Cẩm Phả travel guide
Coal-mining coast, Cua Ong Temple and the islands of Bai Tu Long Bay
A coal-mining town on the northeast coast, about 20 km from Van Don International Airport. Come for Cua Ong Temple and a boat to Reu (Monkey) Island, ideally in March to May or October to November. Half a day is plenty. Costs are low.
Coal built Cam Pha. The town stretches for kilometres along the northeast coast between Ha Long and Van Don, with open-cast mines cut into the hills behind it and the islands of Bai Tu Long Bay scattered offshore. Most travellers pass straight through on the way to the Van Don islands; those who stop come for Cua Ong Temple or a boat out to the nearby islands.
Cua Ong Temple climbs a hillside at the eastern end of town, facing the water. It honours Tran Quoc Tang, a Tran dynasty commander of the 13th century and a son of Tran Hung Dao, who defended this stretch of coast. It is the one sight here that brings Vietnamese pilgrims in large numbers, especially in the weeks after Tet.
Offshore, Reu Island is home to a troop of free-roaming monkeys, and The Vang Island lies nearby. Hang Hanh cave and the Vung Duc historical site fill out the list. Lunch means seafood, at places such as Duc Phuc 2 in Cam Thanh ward. Treat Cam Pha as a stop of a few hours, or a base close to Van Don airport, rather than somewhere to spend days.
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A hilltop temple, a couple of islands and a cave, with seafood for lunch.
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Best time to visit Cẩm Phả
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Mild temperatures and calmer seas for boat trips to the islands.
Hot and humid, with typhoons possible from July; boats stay in port when the sea is rough.
Cua Ong Temple is at its busiest in the weeks after Tet, when pilgrims arrive by the coachload; go on a weekday morning.
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Getting there
Van Don runway and the coal-coast expressway
Most visitors reach Cẩm Phả overland from Hanoi, by coach or limousine van along the expressway to Ha Long City and then east on Highway 18, which doubles as the main street. Van Don International Airport, about 20 km away, is the closest place to land, and taxis wait at arrivals. The wards follow each other along that road for many kilometres, with Quang Hanh at the western end and Cua Ong and Mong Duong in the east, so the place you get off matters. No passenger trains run here; the rails you see carry coal to the port.
- Van Don (VDO)
- About 20 km away; taxis meet arriving flights
- Coach from Hanoi
- Expressway to Ha Long City, then east along Highway 18
- From Ha Long City
- A short taxi or local bus ride east on Highway 18
- Rail
- None for passengers; the tracks belong to the coal mines
- Tell the driver which ward you want (Quang Hanh, Cam Thanh, Cua Ong or Mong Duong), because a drop at the wrong end of town means a long taxi back.
- Van Don has only a handful of flights a day, so if you land late, arrange the car before you fly.
Getting around
Highway 18 cabs and a hired boat to the monkey island
Cẩm Phả is one long ribbon squeezed between the mined hills and the sea, so walking only makes sense within a single ward. Taxis cover the distances, for example out to Cua Ong Temple at the eastern end, and xe om riders wait at junctions and outside the markets. The islands need a boat. Ask along the waterfront for a boatman to run you out to Reu Island and The Vang Island, settle the return time before you leave, and do not pay the whole fare until you are back on shore.
- Taxi
- The easy way between wards and out to Cua Ong Temple
- Xe om
- At junctions and markets; agree the fare first
- Hired boat
- From the waterfront to Reu and The Vang islands
- Coal trucks run along Highway 18 day and night. Cross with care, and leave scooter hire to riders used to heavy freight traffic.
Know before you go
What makes Cẩm Phả worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The view from Cua Ong Temple over the water towards the islands of Bai Tu Long Bay.
- Reu Island, where monkeys wander freely and come close to visitors.
- Hang Hanh cave, a short trip from town for anyone who would rather stay off the water.
Good to know
- This is a working mining town: coal trucks and dust are part of daily life on the main road.
- Cover shoulders and knees at Cua Ong Temple and keep your voice down in the shrine halls.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Cẩm Phả, month by month
Cẩm Phả shares Ha Long's climate: cool, misty winters and hot, stormy summers on Bai Tu Long Bay. Tap a month for averages.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Cẩm Phả (Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology, via Wikipedia).
Cua Ong at opening time, monkeys by noon, a Quang Hanh soak to finish
A day in Cẩm Phả starts best at Cua Ong Temple soon after opening, before the coach parties arrive. The tiered complex climbs a slope above the water, its higher shrines honouring Tran Quoc Tang, who held this coast for the Tran dynasty in the 13th century, and the top terrace looks across Bai Tu Long Bay.
