7 km (0.4 mi) in a straight line from Ben Beo pier. The Cat Ba bays have no current route list and no published visitor hours for it, so check that your itinerary names the village. Viet Hai, which some Lan Ha listings name, is a land village on Cat Ba Island.

Can you kayak at the floating villages?

At Cua Van on Halong Bay, yes: it is one of the four zones the province named in 2023, and kayaks may run from 5:30 to 18:30. Vung Vieng was left off that list, though the board's route page still names kayaking. On Lan Ha Bay no water-recreation zone had been announced by May 2025, so kayaking there is as each listing states it.

What are the visiting hours at Cua Van?

The Ha Long Bay Management Board states the hours for the Cua Van floating cultural center as 8:00 to 17:30 from 16 April to 31 October and 8:00 to 17:00 from 1 November to 15 April. Cua Van is the first stop on route 3, so a cruise on that route reaches it early in the day.

Is there a pearl farm at Vung Vieng?

The Ha Long Bay Management Board lists a pearl farm visit among the activities at Vung Vieng, with fishing with locals, bamboo boats and kayaking. Vung Vieng is a stop on Halong Bay route 4. No listing on this guide names the pearl farm, so ask your operator whether its route 4 itinerary includes it.

Sources

  1. OpenStreetMap places Ben Beo pier (Cat Ba town) (port) at (lat, lon) 20.732131, 107.058912 decimal degrees WGS84. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), queried via Nominatim/Overpass, 14 November 2026.
  2. OpenStreetMap's Cat Ba bus station node, used as an approximate point for Cat Ba town, is at (lat, lon) 20.723961, 107.049782 decimal degrees WGS84. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), queried via Nominatim/Overpass, 14 November 2026.
  3. OpenStreetMap places Cua Van floating village (village) at (lat, lon) 20.807242, 107.117944 decimal degrees WGS84. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), queried via Nominatim/Overpass, 14 November 2026.
  4. OpenStreetMap places Vung Vieng fishing village (village) at (lat, lon) 20.83998, 107.16595 decimal degrees WGS84. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), queried via Nominatim/Overpass, 14 November 2026.
  5. OpenStreetMap places Cai Beo (village) at (lat, lon) 20.737548, 107.06208 decimal degrees WGS84. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), queried via Nominatim/Overpass, 14 November 2026.
  6. OpenStreetMap places Viet Hai village (village) at (lat, lon) 20.80021, 107.0408 decimal degrees WGS84. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), queried via Nominatim/Overpass, 14 November 2026.
  7. The Ha Long Bay Management Board states visitor hours at Cua Van floating cultural center in summer (16 Apr to 31 Oct) as 8:00 to 17:30 local time. Ha Long Bay Management Board, 'Thời gian đón khách tham quan' (visitor hours at attractions), 6 November 2024.
  8. The Ha Long Bay Management Board states visitor hours at Cua Van floating cultural center in winter (1 Nov to 15 Apr) as 8:00 to 17:00 local time. Ha Long Bay Management Board, 'Thời gian đón khách tham quan' (visitor hours at attractions), 6 November 2024.
  9. The Ha Long Bay Management Board states visitor hours at Hang Co (Thien Canh Son) in summer (16 Apr to 31 Oct) as 7:30 to 17:00 local time. Ha Long Bay Management Board, 'Thời gian đón khách tham quan' (visitor hours at attractions), 6 November 2024.
  10. The Ha Long Bay Management Board states visitor hours at Hang Co (Thien Canh Son) in winter (1 Nov to 15 Apr) as 8:00 to 16:45 local time. Ha Long Bay Management Board, 'Thời gian đón khách tham quan' (visitor hours at attractions), 6 November 2024.
  11. The Ha Long Bay Management Board states visitor hours at Vung Vieng in summer (16 Apr to 31 Oct) as 7:30 to 17:00 local time. Ha Long Bay Management Board, 'Thời gian đón khách tham quan' (visitor hours at attractions), 6 November 2024.
  12. The Ha Long Bay Management Board states visitor hours at Vung Vieng in winter (1 Nov to 15 Apr) as 8:00 to 16:45 local time. Ha Long Bay Management Board, 'Thời gian đón khách tham quan' (visitor hours at attractions), 6 November 2024.
  13. Bao Dau Tu (state press) reported on 8 Aug 2023 that the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee announced the Halong Bay areas meeting Decree 48/2019/NĐ-CP conditions for water recreation (kayak, bamboo boat) as Hang Luon (5.23 ha), Cua Van fishing village (29.56 ha), Ho Dong Tien - Trinh Nu Cave (32.55 ha), Cong Do (62.36 ha) zones. Bao Dau Tu (state press) report of a Quang Ninh PPC announcement, 8 Aug 2023, 8 August 2023.
