Words by Steven L Groff

Hemmed in tightly on both sides by elephant grass, it’s hard to get a feel of the landscape around me, though the path is smooth and easy, sloping downhill. The right side rises steeply to where there is only rock jutting upward. On the left is an embankment, thick with tall grass. Coming to a bare spot I scramble up and am rewarded with a view into the valley below. Barely a few hundred meters long and hemmed in by steep walls covered in thick scrub, the ground was obviously worked at some point but now lies fallow, giving it the disused air of an abandoned house. Crouching there, peering through the grasses, I realize that it’s perfectly quiet. The scent of the forest above rides down on a warm breeze; my senses are fully satisfied. Welcome to Suoi Goi Lodge on Cat Ba Island.

From first glimpse, the traditional nha san style buildings of Suoi Goi Lodge blend seamlessly with their verdant surroundings. The wooden structures have an understated dignity that speaks of the craftsmanship with which they were made. In the open ground floor of the main structure, the perfect spot for mingling with other guests, you will find reception, a reasonably stocked bar, comfy chairs and laid-back, informative staff. Your room will be up on the main floor of one of these structures. Don’t let your expectations be dulled by the rustic surrounds though; these accommodations are serious gems, albeit well-hidden. Suoi Goi Lodge pulls off a matryoshka doll trick with the rooms it offers. The interiors are true to the traditional milieu, but have a very clean, modern design for a comforting rebuff to that tiny voice in my head which, upon hearing of nha san accommodation, expects sagging bamboo-rod floor and musty, wood-block pillows. Somehow, this place hit the perfect balance of wood-grained authenticity and sleek creature comfort. The traditional wooden-joint architecture adds warmth to the room, while luxuriously appointed facilities ensure your full comfort. This is a place where the inside is truly bigger than the outside, and both are well worth your time.

Clambering along a dry streambed covered by leafless underbrush, it is easy to feel I am in a vast wilderness. However, evidence of the hand of man is nearby, although hard to pick out. We have just left Suoi Goi and walked through a grove of persimmon trees. Unfamiliar to me, they look slightly farcical, richly colored golden fruits dangling from otherwise bare branches as if to accentuate their exposure. Leaving the streambed and edging higher along the ridge as we go further back the valley, we look out over clusters of litchi trees below. Spread seemingly at random on the valley floor, they blend with the natural forest, free of the straight, squared lines and assiduously tended air of orchards back home. Crossing the saddle out of the valley, we descend over boulder-strewn forest floor into a grassy valley supporting a variety of vegetables, pomelo, mandarin and many other fruits; an extravaganza for a hungry hiker.

Expect local fruits here – local as in just picked from that tree across the way. You will also find mouthwateringly fresh seafood; you are indeed on an island. If you tire of the forest retreat scene, grab one of the Trek mountain bikes they keep on hand. There are numerous routes from Suoi Goi, from easy, flat jaunts through idyllic village scenes and rice paddy landscapes, to longer distance hill-climbing ventures that will have you earning your dinner. Or, take a leisurely pedal of a few kilometers to the beach. No one will argue that this is the best beach in Vietnam; but next door to Cat Ba Island’s rugged mountain interior and the scenic wonders of Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay, it just may offer the best combination of the lot.