With more than a thousand dramatic limestone islands, Halong Bay in Vietnam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Getty Images)
Tripadvisor’s annual “readers’ choice” lists offer plenty of vacation inspiration, whether you’re looking for trending destinations, cultural centers or foodie magnets. (Hanoi tops the latter list, by the way.) So it’s only fair that wildlife lovers and nature enthusiasts get their own best-of-the-best collection of natural wonders.
These readers’ choice awards are based on user reviews and comments, with less than 1 percent of the site’s hotels, attractions and experiences garnering enough rapturous reviews to warrant a “best of the best” designation.
The scenic wonders, ancient temples and, of course, proximity to the Himalayas puts Kathmandu in the No. 1 spot among nature destinations, while third place goes to the pristine beaches and coral reefs of Hurghada, a snorkeling and scuba mecca on Egypt’s Red Sea shoreline.
And if islands are your thing, that landform dominates the Tripadvisor list, which includes Guadeloupe, Grand Cayman, Kauai, Mauritius and Zanzibar, as well as Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, which is dotted with more than a thousand dramatic limestone islands.
Here’s the top 10. Find more details and “best of the best” lists at www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations.
Tripadvisor’s Top 10 Nature Destinations
1 Kathmandu, Nepal
2 Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
3 Hurghada, Egypt
4 Mauritius
5 Lombok, Indonesia
6 Kauai
7 Zanzibar Island, Tanzania
8 Grand Cayman
9 Guadeloupe
10 Kruger National Park, South Africa
Originally published at Jackie Burrell