Cua Van fishing village in the northern province of Quang Ninh has been included in the list of the world’s top 10 coastal towns by US travel magazine Travel & Leisure.

The village ranked ninth, followed by Ilulissat in western Greenland’s Qaasuitsup municipality.

“Located in Vietnam’s dramatic Ha Long Bay, with lush mountains as a backdrop, this little village is completely composed of floating homes,” Travel & Leisure said about the unique Vietnamese community.

“About 700 people (traditionally fishermen) live in anchored houseboats, with kids attending a floating school. Cua Van has become a popular tourist attraction, as visitors want to see this unusual way of life for themselves,” it added.

Cua Van is the largest fishing village in Ha Long Bay with its residents earning their livelihoods from fishing and aquaculture. Many households are also involved in tourism and offer home-stay services.

Polperro, a fishing village and harbour on the southeastern coast of Cornwall in South West England, topped the list.

The top ten also includes Saint George (Bermuda), Manarola (Italy), Camden (US), Kotor (Montenegro), Lunenburg (Canada), SidiBou Said (Tunisia), and Cadaqués (Spain).

Travel & Leisure is a New York City-based travel magazine specialised in leisure travel. It features articles written by novelists, poets, artists, designers, and non-travel journalists.-VNA