Name: Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort
Address: Nam Cat Island, Haiphong, Haiphong, Haiphong, 0, Vietnam
Rating: 6

Air conditioning

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Private beach

Next to the beach

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Cat Bi International Airport

Van Don

Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort

Haiphong

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wired-internet-access

smoking

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safe

mini-bar

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Visited this “resort” as part of a package with our cruise on Halong Bay.  Quite frankly I was bored.  Pleasant enough place but not much to do.  They have pool tables, table tennis and kayaks (which are extremely difficult to access) but not much else.  No walking tracks and I really wouldn’t recommend swimming there.  Previous comments have not been good about “James Bond” but we found him fine.  No problems with our account either.  Alcohol wasn’t overly expensive but the food wasn’t flash, especially the bbq tea.  The walls of the rooms are paper thin so you can hear your neighbours which was terrible. Pleased we only had one night there. I’m sorry to say I would not recommend this resort and would never go back.

Just OK but not recommended

Well before you go to this place please read the reviews - the one from australia in late 2018 is particularly accurate. 

I will just say ditto ditto ditto to agree with everything they said.

My friend and I booked a 3 day- 2 night Halong Bay cruise - room on the ship was lovely but the Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort - OMG! First off you get there about 3 or 4 in the afternoon and then have to leave at 8 am. Which turned out to be a blessing because we couldn’t wait to leave. The rooms are terrible and the loud music in the evening was unbearable (bring your best earplugs). Forget swimming in the poluted waters or kayaking in the insafe kayaks.  

This is my second trip to vietnam. Last year I visited vietnam and could not wait to return (but I did not go to Halong Bay last year). This year I thought - well better see Halong Bay - other than it is practically a cruise ship parking lot the geographic scenery is quite something to see.

But the trip was ruined by our stay at the Cat Ba Sandy Beach resort. Never again that is for sure! 

Had to give it a one but wanted to give it a zero

I came there after the Halong Bay tour and had a very pleasant stay even the weather has been bad and cold. There is nothing to do apart from kayaking, but they are old and the paddles don't work at all. But the bungalows are really nice so for relaxing and reading it is nice here. But due to the rain I left after one night.

Peaceful place on private island

Worth a stay as the views are amazing! But would definitely recommend a 2 night top stay with 1 being enough. The rooms are clean but very basic. There isn't much privacy between your bungalow and the one next door as you can hear things as little as walking around. Staff were okay but would try and squeeze every penny from you. A beer on the main last costs about $0.50 but here costs $2.50, wine was being served at $8 a glass woth no option of what wine. Upon arriving I would try and arrive at high tide or you'll be climbing up the pier as it has seen better days! Food was also basic and expensive woth the buffet in the evening costing $9! Worth a stay but don't get your hopes up.

3 Night Stay

This is a mini version of paradise.  The resort is nicely laid out with several bungalows and the restaurant in the middle.  The food was okay but the staff was attentive and friendly and willing to go above and beyond to make us as comfortable and happy as possible.

It's still Vietnam though so not quite the same as if you were going to Fiji but definitely a great value for your money.

For westerners though - bring plenty of bugspray - the location isnt immune to mosquitoes and some vermin you may see lying around.

Overall its a secluded beach, that has kayaking, volleyball and can provide a great trip for relaxation.

Paradise on a budget

This is paradise on earth, the views are breathless, the staff is very very nice and the food is simple but great!!! A special mention to Chung that was always willing to help in all possible, he was excellent!

This is a humble and simple place, without any luxury, but were you may be in direct contact with nature. We would not miss this ever, but you must have the right mind set... simplicity and Nature... the rest is not needed here!

Some things are perfect just the way they are!!!

We left a night early from this knock-off resort (staying less than 24 hours total). If we were to send pictures home, people would be surprised we left early rather than extended our stay, but a combination of complete lack of any service, dodgy rooms, a genuinely hazardous rotting jetty, equally hazardous food, and sadly dirty water lead to a sense of dread that lingers until you can get off the island again (at your own expense of course). If you’ve seen the Simpsons episode with Kamp Krusty - this is basically it. 

The impression we had was of a bunch of guys trying to extract every dollar they can from the punters while doing as little as possible in the way of work. The staff play their own music and mostly avoid eye contact. At times you feel like you’re at a party you’re not invited to. Try negotiating the ‘buy 2 get 1’ happy hour. Believe it or not the staff will actually argue with you as to whether you received your free watery cocktail (nope, the tinnies aren’t included in happy hour). There is also a suspicious sister ‘resort’ on the bay opposite which may or may not have the same name. I suspect ‘sandy beach resort’ is a hasty rebranding in an attempt to shake off some of the dreadful reviews. A close inspection of some of the signage around the resort would suggest at least 2 previous names , ‘Nam Cat resort’ (on the bedsheets)and ‘Nam Cat island ecotourism resort’ (on the signs in the room). A brief google search of these previous names reveals only a dormant Facebook page and a bunch of 5* reviews from suspicious accounts. 

We rarely complain on holiday, and didn’t attempt to here because the staff, once you find them, don’t speak English.  For a location surrounded by such beauty it’s incredible that it can be so bad. But on leaving the island we felt as though a great weight had been lifted from our shoulders; I imagine not unlike the quiet joy a prisoner feels upon his release. 

We visited Sandy beach resort towards the end of our trip in Vietnam, and the experience here, and of Cat Ba in general, has been terrible. There are so so many better places in Vietnam to spend your time. We stayed at a Farmstay in Phong Nha for example which was equally isolated yet could produce amazing food for 60,000 VND, with lovely staff. The contrast with the extortion on display here is stark. Our worst experience of a great 3 week trip. 

Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort

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