US-based multinational cable news channel CNN has included Laos in the list of the 23 best destinations to visit in 2023, Vientiane Times reported.

Visitors admire Guangxi Waterfall in Luang Prabang province.(Photo: Vientiane Times.org.la)

Sharing borders with Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Myanmar, Laos has long been a must-hit spot for time-rich travelers making their way through the Southeast Asia circuit, CNN said.

“Thanks to the 2021 opening of a semi-high-speed railway, it's easier than ever to get around the country at a quicker pace, shaving hours off journeys that previously took full days to travel,” it said.

The listing has again put Laos into the global tourism spotlight. National Geographic, one of the most widely-read and respected magazines in the world, recently listed Laos among the 25 breathtaking places one should visit in 2023.

Other cities and countries joining CNN’s list are Poland, Western Australia, Liverpool in England, Charleston in South Carolina, Vilnius in Lithuania, Fiji, Manaus in Brazil, Thessaloniki in Greece, Rwanda, Gothenburg in Sweden, Gruyères in Switzerland, Minneapolis in Minnesota, Bogotá in Colombia, Tanzania, Cairo in Egypt, Belize, Oaxaca in Mexico, Ottawa in Canada, and Uganda.

Source: VNA