An homestay - stay with local family

My wife and I loved everything about this homestay. The location is in-between the main street area and the harbor, so very easy access to town restaurants and the cruise boats. It is located up an alley so quiet, private, and beautiful view of surrounding mountains. This is a REAL homestay so spent a lot of time visiting with Quyen and Tam. Tam is an AMAZING cook so expect to leave breakfast full and ready for a day of adventure. Large clean room, the entire home is clean and classy, awesome hosts.

De kamer is ingericht met mooi meubilair en het is heel schoon. Prachtige tuin met vijver. Het eten is er heerlijk! Het was beste eten van onze reis in Vietnam! De eigenaren zijn ongelofelijk gastvrij, behulpzaam en vriendelijk. Het ligt heel centraal; je kunt overal naartoe wandelen. Deze accommodatie kun je zonder enige twijfel kiezen!

C’est un merveilleux endroit : le paysage est beau, l’ambiance zen, la décoration soignée, la chambre grande avec une super vue, la salle de bains spacieuse, tout est fourni, on est mieux qu’à la maison ! Nos hôtes étalent absolument charmants, et la cuisine maison exceptionnelle, petit déjeuner et dîner délicieux, copieux et à petit prix. Les bus pour le transport et les croisières viennent nous chercher à 30m de la maison, et nous ramènent. On recommande à 100% !

Tam, Quiyn, An and his grandma were all fabulous hosts! They truly are the friendliest people we have met while travelling and staying at hotels/homestays. The breakfasts were amazing and we chose to eat at Tam’s restaurant for dinner 2/3 nights that we were there and it was amazing too - so fresh! Tam offered us a welcome drink and fruit when we arrived and then told us all about Cat Ba. She booked our LAN Ha Bay cruise for us and a trip to see the caves and hike at the National park. She also booked our bus to Ninh Binh - making everything super smooth and easy for us. If you go to Cat Ba you must stay here!

Le logement est superbe et très propre. Et que dire de la gentillesse débordante de Tam et Quyen ! C'est incontestablement le logement le plus agréable de notre séjour. Les petits déjeuners sont très copieux et variés. N'hésitez pas à dîner sur la terrasse en soirée, leur cuisine est divine. Bonne continuation pour vos travaux et bravo pour votre sens de l'écologie...

In the 15th century, Nguyen Trai sang the praises of Cat Ba Bay as a natural wonder with heavenly allure. We experienced the same in de Cat Ba Bay and also the food in this welcared Homestay where the the lovely couple have an eye for detail and excellent service. The refined cuisine (breakfast and dinner) is absolutely recommended.

We loved it to stay here

Tout est parfait dans ce Homestay où nous avons passé 2 nuits. La qualité de l'accueil et la gentillesse de Tam et de toute sa famille. A chaque moment, Tam a été disponible pour nous aider, nous accompagner au bus, ou nous proposer des fruits et des boissons fraîches. La chambre est agréable avec une belle vue sur les montagnes de Cat Ba. Le lit est grand et très confortable. Le petit déjeuner vietnamien est très copieux et varié. Le Homestay est un peu éloigné du centre de la ville de Cat Ba et en hauteur mais cela est un gage de calme. Des taxis peuvent facilement nous amener du centre ville au Homestay pour un prix minime.

Great conversation,food and location

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Everything was perfect! Fantastic hosts, a really lovely Vietnamese family who were so welcoming and so very accommodating. Tam is an amazing cook too, her breakfasts were delicious and huge! Every morning, we had different dishes, fruit, juices, plus her own blend of coffee. The room was comfortable, shower was hot, they thought of everything. We had a cooking class with Tam and her lovely mother, it was so much fun and we learned a lot. They have a vegetable garden and we collected ingredients from there for the class. Tam and Quyen have a lovely home, lovely family and we thoroughly recommend a stay here, you won't regret it.

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An is an absolute gem, so friendly and helpful ! With her mum they cooked for us the most delicious breakfast and dinner … We can’t wait to come back when the family restaurant will be opened !

Absolutely nothing

Excellent place, the best meals in Vietnam, Tam was amazing host who went out of her way in hospitality and she and her mum prepared amazing food for us. One dinner and two breakfast, each better than previous hower impossible it seemed she also explained food and ingredients, taught as a lot about vietnamese cuisine, showed how to eat it, e.g. banh xeo etc. She also arranged transport to our next location, Ninh Bin, taxi picked us from nearby her house and took to the bus going to Ninh Bin, where the bus/tourist company (Cat Ba Discovery) arranged taxis to our hotels with advice on price we should pay. View from the room is amazing, view from the rooftop terrace is even better. I wish we stayed longer than two nights! Virtually everything in Vietnam was amazing but if I have to pick the best experience it was Cat Ba and An Homestay

Nothing, perhaps kettle in the room?

