Hanoi (VNA) – The New York-basedtravel site Thrillist has included Cat Co 2 beach on Cat Ba island, northern HaiPhong city, and Thom beach on Phu Quoc island, southern Kien Giang province, onits list of the best seaside getaways in Vietnam.
Situated 45km to the east of Hai Phong, CatBa boasts crystal-clear waters, jungles and ancient fishing villages, but hasmanaged to keep a relatively low profile despite being just south of theworld-famous Ha Long Bay.
The travel site described Cat Co 2 as “themost relaxed of Cat Ba’s three beaches” and a place where travellers can takein a panoramic view of the amazing island surrounded by spectacular limestonemountains.
It described Thom beach on Phu Quoc island as“Nested in the forest that dominates this island, Thom beach is too far off thebeaten track for coach tourists but brings in enough intrepid backpackers tosustain the local snack shacks and their surprisingly delicious homebrewedbeer.”
Cat Ba island is set to become an eco-smart island and a national tourism site,according to Hai Phong’s tourism development plan period 2017-2020.
Located 150 kilometres from Hanoi, Cat Ba consists of 366 large and smallislands, beaches and limestone mountains. In 2004, Cat Ba island was recognisedby the UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve
Meanwhile, Phu Quoc, 40km west of southern Kien Giang province, is dubbed the“pearl” island.
Phu Quoc features a monsoon tropicalclimate. It has two seasons, the dry season from November to April and therainy season from May to October. The average temperature is 28 degreesCelsius, allowing visitors to enjoy the island’s beauty at any time of theyear.
The Phu Quoc National Park is one of the mostattractive places in the district. It is home to 929 plant species, of which 42are listed in the Vietnamese and world red books of endangered species. Thepark is part of the Kien Giang biosphere reserve, which was recognised as aWorld Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2006.-VNA
