Hoi An central town in the central province of Quang Nam has been listed by CNN as one of the 16 most relaxing places in the world.

According to CNN, it's no surprise the UNESCO-protected ancient town of Hoi An in Vietnam's central coast is a mecca for tourists.

Sitting in the shade, glass in hand, watching the world go by, is every bit as relaxing as an afternoon on the town's long stretch of sand, it added.

Some others on CNN’s top 16 list are Ise Jingu in Japan, the Yoga Barn in Bali, and Wilderness Hotel in Finland.

The UK’s renowned travel site Rough Guides earlier put Hoi An on the list of the top 10 intriguing travel destinations in Southeast Asia.

In the first half of 2018, the number of visitors to Hoi An surged 70% year- on-year to around 2.7 million, including some two million international tourists, a 230% increase.-VNA