The hosts are amazing, so helpful with planning what to do. Spoke very good English. Breakfast was freshly cooked by Tam. We were asked what we liked and were very happy to eat traditional Vietnamese food. Tam is an excellent cook and we had plenty to eat. Fresh juice, fruit, tea/coffee, noodles, banana fritters, Vietnamese sweets. We did the Serenity Boat Cruise which included lunch, an island bike ride, kayaking and swimming. Highly recommended by Tam and it was perfect for us. The accommodation is so clean with so many extras available. We would have loved to stay longer but this was at the end of our Vietnam holiday. Tam, you have thought of everything and are so organised, we wish you and your family well.

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Wonderful family hospitality - super clean beautifully appointed house, guest rooms & bathroom. Great aircon. The highlight of my trip to Vietnam. For a solo traveller - there is no price you can put on hospitality & Quyen, Tam & An were wonderful hosts. Nothing was too much trouble - (including my washing!) exceptional English skills - so knowledgeable about the area - booked all of my travel & tourist arrangements for me, Cannot recommend highly enough. Willing conversationalists - i learnt so much about Vietnam. Oh - did I forget to mention Tam’s wonderful cooking!!

Zero

Beautiful surroundings. Extremely helpful and friendly hosts. Spotless. Amazing breakfast. Can’t say enough about the Homestay. We were more than satisfied. Would love to come back.

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This was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip to Vietnam. What a fabulous place to stay Tam , Quyen and family are so genuine in their desire to make your stay perfect- and perfect it was! Tam and her mother are amazing cooks and serve up absolutely beautiful authentic Vietnamese dishes, I can’t remember the number of times we both looked and tasted the food and simply went Wow. It was a delight to stay with them at their homestay- the house is beautifully designed with an adorable roof top terrace where we loved to spend the evening and where Tam and Quyen often served us our evening meal. Their warm hearts and smiles made our day everyday, we simply can’t thank them enough for making our stay so special. Please if you go to Cat Ba give them a try - they have sound local knowledge and their service to guests is second to none, we are already missing them , but are telling ourselves we will be back 😀

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Outstanding hosts. Could not recommend staying here enough (and eating ALL the foods)! Made us feel Incredibly welcome from the moment we entered the Homestay to the day we left. Tailored 3 days’ vegan breakfasts and dinners for my other half - which he won’t stop raving about, even a month on from our trip! Cleanly laundered clothes for free! Little thoughtful touches throughout the stay really elevated our stay from good to excellent. Nothing was too much trouble, and both Tam and Quyn made us feel like a part of the family! 10-15 minutes walk to the centre - easy.

Having to leave!

An Homestay is a very special place to stay in Cat Ba. Tam is an incredible cook and host. Whilst there, I fell ill and she was so kind to fix me some food and medicine to help me recover. Quyen took us on an amazing kayak tour in Lan Ha Bay that we will never forget. Their son, An, is a delight to be around. You can enjoy your own time and privacy as well as chat to the family when needed. The rooftop at sunset was gorgeous and a highlight was having dinner up there after a very educational and fun cooking class run by Tam. We had an excellent time at their homestay and are so glad we booked it!

The location is a little away from all the night life, but that suited us( we’re in our early 60,s!) as it was quiet at night. Transport to the promenade or else where is easily organised and cheap when wanting to go out for a meal or a swim. The house is immaculate and beautifully appointed . A rooftop garden is available for use and most our our breakfasts were served there. We also enjoyed a yummy dinner that we had prepared in the cooking class with Tam on this terrace. Tam is a talented cook and all four breakfasts were authentic and different, and prepared with high quality ingredients. Tam and her husband organized all our trips and transport for us, and treated us to delicious fruit and homemade juices after we returned from an outing. It was a memorable stay with this gracious and generous family, they went out of their way to help us enjoy our time in beautiful Vietnam

Best Place in Cat Ba! We really enjoyed the days we spent in An Homestay. You will have an excellent stay with a lovely young family, delicious breakfasts and a cosy room. The vietnamese cooking class was excellent !!!

Our favourite accommodation in 5 weeks in Vietnam. The family are so friendly and helpful. The rooms are comfortable and the breakfasts were varied and set us up for the day. We also took the cooking class which was individualised to our tastes and definitely worth it. Thanks so much for such a lovely experience!