  14. Bao Dau Tu (state press) reported on 8 Aug 2023 that the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee's list of qualifying water-recreation zones left out these long-used kayak and bamboo-boat spots on Halong Bay (missing pier, signs or safety facilities) Vung Vieng, Ba Hang, Cong Ngang, Tung Sau. Bao Dau Tu (state press), 8 Aug 2023, 8 August 2023.
  15. The Ha Long Bay Management Board lists the stops of Halong Bay route VHL3 as port - Cua Van floating cultural center - Tien Ong Cave - Ho Ba Ham lagoon - Ba Men temple - Ang Du - Bamboo Forest. Ha Long Bay Management Board (halongbay.com.vn), fee page listing the 8 Halong Bay routes, 31 March 2025.
  16. The Ha Long Bay Management Board lists the stops of Halong Bay route VHL4 as port - Hang Co (Thien Canh Son) - Hang Thay - Cap La Cave - Vung Vieng - Tung Ang ecological area - Cong Do island - Hon Xep park. Ha Long Bay Management Board (halongbay.com.vn), fee page listing the 8 Halong Bay routes, 31 March 2025.
  17. Under Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024/QĐ-UBND, water recreation craft (such as kayaks) may operate on Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay between 5:30 and 18:30 local time. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Decision 43/2024/QĐ-UBND of 8 Oct 2024 (in force 20 Oct 2024), Regulation on managing inland waterway vessels serving tourists on Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, 8 October 2024.
  18. Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024/QĐ-UBND bans discharging wastewater and using single-use plastic and plastic bags on tourist boats inside the Halong Bay heritage area. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Decision 43/2024/QĐ-UBND of 8 Oct 2024 (in force 20 Oct 2024), Regulation on managing inland waterway vessels serving tourists on Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, 8 October 2024.
  19. At Cua Van floating cultural center the Ha Long Bay Management Board names these visitor boats kayak or traditional bamboo boat activities. Ha Long Bay Management Board, Halong Bay route pages (halongbay.com.vn/en/tours).
  20. The Ha Long Bay Management Board states visitors enter Ho Ba Ham lagoon by traditional bamboo boat at low tide. Ha Long Bay Management Board, Halong Bay route pages (halongbay.com.vn/en/tours).
  21. The Ha Long Bay Management Board gives the Ba Men Temple festival dates as 19th and 20th of the first lunar month dates. Ha Long Bay Management Board, Halong Bay route pages (halongbay.com.vn/en/tours).
  22. At Vung Vieng the Ha Long Bay Management Board names these visitor activities fishing with locals, bamboo boats, kayaking, pearl farm visit. Ha Long Bay Management Board, Halong Bay route pages (halongbay.com.vn/en/tours).
  23. In May 2025 Bao Hai Phong (Hai Phong state newspaper) reported that the city's announcement of designated water-recreation zones on the Cat Ba bays was still being prepared, with completion targeted for 2025; at that date the zones were not yet announced by the city. Bao Hai Phong (Hai Phong state newspaper), 'Chung tay bảo vệ Di sản thiên nhiên thế giới', 26 May 2025, 26 May 2025.
  24. Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, water recreation craft may operate on the Cat Ba bays between 5:30 and 18:30 local time. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
  25. Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND does not itself list Cat Ba bay routes; routes and overnight anchorages are those announced by the competent authority under current rules. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
  26. Distances in a straight line. Measured on the site from OpenStreetMap coordinates (great circle, 6,371 km earth radius). A straight line between two points, not a sailing or road distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  27. Where kayaks and bamboo boats may go. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee zone list as reported by Bao Dau Tu (8 Aug 2023); Bao Hai Phong (26 May 2025) on the Cat Ba bays; hours under Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024/QĐ-UBND and Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND.

Photographs

  1. Cat Ba floating village (Cai Beo). Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. Cat Ba floating village (Cai Beo). Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  3. Cat Ba floating village (Cai Beo). Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
  4. Kayaks or bamboo boats in Lan Ha Bay. Photo: Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  5. Bai Tu Long Bay seascape. Photo: Benjamin Smith / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0