The annual list was compiled by Agoda.com's editorial team, who studied booking patterns, read thousands of customer reviews and spoke with local experts.

These destinations all had high growth rates and attracted many foreign travellers as well as increasing amounts of vacationing locals.

Mai Chau was described as "a semi-isolated village in Viet Nam...surrounded by limestone cliffs and green rice paddies, populated largely by members of the ethnic White Thai tribe...Vibrant, verdant green rice paddies surround the town on all sides, and dramatic hills rise up on either side of the valley. The town itself isn't particularly stunning, but it's when one gets out into the countryside or head up into the hills that the

breathtaking views get better around every corner. There are also several interesting markets to check out, as well as some nearby caves."

This year's list also includes Tana Toraja in Indonesia, Nantou in Chinese Taiwan, Ella in Sri Lanka, Ipoh in Malaysia, Hakone in Japan, Damyang County in South Korea, Phonsavan in Laos, Kep in Cambodia and Khanom in Thailand.

Vietnamnews