(VOVWORLD) - Condé Nast Traveler, a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine, has named the UNESCO-recognized heritage Ha Long Bay in the northeastern coastal province of Quang Ninh on its list of the 51 most beautiful places in the world.
 Tourists kayaks across a vast body of water in Ha Long Bay. (Photo: VNA) |
The magazine said the bay is beloved for its blue waters and spread of limestone islands, all occupied by tropical trees and wildlife. It suggested visitors board a sailing ship to experience the beauty (and associated myths and stories) of the mist-shrouded emerald basin.
The formation of Ha Long Bay dates over 500 million years and the limestone that is found in the bay began forming around 340 million years ago. Over time, the bay has gone through countless changes resulting in its today’s magnificent natural landscape. Its core area, which has been recognized by the UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage, is 434sq.km and comprises 775 limestone islands and islets.
Other destinations on the Condé Nast Traveler’s list include the Amazon (South America), Angel Falls (Venezuela), Antarctica, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (Japan), Atacama Desert (Chile) and Avenue of the Baobabs (Madagascar).