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Recently, CN Traveller has released a list of the 10 most beautiful railway journeys in the world. This list was selected from the book "Around the world by 80 trains" by author Monisha Rajesh, including the railway route from Hanoi to Da Nang in Vietnam.
According to CN Traveller, the journey of the Thong Nhat train running along the length of Vietnam is extremely interesting, starting from Hanoi and ending in Ho Chi Minh City. In particular, on the route from Hanoi to Da Nang, visitors will be able to observe the daily life of local people, passing through quiet residential areas at night, majestic mountains and admiring Lang Co Bay with its long stretch of golden sand before arriving at Da Nang station.
Besides the Hanoi - Da Nang railway mentioned, CN Traveller also introduces some of the most beautiful railway journeys in the world.
Journey from Tokyo to Osaka, Japan
The 515km Shinkansen bullet train journey from Tokyo to Osaka, which passes Mount Fuji, began in 1964. Although there are many other high-speed options available to tourists and Japanese people today, the Shinkansen experience across Mount Fuji is still considered to be unrivalled. Travelers on the train will enjoy regional ekiben with seasonal ingredients.
Journey from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Beijing, China
The Trans-Mongolian Railway, which runs from Moscow, Russia to Beijing, is a stunning stretch of natural beauty, especially the final stretch from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Beijing, China. The land is arid red soil with steep hillsides stretching across the horizon. When night falls, passengers can see the shimmering lights of lakes and rivers curving toward the tracks, the ground glowing a brilliant orange.
The next morning, when passengers wake up in China, they will see the Great Wall snaking in the distance as the train continues to move up steep valleys.
Journey from Cannes, France to Ventimiglia, Italy
Hugging the curves of the sparkling Ligurian Sea, the double-decker train from France to Italy takes passengers through sun-drenched towns and villages where bougainvillea cascades down the walls of pink and yellow apartment blocks. Stopping in Nice and Monaco, the train takes in yachts bobbing in the bay, teenagers playing beach volleyball, and Lamborghinis roaring down the streets, before arriving at the Italian station.
Journey from New Orleans to Los Angeles
The Sunset Limited is the oldest named train in America. From New Orleans to Los Angeles, the train takes less than two days across the Deep South, taking in the Louisiana Bay, the cacti of New Mexico and the deep red sunsets of Arizona. The journey is considered a cross-section of American society, from musicians, teachers, retirees, farmers, carpenters...
Journey from Venice, Italy to London, England
The Orient Express is perhaps the most famous train journey in the world and one of the best in Europe. Passengers can revel in the old romance of rail travel in vintage carriages over lunch as the train meanders through the Italian Dolomites and gaze out the window at the Swiss Alps.
Passengers can also relax in the bar where a pianist plays Moon River, before returning to bed and falling asleep as the train runs through the night.
Journey from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Now known as the 'Death Railway', it's a beautiful yet grim journey that passengers can still take along a stretch of Bangkok, from Thonburi station to Nam Tok station in Kanchanaburi. Departing twice a day, the train heads west, passing through dense jungle, the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, along ancient trees and tiny, brightly coloured stations. Along the way, you'll come across street vendors selling hot noodles, fish cakes and coffee on the tracks.
Journey from Qinghai to Tibet, China
The railway connecting Xining, Qinghai to Lhasa in Tibet, China is the highest railway line in the world, with a peak of more than 5,000 meters above sea level. Waking up in the morning to the hiss of oxygen being pumped into the cabin, passengers will be treated to a panoramic view of the deep blue sky and golden plateau, punctuated by the sparkling light reflecting off the lakes surrounding the plateau. As the train climbs higher, the air becomes thinner and the water vapor turns to ice.
On the way down to Lhasa, the terrain offers long slopes, below are nomadic tents with Lungta prayer flags fluttering in the wind.
Journey from Mumbai to Margao, India
The Mandovi Express takes just under 12 hours to take travelers to the Konkan coast, where the sparkling Arabian Sea on one side and the beautiful Sahyadri hills on the other. Leaving Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai around 7am, the train zips through the metropolis and heads into the countryside.
On the way down to Goa, the train is surrounded by beautiful landscapes of coconut groves and palm trees and crosses over 2,000 bridges including India's highest viaduct.
Journey from Jasper to Prince Rupert, Canada
The Skeena (also known as Rupert's Rocket) from Jasper National Park in Alberta travels deep into corners of British Columbia that few Canadians have ever visited.
Departing three days a week, the train heads northwest past snow-capped Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Then it skirts the edge of tranquil blue lakes, beneath bright sunny skies and the chance to spot black bears, white-tailed deer, moose and bald eagles…
