A scene of the Hoang Lien mountain range

The magazine said: "Thanks to a new cable car connection, tourist traffic is on the rise at 10,312-foot Fansipan, Vietnam's highest peak. Still, much of this northwest mountain region (beyond the busy gateway town Sa Pa) remains rugged, rural, and a world away from hectic  Hanoi, about 195 miles."

The National Geographic, whose publications are translated in 40 languages, suggests visitors to the area going on a hike in the Hoang Lien Son National Park and the nearby Muong Hoa Valley and trying out homestay accommodation with ethnic minority communities.

Hoang Lien Son is one of Vietnam’s grandest mountain ranges. Apart from the Fansipan peak, Sa Pa Town, with its picturesque rice terraces and dreamy cloud scenes, is a major tourism draw.

The top destination on the list is Mexico city, followed by the Peruvian Amazon and China's Fanjingshan.