Unable to cross the ferry because operations had to be temporarily suspended due to storm No. 2 to ensure safety, nearly 4,000 tourists were stranded and had to stay on Cat Ba island.
Traveling to Cat Ba on the day of the storm, Mr. Trong Dang (Chuong My, Hanoi) humorously shared with his friends: "To those who intend to go for treatment, be careful."
According to Mr. Dang, on the morning of July 23 in Cat Ba, there was heavy rain and strong winds. He could only stay in his room to avoid the storm. Instead of seeing the blue sea, white clouds, and golden sunshine. Currently he has to stay in a dark room due to a power outage.
Ms. Pham Thi Hang, from Thanh Hoa province, said that as soon as she arrived at Cat Ba island on the morning of July 22, her group returned to the wharf as soon as they heard the news that the ferry was temporarily stopped.
“We couldn't catch the last ferry to the mainland, so my friend and I had to stay. Having traveled to Cat Ba three times, this was the first time I was able to escape a storm on the island, which was also very memorable," Ms. Hang shared.
Faced with the pouring rain on the evening of July 22, Ms. Hang said she could only stay in her room to "watch the rain" and eat.
"I'm quite worried because if the storm hasn't passed by July 23 and the ferry hasn't resumed operations, my friends and I won't be able to have fun on the island as well as have to arrange work and calculate additional costs due to staying longer." day,” Ms. Hang said.
Ms. Ngo Thuy Linh in Hanoi first encountered the situation of being stranded on Cat Ba island due to storm No. 2.
"When there was news that the ferry was temporarily suspended, I quickly went out to buy a ticket, but I couldn't make it in time, so I had to return to the town center to rent a hotel to stay," she shared.
Ms. Linh shared that she went to the island on July 20, so fortunately she and her friends were able to experience all the swimming and sightseeing activities in Cat Ba on beautiful days.
"However, because we were on the island for many days, my friends and I had a headache calculating additional costs for the following days," she said.
Specializing in transporting guests from Thai Nguyen to Cat Ba island for many years, this is also the first time Mr. Nguyen Tuan has been stuck on Cat Ba island with tourists and people due to a storm.
“Most tourists can only stay in the waiting room until the weather is nice. Can't have fun outside, but tourists can still experience cuisine because some shops and restaurants in Cat Ba are still open," Mr. Tuan said.
Currently, many hotels in Cat Ba are offering 50% discounts, even inviting tourists to stay for free during the storm shelter period No. 2. Restaurants and bars have announced service throughout the storm.
Ha Huyen Trang, another tourist who came to Cat Ba from July 21, was lucky to catch the ferry back to the mainland before it was temporarily stopped due to storms.
Hearing that the storm was likely to make landfall, she and her family left early but also made an appointment to return to Cat Ba to explore and experience more.
According to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, the storm approached the coast of Quang Ninh at 5:45 a.m. on July 23. Strong wind level 8-9, gusts level 10 - level 12 (wind measured at Bach Long Vi island at 5am this morning).
Storm No. 2 weakened into a tropical depression . Moderate and heavy rain on a large scale in the North and Thanh Hoa.
Representatives of the People's Committee of Cat Hai district informed that more than 3,800 tourists were stranded on Cat Ba island. Of these, 435 were international tourists and 3,450 were domestic tourists.
Cat Hai District People's Committee requires organizations and individuals providing tourism services in the district to develop plans to ensure safety and support for tourists staying at their establishments during the storm.
Support and maximum discounts on services for guests, encourage 50% discount on room services at accommodation establishments in case tourists are stranded due to force majeure and cannot return to the mainland in time due to the effects of the pandemic. storm number 2.
After the direction of the District People's Committee, many hotels and motels announced discounts and free rooms for tourists stranded due to the impact of Storm No. 2.