An hour is enough unless a ceremony is under way.
Late in the morning, find a boat for Reu Island. The monkeys there roam free and come straight for anything that rustles, so keep food zipped away and sunglasses on your face, never pushed up on your head. Pair it with a pass by The Vang Island if the sea is calm, and be back on land for a seafood lunch in Cam Thanh ward.
The afternoon belongs to Quang Hanh, the western ward, where mineral hot springs feed a cluster of bathing resorts; it is a welcome soak after the temple steps. Hang Hanh cave is the alternative for anyone who would rather keep moving. By early evening you can be in Ha Long City for the night, or at Van Don airport for a flight.
Squid cakes, sá sùng and ngán clams along the Bai Tu Long shore
Seafood is the reason to time a Cẩm Phả stop around a meal. Everyone orders chả mực, squid pounded by hand into a coarse paste and fried in golden patties, best with a little bite left. In the morning it is sliced over bánh cuốn, the soft steamed rice rolls sold at breakfast stalls along Highway 18.
Sá sùng, a sandworm dug from the tidal flats around Van Don, is the local luxury. Fresh, it is stir-fried with garlic or grilled; dried, it is ground into noodle broth to give it a sweet depth. Restaurants charge a lot for it, so ask the price per plate before ordering. Ngán, a clam from the same coast, is cheaper and arrives steamed with lemongrass or cooked into a peppery rice porridge.
For a sit-down seafood meal, Duc Phuc 2 in Group 1 of Cam Thanh ward picks from the tanks. Order by weight and agree how each item will be cooked. Ba kích, a reddish liquor steeped with a root from the Quang Ninh hills, is poured at many tables; sip it slowly, as it is strong.
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How we research our Cẩm Phả travel guide
Cẩm Phả's temple hours, island boats and the Van Don airport link are checked against the official Cẩm Phả website, the city's Wikipedia entry and Vietnam Travel, with visa rules from Vietnam's e-Visa portal.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Cẩm Phả.
Getting there
About 20 km, a short taxi ride. Van Don is the nearest airport, with domestic flights.
General
For Cua Ong Temple and Reu Island, yes, for a few hours. The town itself is industrial, so most people sleep in Ha Long or on the Van Don islands.
Tran Quoc Tang, a 13th-century Tran dynasty general and a son of the national hero Tran Hung Dao.
Many continue east along Highway 18 into Cam Pha. Name your ward when booking, as the town is long and drop-off points differ.
Ask boatmen along the Cam Pha waterfront. Fix the return time before leaving and pay the balance once you are back.
In Quang Hanh, the western ward of Cam Pha on the Ha Long side, where several resorts pipe mineral water into bathing pools.
A sandworm from the tidal flats near Van Don, stir-fried fresh or dried and ground into broth. It is costly, so check the price first.
July to September. August averages over 500 mm of rain, and boats to the islands stay in port when the sea turns rough.
Cẩm Phả is one long ribbon squeezed between the mined hills and the sea, so walking only makes sense within a single ward. Taxis cover the distances, for example out to Cua Ong Temple at the eastern end, and xe om riders wait at junctions and outside the markets. The islands need a boat.
Cẩm Phả is best known for:
- The view from Cua Ong Temple over the water towards the islands of Bai Tu Long Bay
- Reu Island, where monkeys wander freely and come close to visitors
- Hang Hanh cave, a short trip from town for anyone who would rather stay off the water
Stay & facilities
They do. Keep snacks sealed inside a bag, hold onto phones and sunglasses, and never feed them by hand.
Timing & weather
In the weeks after Tet, when pilgrims arrive by the coachload. A weekday morning outside that period is far calmer.
The best time to visit Cẩm Phả is Mar to May, Oct to Nov. Mild, mostly dry days between the damp winter and the summer storm season.
- Best: March - May, October - November (Mild temperatures and calmer seas for boat trips to the islands)
- Summer: June - September (Hot and humid, with typhoons possible from July; boats stay in port when the sea is rough)
Visa & documents
Citizens of a number of countries, including the UK and many EU states, can visit Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days. All nationalities can apply for a single or multiple-entry e-Visa valid for up to 90 days on the official portal.
Health & safety
Vietnam is generally safe. Traffic is the main hazard, and bag snatching from motorbikes occurs in cities.
