Junk boats, limestone karsts, Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

A dragon-born bay?

Thanks to a booming tourism industry, Ha Long Bay is often crowded with luxurious modern boats, but its karst coast gives truly ancient vibes. Legend has it these jagged islands were created by dragons summoned to protect the people of the region from invaders. The beasts spat out pieces of jade and other gems into the harbor, which turned into more than 1,600 islands rising up to wreck enemy ships. (Okay, sure, there's gotta be some actual geology behind these remarkable rocks—but could it be more compelling than dragons?)