Son Doong Cave, Quang Bunh, Vietnam - Photo: The New Yorks/Carsten Peter/National Geographic

Discovering Son Doong Cave - Photo: picasaweb.com

Accordingly, Quang Binh in Vietnam ranked 8th on the list among 52 places to go in 2014 and was at the top of Asian destinations. Followed by Taiwan and Ishigaki in Japan at number 11 and 18 respectively.

The New York Times says, "Son Doong Cave in the Quang Binh province of central Vietnam is one of the world’s largest caves and is now, for the first time, accessible to tourists, thanks to the tour operator Oxalis. Huge shafts of light penetrate its vast caverns, allowing forests of 100-foot-tall trees to thrive in spaces big enough to accommodate 40-story skyscrapers. Colossal 260-foot stalactites are also present. Monkeys, hornbills and flying foxes have all been spotted in this surreal habitat, first fully explored in 2009. While trips into Son Doong are limited in number (only 220 permits for the year) and to visitors with deep pockets (over $6,000 per trip), the nearby and more affordable Tu Lan Cave is also now open to adventurous travelers."

Son Doong Cave - Photo: picasaweb.com

Among the top destinations in the list were Cape Town in South Africa, Christchurch in New Zealand and North Coast in California.

www.quangbinh.gov.vn