The Vietnam world heritage site of Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh is ranked among the world's top ten destinations for sailing cruises by the US' National Geographic book Journeys of a Lifetime.
The book writes, "Ha Long Bay, or the Bay of the Descending Dragon, in northeastern Vietnam, is scattered with some 3,000 precipitous, strangely sculpted limestone islands and outcrops, and dotted with small floating villages and deserted sandy beaches. In spring and early summer the water is particularly calm and clear. This UNESCO World Heritage site is best explored by a cruise on a junk."
The other nine destinations are Nova Scotia and Labrador Tall Ships of Canada; San Juan Islands, Washington; Pirate Cruise, Grand Cayman Island of the UK; Star Clipper to French Polynesia of France; Junk Cruise, Andaman Sea of Thailand; Seychelles Islands of Seychelles; Dhow Cruise, Straits of Hormuz of Oman; Lamu Island of Kenya; and Evia Island Cruise of Greece.
Earlier, Ha Long Bay was also listed among the world's top ten best and romantic destinations for 2011 by the UK's Lonely Planet magazine.