Hanoi pho, Ha Long Bay among Asia’s “can’t-miss” attractions

According to the website, slurping up a bowl of pho in Hanoi and sailing through Ha Long Bay are must-try experiences.

Ha Long Bay spans 1,553 square kilometres and includes 1,969 islands of various sizes. It has twice been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1994 and 2000.

In 2011, it was voted one of the seven New Natural Wonders of the World.

Meanwhile, pho is considered a signature dish of Vietnam, consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat. It is primarily served with beef or chicken.

Ha Long Bay has been continually listed among top destinations by websites like Touropia and Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

The World Records Union has named pho one of the world’s top 100 famous dishes, and Business Insider has called pho an iconic food of Vietnam and put the dish in first place among “40 meals you should eat in your lifetime.”

On the list, Business Insider also suggests other unmissable experiences such as perusing Bangkok’s Damnoen Saduak—a floating market—by boat, lounging above the forest in the infinity pool at the Hanging Gardens of Bali Resort in Indonesia and breathing in the scent of the fresh, colourful flowers at Farm Tomita in Furano, Japan.

It said Asia was a diverse continent boasting beautiful temples, flavourful food, lush rice fields, towering skyscrapers and more.