JOYSTAY — Hotel in Hải Phòng

Joystay is located about 9km from Cat Ba town, which gave a very peaceful and 'away from the crowds' feeling.

The cabin we stayed in was the 'family bungalow' with 2 comfortable beds with one on a mezzanine floor. Our private bathroom was clean with a great shower, and as we were 3 sharing, we liked the fact that we had the option of an outside toilet and shower next to the cabin should we need! Breakfast was simple but delicious and the coffee was amazing! Cold beer was also available, even after the kitchen closed at 10pm - you simply note down what you take and it's added to the bill.

The staff were extremely helpful and ready to answer any queries we had. They arranged seamless airport transfers to and from Hanoi and a day trip to Lan Ha Bay, which we cannot recommend enough! The trip costs aound $30/pp, which included a delicious lunch on board our boat, kayaking, visit to floating village, the opportunity to snorkel and a guide (shout-out to Kane from Cat Ba Vision, who was very knowledgeable and helped make the trip a lot of fun!).

We would urge anyone who is coming to Vietnam to opt for a stay on Cat Ba Island and the tour of Lan Ha as opposed to Ha Long, as it was SUPER quiet with hardly any other tourists around and much better vaue for money. And it is just as stunningly beautiful if not more. A definite highlight of...

We spent three nights at Joystay in Cat Ba. The homestay is well located, away from the bustle of the town, and close to a small beach, with a bus stop nearby. The wooden cabins are very comfortable, with instant hot water for showering (something we appreciated in the slight chill of winter), AC and heater, and comfortable bed and mattress. It was spotlessly clean. Our host, Mr Minh, was wonderful. He arranged taxis, outings and bus transfers for us, and shared a lot of useful local knowledge. He was always around to greet us cheerfully at breakfast and when returning from an excursion. Breakfast was included in the room price and was good value. There is also a dinner menu available, with options for vegetarian, different types of meat, and various dishes. The quiet location meant that we could really "chill", while having easy access to the National Park and boat activities (not more than 15 minutes' drive by scooter or car). Guests can also hire scooters from Mr Minh to...

We enjoyed our stay here very much. The cabins are very cosy and comfortable, and have lovely big windows overlooking gardens. The bed was really comfy. The shower was lovely and hot every time. Yes the location is a bit out of town, but it's fun to hire a scooter and to scoot into town (why would you want to stay in Cat Ba town anyway.) the owner helped us hire. Scooter for reasonable price. The owner was friendly and helpful and the family were really sweet. Breakfast was nice with wide variety. And owner helped us with arranging bus back to Hanoi. Just one thing is it was very cold weather when we visited which was unfortunate, and there was no heater but owner said he may have to invest in them going forward. I noticed there was A/C for those who visit in...