Definitely a topnotch stay. Without a doubt the best accomodation I had in Vietnam. First things first. It's very clean and the bed and shower ate great. And the rooftop terras is a nice plus. The quality of the furniture is beyond what you get in hotels. And the way the room is decorated, combined with the great view all adds to the experience and the feeling if beeing in a topnotch hotel. Bathroom is in line with all if this. Then the food. The breakfast is realy exceptional. Everyday I got a different extensive breakfast. Off course freshly made. It's was a complete meal and could easily be served as dinner also haha. Speaking of dinner. You should definitely have at least 1 dinner at the homestay. Tam's cooking skills are amazing. The real highlight is the kindness and attitude of Tam and Quyen. They really do there best to make sure you have the best stay and make you feel like a VIP. For example, every day when I got back I got a plate with fresh fruit and a freshly made cold drink.

Super clean and the hosts where very kind and helpful with everything

There is no single thing

Tam, Quyen and their son, An are fabulous hosts. They welcome you to their home like you are family. If you’re in cat ba and want a peaceful Homestay, then you have to stay here! Location: The property is situated up the hill approx 80-100m behind number 76, which is a small grocery store opposite the dentists. An FYI - Google doesn’t seem to get the correct location for address - so please check the communication from Tam. We found the place easily nonetheless. Rooms: The bedrooms and private bathrooms are spotlessly clean, have all the amenities you need. The bed itself is huge and very comfortable. We booked 2 nights, in this time we enjoyed fantastic home cooked breakfasts from Tam, which were delicious. We also experiences a menu of local cuisine one night, that was cooked by Tam for an extra cost - absolutely delicious!! Tam goes above and beyond for her customers, whenever we arrived back from our adventures there were cold drinks and snacks. There is always free tea coffee and if you prefer, rice wine - which was delicious.

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Of our 3 months trip, An Homestay was by far the best experience we had. The hosting family is very sweet, generous and highly professional. Every single details were thought to make us feel comfortable and makes our stay easy and enjoyable. The house and room are absolutely lovely, sparkling clean, and tastefully decorated in Vietnamese style. The breakfasts and dinner we had were grandiose, generous and so so tasty. Every morning we had a different breakfast and discoreved something new everyday. The activity organised with them are smooth and easy. There is a rooftop and room dedicated to guests, with instruments, drinks, books etc.. Every time we came home, she made us a fresh welcome drink! They went beyond a 10/10 experience. Thank you so so much for everything, you made Cat Ba the highlight of our trip. We will come back again ! See you soon and great of luck in the mean time :)

Nothing, everything was beyond perfect.

This is by far one of the best places we have EVER stayed. We had the best time here with Tam and her family. Tam was so helpful from the minute we arrived, booking the serenity day cruise for us which was fabulous, booking the bus to our next accommodation. The breakfasts were incredible, felt bad I couldn’t eat it all as she goes to so much effort. We sat on the rooftop balcony each morning which was just beautiful. Had the traditional Vietnamese dinner made by her one night, which you must do. Just delicious. We had fun playing card games with her adorable son An ( he may have been cheating 🤷‍♀️😂) it’s a little bit out of town and up a very steep driveway ….. my challenge was to get better at walking up that driveway each day which I think I did 😃 I would stay here again in a heartbeat, Tam is one of the hardest working people I have met and we wish her every success in the future

I absolutely loved my stay with Tam, Quyen, and An. They are amazing hosts, and I felt very welcome in their home. Tam is an incredible chef—I'm vegan, and not only was she accommodating, but her food was some of the best vegan fare I had in Vietnam. Better than the vegan restaurants. Definitely try a cooking class if you stay here! The location was great. Walkable within 15 minutes to the center of town and within 20 minutes of the beaches. I enjoy walking so this was a plus for me. The view is amazing from the dining area and the rooftop terrace. The room was incredibly clean and everything you could need is provided. Seriously, just book it. You won't regret it.

Everything!!!! Tam is a fabulous host who can’t do enough for you. Her food is fantastic and the rooms are spotless. We asked her to organise some trips for us and she came up with some fantastic options. We also did a cooking class with her (very worth doing as she is a very patient teacher lol). Would definitely recommend her and her rooms to anyone staying on cat ba. With being a bit further up the hill it’s quieter than being on the marina front which is lovely. Tam gave us the choice of the 2 rooms (one with a fantastic Mountain View and separate bathroom and the other with an en-suite , we chose the en-suite one with a smaller window as we like as dark as possible when we sleep). Tam even offered to stay up until 1.30am to put a tv on so my hubby could watch a football match (we watched it in a bar so she didn’t have to bless her). Would stay here again in a heartbeat and would recommend it to everyone!

