Cat Ba National Park is located on Cat Ba Island (Cat Hai Special Zone, Hai Phong), about 150km from Hanoi. This place possesses a diverse ecosystem with primeval forests, limestone mountains, islands and many rare flora and fauna.
If you are familiar with the image of Cat Ba associated with blue sea, sandy beaches and bay tours, visitors can exchange experiences with a trekking trip to the top of Ngu Lam. The route is not too long but has steep, slippery sections, requiring riders to have endurance and suitable preparation.
The Ngu Lam peak exploration route is about 3km long by road, combining concrete roads and mountain climbing trails. Completion time is about 3-4 hours depending on physical strength and rest time.
According to Ms. Quynh Hoa (Hanoi), who has experienced this trekking route, most of the route is located under trees, so it is quite cool.
Forest roads are mostly shaded by trees. The first section is gentle, and when you get close to the top, the road is more steep and slippery, so you need to equip yourself with suitable shoes," Ms. Hoa said.
From the center of Cat Ba town, visitors can rent a motorbike or take a taxi to Cat Ba National Park. Visitors start from the center of the National Park area, follow a relatively flat concrete road nearly 1km long to reach the foot of the mountain. This is also a fairly gentle distance, helping visitors get acquainted with the terrain before entering the more difficult part of the journey.
After finishing the flat road, the journey really begins when visitors enter Kim Giao forest. Kim Giao forest is considered one of the characteristics of Cat Ba. Kim Giao trees grow densely on rocky terrain, with roots firmly attached to the ground and cliffs. Besides kim giao, this area also has many plant species such as lát hoa, bàng, lim xanh, lim xẹt...
This road section is only a few hundred meters long but has many steep slopes, in some places the inclination is about 40 - 50 degrees. The trail is winding between tree trunks, sometimes there are jagged cat ear rocks or slippery damp soil.
Ms. Quynh Hoa recounted: "The closer we get to the top of Ngu Lam, the more difficult the terrain becomes to travel. The narrow slopes and stone steps have been eroded, making moving more cautious." According to her, the area below has many large trees, while the higher up, the more the landscape changes and more bamboo trees appear.
After the steep climb, the reward for visitors is a wide view from Ngu Lam peak. At an altitude of about 220m above sea level, from here visitors can take a glimpse into the Kim Giao forest area and the surrounding landscape of Cat Ba National Park.
After roads with many trees and narrow slopes, the airy space above brings a rather different feeling.
On the top of Ngu Lam, there is a two-story observation tower, where visitors can stop to rest and enjoy lunch amidst the mountain scenery.
Conquering Ngu Lam peak is not a too long trekking route but there are steep and slippery sections, so visitors should prepare good-grip shoes, comfortable clothes and bring enough drinking water.
Dry days with little rain will be more favorable for mountain climbing. Visitors should go on the right trail, do not voluntarily separate groups or enter areas with dangerous warnings. Throughout the journey, it is necessary to maintain the landscape, do not litter, break branches or affect trees and animals in the forest.
According to Ms. Quynh Hoa's experience, tourists should bring bottled water and actively eat and drink before coming to the foothill area because there are not many shops here.
Visitors can combine the journey to conquer Ngu Lam peak with exploring Trung Trang cave. The management sells tickets to combine sightseeing at two locations with a price of about 120,000 VND/person. The sightseeing area is open from 6:30 AM - 5:00 PM daily.
