CNN lists Da Lat, Lan Ha Bay among Asia's 'underrated' tourist destinations

"With its fresh mountain air and pine forests..., Da Lat is a popular destination for local Vietnamese that isn't as well known among international travelers," the U.S. media outlet said.

Though Da Lat is famous for its French colonial heritage and year-round cool climate in a tropical country, the town is not a popular choice among foreign visitors due to limited transport infrastructure and tourism services.

Thick fog envelops Da Lat Pedagogical College in downtown area. Photo by Nguyen Hieu

Lan Ha Bay off Hai Phong, around two hours from Hanoi, is home to around 400 islands, all of them covered with vegetation.

It remains less well-known to tourists than its neighbor Ha Long Bay though it too offers kayaking and canoeing through limestone karst mountains and overnight cruises.

One of its highlights is Cai Beo fishing village, thought to be the oldest of its kind in Vietnam and considered a living museum of the country’s fishing culture.

Other destinations in the list are the Indian state of Meghalaya, Pulau Ubin Island in Singapore, Samosir Island in Indonesia, Tengchong in China, and Gogunsan Islands in South Korea.