A new travel check list by the New York Times has listed Viet Nam amongst 20 places you should visit in your 20s, an age when people are eager to explore the world but do not have a lot of money or time off from work.

Ha Long Bay in northern Viet Nam (Photo by Reuters/Kham)

Viet Nam is recommended as a country rich in cuisine, culture and natural beauty, as well as low prices. The country attracted 7.3 million foreign visitors in the first nine months of this year, up 25% on-year.

The magazine highlighted 3 particular destinations – Ha Long Bay, Hoi An ancient town  and Hue City.

All three places are among the greenest tourist destinations in Viet Nam and are much loved by visitors from both home and abroad.

Ha Long is a natural marvel with more than 1,500 islands and inlets popping up from emerald waters that are perfect for a boat cruise.

The bay has become famous since UNESCO named it a natural heritage site and has made many travelers bucket lists.

Earlier this month, U.S. news site Business Insider also named a cruise trip through Ha Long Bay amongst the must-do travel experiences in Asia.

Around 800km to the south of Ha Long is Hue, the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 until the end of feudal Viet Nam in 1945.

The city known for its Imperial City and photogenic royal tombs on the outskirts, as well as its poetic beach, river, mountain sites and a wide range of special rice cakes.

The Perfume River in Hue (Photo by VnExpress/Thien Dinh Phan)

The Trang Tien Bridge across the Perfume River (Photo by VnExpress/Thien Dinh Phan)

Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue (Photo by VnExpress/Thien Dinh Phan)

Hoi An is just a three-hour ride to the south of Hue. Once a popular trade port in the region, Hoi An now draws tourists to its picturesque wooden houses, pagodas, street-side eateries and hundreds of tailor shops.

A travel forum run by U.S. magazine USA Today described Hoi An as one of the 10 most beautiful places in Southeast Asia, a place where one can find 'tranquility and timelessness'.

Hoi An by night (Photo by VnExpress/Tran Viet Anh)

Hoi An lanterns. (Photo by VnExpress/Tran Viet Anh)

Ancient houses in Hoi An (Photo by VnExpress)

'Best Day on Earth', a new book by the U.K. travel publisher Rough Guide, listed Hoi An’s full-moon festival among the world’s most extraordinary travel experiences for the hundreds of lanterns that glow along alleys and river banks around town.

The New York Times list also includes Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Cuba, Montreal, New Orleans, Oaxaca in Mexico, Patagonia in Argentina and Prague.

(Source: VNExpress International)