Vietnam among Rough Guide's 20 most beautiful countries

The terrace fields in Sapa (Photo: City Pass Guide)

Based on the votes of readers from all over the world on its social media channel, the UK travel site provided the list for travelers to consider when booking their next holiday.

From the impressive rock formations of Ha Long Bay off the northern coast to the terraced rice fields of mountainous Sapa on the Chinese border, Vietnam has a wealth of easily accessible natural beauty, the site wrote.

 Its cities are alluring too, whether you prefer the modern skyscrapers of Ho Chi Minh City or the appealing contrast in Hanoi between the old and the new as the country has rebounded with vigor in the 40 or so years since the end of the American War.

 Rough Guide also appreciated that direct flights now arrive from cities worldwide, roads are being upgraded, new hotels are springing up, and Vietnam’s raucous entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well, bringing a lively ambiance to the country.

 Other countries on the list included the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Iceland, Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Norway, Finland, Mexico, Peru, India, Indonesia, South Africa, and New Zealand.

 Vietnam welcomed some 15.5 million foreign visitors in 2018, up 19.9 per cent against 2017. The number of international tourist arrivals has surged three-fold from 5 million in 2010. It also catered to 80 million domestic travelers last year, generating VND620 trillion ($26.66 billion) in revenue.

 Vietnam was ranked the world’s fourth fastest-growing travel destination in the 2018 UN World Tourism Organisation report for its impressive growth in international arrivals over recent years.