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Sometimes near perfect reviews are too good to be true. This is not the case here! An Homestay deserves all the 10s. The rooms are exactly as pictured, good size, super clean, big comfortable bed, you have a heater and an AC, so you’re set for all weather conditions. The bathroom is small, but perfectly laid out. But what makes this Homestay one of the best I’ve ever stayed at is the family. Tam made me feel welcome from the moment I stepped out from the bus until the last morning when I had to leave. She takes great care of her guests and her cooking (breakfast is included!) is out of this world. You can be sure to start your day right. When I got sick she also helped me with soup, tea and a trip to the pharmacy so I could get meds, as well as rescheduling a thing I had booked for the next day. Another thing I’ve found very helpful are her recommendations. One day I took a scooter to the national park (no tour needed) and another Tam booked a Lan Ha Bay Tour for me which had amazing value for money. Don’t hesitate to reach out. Oh and if you’re looking for local experiences, they offer those, too. Like private Kayaking or a private cooking class. All in all I only wish I could have spent more time here and I will be back one day!

Host is very kind and generous.

Very steep alley and then a bunch of stairs to get to the room. The room is relatively small. We found better deals closer to the center of town.

The hosts are super friendly and attentive. Very comfortable room with a very good matress. I definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Cat Ba. I also suggest you eat diner at the homestay multiple times. The food is really delicious.

not applicable!

Wonderful accommodation. Great hosts who arranged a variety of booking for us - Cat Bi airport to Cat Ba, taxi for touring around the island, booking a day cruise and arranging bus transportation to Ninh Bing. Rooms were very clean and comfortable, food and snacks were very good. It was a pleasure to stay here and to meet the hosts. They shared a wealthy of information about Cat Ba.

Everything. Super host, lovely room, soft bed, super clean, incredibly delicious food, private cooking class. Taking care in every way she can. We can understand why she only get 10’s!

Our stay was amazing - the best one we had in Vietnam! We don't even know where to begin: - The room is well decorated, extremly clean and has a wonderful view. The house is well located in a quiet neighborhood. - The roof terrace is spacious and perfect for having breakfast/dinner or just relaxing. - Tam, Quynh and their son An are extremely nice. We really loved spending time with them. They do everything to make you feel comfortable. - We always had breakfast and dinner that Tam and her mother prepared for us. So delicious! - You can also book a cooking class with Tam which is great as well. - They also organized a bamboo boat trip in Lan Ha Bay (less crowdy than Ha Long Bay) for us which is still worth remembering. We liked it so much that we extended our stay and are still in contact with them. Thank you for everything!

We cannot think of anything.

Room and bathroom were beautiful, clean and well equipped. Delicious, Vietnamese breakfast each day. Amazing view from dining room and rooftop terrace. Hosts, Tam and Quyen, were amazingly friendly and helpful and spoke excellent English.

Homestay is about a 15 minute walk to center of cat Ba town. This wasn’t an issue for us as we love to walk, but could be a problem for others.

It was our best stay in Vietnam! I have no words to describe how incredible the host is. She is a lovely and intelligent woman who cooks like in a Michelin-star restaurant, making the whole experience better than 5-star hotels. She made us feel at home, providing an authentic and very comfortable stay. The bathroom, especially the shower, was extremely well-built, and the bed was super comfortable. The beautiful and romantic terrace, along with the huge kitchen where we took a cooking class, added to the experience where we learned and laughed a lot. We truly miss the An Homestay host and her wonderful son, they speak very good English! It was really sad to leave them. If someone asks where to go to experience everything again, we would say An Homestay! ❤️We highly recommend taking the boat tour!!

Everything was so perfect here !! We absolutely loved being here. They will do everything to make your stay great. The bed is so comfortable and the room look great. The location is nice and quiet.

EVERYTHING. The bedroom was lovely. The bathroom was so clean and laid out perfectly. The breakfast was excellent with locally sourced foods. We ordered the egg coffee and a dinner. Both were so tasty. Our host assisted us with a taxi to take us sightseeing. We would highly recommend AN Homestay to anyone interested in Cat Ba food, culture and would like to be spoiled!

That we couldn’t stay longer.

The family was so kind and helped us so much. The room was so clean and spacious with a very nice bathroom. The breakfast was probably the best food we have had in our entire vietnam trip. We really recommend An Homestay! Such a pleasure to stay there

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The property was located just outside of downtown Cat Ba - right outside of the touristy areas. The hosts were extremely gracious and so helpful. We even got to go for a hike around the area. 11/10

Everything was amazing. If you want to stay in “five star hotel” in Cat Ba. You are on the right place. They make everything what they saw in our eyes and that program what we had was amazing.

