Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognised natural heritage in northern Vietnam, has been ranked fifth among the 10 most beautiful places in the world by Canadian travel site 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 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.
The other nine places on the list, in order, are: Zhangjiajie National Forest (China); Venice (Italy); Yellowstone National Park (U.S.); Angkor Wat (Cambodia); Santorini (Greece), Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia); Patagonia (Chile); Bora Bora (French Polynesia); and Banff National Park (Canada).
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 km 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.
"It forms a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars and is an ideal model of a mature karst landscape developed during a warm and wet tropical climate. The property’s exceptional scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest," the UNESCO website notes.