Is Vietnam's Halong Bay the world's prettiest place?

Set in the Gulf of Tonkin, Ha Long Bay has some 1,600 islands and islets, and is famed for a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. It is because of their precipitous nature, almost all the islands are unaffected and uninhabited by a human presence.

Situated around 164 km southeast of Hanoi, this 500 sq km area has around 3,000 rocky and earthen islands, which are typically in the form of jagged limestone pillars, popping out from the sea, along with numerous caves and grottoes, which blend together to display an extraordinary seascape.
Home to a diverse population of marine and land mammals, fish, reptiles, and birds, this place will be more of a surprise when in Vietnam.

This breathtakingly beautiful area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The karst limestone pillars donning the bay makes it look like a place right out of a movie. And nevertheless, its surrealistic scenery has indeed served as the magical backdrop of various scenes in multiple films.
In short, it is close to the world's prettiest place, and definitely one of Vietnam's most stunning attractions.

Its name translates to ‘where the dragon descends, and if we go by what legends have to say, the bay's islands were actually formed when a dragon charged from the mountains towards the coast. It’s said that the dragon's tail carved out crevasses and valleys until the dragon hit the water, thereby flooding the area, and leaving nothing but the peaks visible.
The bay nestled in Vietnam's northeastern coast, features serene emerald waters, which also serve as home to numerous small limestone islands covered by rainforests. Halong Bay is also a popular spot for cave explorers and boat tours, and no trip to Vietnam would be considered complete without seeing it.