When we need to leave

It was in a great location and one of the cleanest places we stayed in Vietnam. The host family were amazing helping us with information about the island, pick up and drop offs and booking our bus back to Hanoi. My husband and I did the cooking class with Tam and it was fantastic. We rented a scooter from the Homestay to tour around the island and had delicious breakfast and dinners outside on the roof top with a view of the mountains.

Nothing, everything was fantastic!

Excellent communication, good advice and help with booking tours. Spotless clean room and bathroom with very efficient Aircon. Very tasty Vietnamese breakfasts, with explanation about the food/ingredients. Eco-minded host, caraffe of water instead of bottles. We booked the cooking class which is highly recommended! Motorcycle available for rent for excursions. Location a bit away from the noisy center, walking distance from cannon fort.

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Beautiful location with a amazing view to the mountains 😻 Breakfast were amazing and something new (new for European), and quite big portions🍜☕️🫖🍉🍍👍 Coffee was amazing and I am not even a coffee lover. Beautiful room with gigantic window🙀🌄😻 Beautiful homestay👨‍👩‍👦🐱 P.S. Thank you for organising reliable and cheap bus to Hanoi👍✌️

Lovely young family with good English and great cooking. The house is brand new with fantastic views from the living and roof garden levels. The hospitality is excellent and washing is free. The husband is a guide who took us through the national park and the mother teaches cooking if you are interested.

The family was charming; they greeted us warmly upon arrival. The room was spacious, impeccably clean, and the bed was quite comfortable. Although the bathroom was at the end of the hallway, it was private for us. We asked them to prepare dinner for us (they had a price list), and the food was plentiful and delicious. The woman also offers cooking classes, which we would have taken if we had more time. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this place and wholeheartedly recommend it 100%.

Very friendly and helpfull!

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The host is the best. She is really nice, hospitable and helpful. Upon our arrival he showed us the main attractions of the island, let us rent a scooter and did the laundry for us. She also prepared a fresh snack for us. Everything in the house was perfect and well cleaned. The breakfast was tasty and we really appreciate it. The homestay is in the centre of Cat Ba Town and near Cat Co 1 beach.

Best homestay ever. The mountain view room had a lovely large bed with a massive window in front of it to enjoy the view. The hosts were super friendly and informative. Vietnamese Food was top notch.

Everything was great, Tam and Quyen are great hosts and they do everything to help you, they have rented me the motorbike, booked me a boat Cruise and the bus for my next destination. The house was superb with fantastic view, great bedroom with a huge bed. Everything was well cared and very clean. Breakfast was also fantástic! If you are going to Cat Ba tuis id the place to stay in.

I had bad luck with the weather, but the homestay was perfect

What a pleasant surprise once you are there ...

The location is a little bit difficult ...

The best accommodation I have stayed in so far! The family is super friendly and helpful, they will pick you up and drop off at the bus station, give you all the necessary tips and anytime you need something they are there for you. They have rented me their scooter as well so that was really good because I could travel anywhere I wanted and didnt have to rely on sketchy rental places. Plus the price and location is also very good. If you want an authentic Vietnamese accommodation with the best people, this is your place.

An Homestay was by far the best stay we had in Vietnam. The family is super kind and helpful. throughout our whole stay we felt warmly welcomed. We got many helpful information about Cat Ba. They helped us a lot to organize activities for our short stay. Also my girlfriend got a vegan breakfast, which was very delicious. The room and bathroom itself is also very new, clean and at the same time cozy. You also got a great view from the rooftop, where you can enjoy your breakfast or tea. If you are looking for a special experience with a local family, and not another random accommodation, we highly encourage everybody to stay with.

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Our hosts Quyen and Tam were so welcoming - it felt like coming home to family! The house is soo beautiful, clean and the view from the rooftop is one of the best we’ve seen. Tam taught us how to cook Vietnamese food (spring rolls, banana blossom salad and noodle soup) it was the most delicious, fresh food we had eaten in Vietnam! Absolute 10/10! I would recommend this Homestay to anyone going to Cat Ba! Thank you both so much 🥰

Everything!

- Clean - Well laid out - Amenities of hotel quality - Do ask for the home-made cooking for 10$/person, the quantity and quality of the food you'll get is worth well over 100$ at any quality restaurant.

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Our stay at the An Homestay was amazing and the family did everything for us! Quyen and his wife have met all our needs and were all the time here for us. The house has a beautiful view and a rooftop! The accomandation was so clean, the beds were very comfortable, the breakfast was so delicious and was made with love. We felt like home if you travel to make new friends and share good talks and make great memories-look no further. This is the place

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