Other Tourist Scams in Halong Bay

Cat Ba Island Motorbike Damage Scam

Motorbike rental shops on Cat Ba Island near Cat Ba Town harbor rent bikes to tourists, then claim pre-existing scratches or mechanical damage were caused by the renter upon return. Renters are charged between $20 and $80 USD for damage that was present before the rental, documented only by the shop after the fact. Some shops retain the renter passport as a security deposit, creating leverage to extract payment before returning documents.