Ha Long Bay, Mu Cang Chai among world's most colorful places

Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay and Mu Cang Chai district have been named in the list of the world's 40 most colorful places in 2023 by U.S. travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler.

Mu Cang Chai terraced rice fields

Mu Cang Chai terraced rice fields in Yen Bai province, nothern Vietnam spread across 2,300 hectares at a height of 1,000 meters above sea level by Hoang Lien Son Mountain.

"Some 175 miles northwest of Hanoi, these rice paddies in Vietnam’s isolated northern reaches have gained Instagram fame for their impressive angles in a topographically challenging region. Each year, the colors change from green (in late spring and summer) to yellow (in October) as the rice ripens," Conde Nast Traveler wrote.

It suggested: "Visit at the beginning of October, when the rice harvest begins, and stop by the fields twice: once early in the morning before the crowds arrive, and a second time at sunset."

In 2020, Mu Cang Chai was included into the list of the 50 most beautiful places in the world by Big 7 Travel.

“When you imagine magnificent Asian rice fields swirling on the slopes of velvet green hills, you’re picturing Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam,” wrote the website.

Centuries of careful cultivation have shaped what is easily some of the most beautiful rice terraces in the world, it added.

Ranking 21st in the list, Mu Cang Chai is also full of hiking trails and vibrant local culture. It is a draw to both domestic and foreign tourists and among places where travellers want to come back.

Ha Long Bay

Northern Vietnam’s UNESCO-listed Halong Bay is one of the most beautiful places in the world, featuring 1,600 islands, blue-green water, and spectacular limestone karst landforms.

"Board a Chinese junk boat to experience the beauty (and associated myths and stories) of the mist-shrouded basin for yourself," the U.S. travel magazine said.

It commented: "Halong Bay, often visited by bikini-clad youth in warmer weather, becomes infinitely more romantic, quiet, and introspective as temperatures drop. And the relative lack of crowds means your photos won’t be interrupted by the heads of other tourists."

In August, Ha Long Bay ranked fifth among the 10 most beautiful places in the world by The Travel.

"Scattered throughout the bay are more than 1,600 limestone towers and islands covered in tropical trees. Most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by humans. The best way to experience this mist-shrouded landscape is to board a junk boat and sail through the outstanding scenic beauty," the Canadian travel site wrote.

"Visitors can get off to explore various cave formations across the bay, including Thien Cung Cave and Surprise Cave, which give way to impressive sweeping views of the water below," it added.

In March, The Travel had named Ha Long Bay among the top 10 places in Asia that travelers must visit at least once in their lifetime.

In 2019, the bay was listed by British travel magazine Rough Guides as one of the 10 best UNESCO sites in Asia.

Ha Long Bay was recognized by UNESCO in 1994 and in 2000 as a world natural heritage for the beauty of its landscape and its geological and geomorphological values.

The bay, located in Quang Ninh province, is 165 kilometers from Hanoi. Covering an area of 43,400 hectares and including over 1,600 islands and islets, most of the bay is uninhabitated and unaffected by humans, according to the UNESCO.

The other places in the list are: The Amazon, Hoh Rain Forest (Washington), The Faroe Islands, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (Japan), Old San Juan (Puerto Rico), The Maldives, Blue Lagoon (Iceland), Great Blue Hole (Belize), Juzcar (Spain), Scotia Sea (Antarctica), Chefchaouen (Morocco), Hitachi Seaside Park (Japan), Shah Mosque (Iran), Johannesburg (South Africa), Gardens by the Bay (Singapore), Provence (France), Kawachi Fuji Gardens (Japan), Nakameguro (Tokyo), Valley of Fire (Nevada), Las Salinas de Torrevieja (Spain), La Muralla Roja, Calpe (Spain), Lake Natron (Tanzania), Laguna Colorada (Bolivia), Zhangye National Geopark (China), Chengdu (China), Fushimi Inari Taisha (Japan), Antelope Canyon (Utah), Jaipur (India), Namib Sand Dunes (Namibia), Tulip fields, (Holland), Shwedagon Pagoda (Myanmar), Dallol (Ethiopia), Kebler Pass (Colorado) and Izamal (Mexico).

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-colorful-places-in-the-world