Visitors to Trang An in Ninh Binh Province

The honour reflects the province’s mesmerising mix of rivers, limestone cliffs and paddy fields

Located 90km to the south of Ha Noi, Ninh Binh is often overlooked by tourists. It is sometimes referred to as “Ha Long Bay on land”, given the green mountains that rise out of its paddy fields.

Ninh Binh was one of the three locations for the movie Kong: Skull Island, one of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of 2017.

Insider suggests visitors try the full experience by gliding along the river that runs between paddy fields in a traditional boat, explore caves in Cuc Phuong National Park, and visit ancient temples and palaces in the area.

The Insider’s 2018 list spans Europe and includes some of the world’s biggest cities, such as Buenos Aires, Chicago, London, Mexico, New Orleans and New York. In Asia, it recommends Singapore, Sichuan in mainland China, Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands and Taipei.