U.S. magazine Forbes has unveiled its list of the world’s 50 most beautiful villages in 2025, with Cam Thanh village in Hoi An ancient town, the sole representative from Vietnam, securing the 20th place.
“Woven between coconut groves and tidal creeks, Cam Thanh hums with the rhythm of river life. Bamboo basket boats swirl through the Bay Mau nipa palm forest—their skippers casting nets in the shade of swaying fronds,” Forbes wrote, as quoted by the Government News.
Meanwhile, on the banks, cooking classes sizzle with lemongrass and tamarind—as water buffalo graze lazily beside stilted homes. Cyclists drift past shrimp farms and lotus ponds—the air thick with the scent of grilled squid and sweet jackfruit—but as the sun dips low, the Thu Bon River glows bronze, and the village exhales.
Topping the list is Bibury village in Britain, which unfurls like a watercolor dream, where honey-slicked cottages line Arlington Row and their mossy roofs whisper tales of 14th-century weavers.
In second place is Lake Hallstatt in Austria, which glows like a storybook reflection, where centuries-old timbered houses cling to the steep mountainside and flower-boxed balconies spill with scarlet geraniums.
Shirakawa-go in Japan, ranking ninth globally, and Batad in the Philippines, placing tenth in the world, are the two most beautiful villages in Asia.
Others on the list include Reine in Norway, Giethoorn and Bourtange in the Netherlands, Oia in Greece, Kotor in Montenegro, and Russell in New Zealand.
Khanh Van
