Ha Long Bay in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh has been listed in the 20 geological wonders of the world by travel guide website Rough Guides.

Ha Long Bay , which spans 1,553km2 and includes 1,969 islands of various sizes, was twice recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and 2000.

In 2011, Ha Long Bay outranked 261 other landscapes from all over the world and was voted one of the seven new natural wonders of the world.

The recognition acknowledges the bay’s exceptional rock cave and limestone mountain system which took millions of years to form, as well as its outstanding biodiversity.

Other places on the list of Rough Guides include Lying areas Danakil (Ethiopia), Cal Orko stonewalls (Bolivia ), De l’Ankarana National Park (Madagascar) , Nitmiluk canyon (Australia); Brighstone Bay (UK) and Antelope Canyon (the US).

Rough Guides is a leading publisher of travel and reference information known for its ‘tell it like it is’ attitude, accurate, up-to-date content and informed contemporary writing.