Readers of travel guide publisher Rough Guides have chosen Vietnam as one of 20 most beautiful countries to visit. Vietnam was ranked 20th, while India was placed 13th and Indonesia, sixth.

More than 40 years after the end of the Vietnam War, the S-shaped country has rebounded with vigor, Rough Guides remarks.

Infrastructure upgrades, the launch of direct flights that connect Vietnam with major cities in the world and modern development with a bunch of luxury hotels and skyscrapers have made Vietnam more attractive to foreigners. The U.K. travel site mentioned the "impressive" rock formations in Ha Long Bay, four hours drive to the west of capital city Hanoi, and terraced rice fields in the northern highlands town Sa Pa as "not-to-be-missed" beauty sites in Vietnam. Foreign visitors to Vietnam rose 20 percent to a record 15.4 million last year, making it the world’s fourth fastest growing travel destination.-VNA