Beauty scenes in Vietnam contribute to the success of the film Kong: Skull Island

When Kong Skull Island was released in theaters, audiences were awestruck by the film's use of real-world locations. To bring the mythical lair of Kong to life, the crew chose one of the world's most underappreciated frontiers: Vietnam. The visual tone of Vietnam's northern landscape easily conjures up images of a fantastical world dominated by prehistoric creatures. If the spirit of adventure calls, here's a road map to help you plan your own monster-sized expedition.

Halong Bay

Halong, which means "where the dragon descends into the sea," is a mystical destination steeped in legend. According to legend, the Jade Emperor summoned a family of dragons from the heavens to repel an impending invasion. Thousands of emerald gemstones were rained down by the dragons onto the bay, giving birth to over 1,900 majestic limestone outcrops rising spectacularly from the tranquil calm of the Gulf of Tonkin.

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Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh's serrated landscape is a character in and of itself. This cinematic sweep of verdant countryside is home to countless limestone formations that spring out of the earth like a divine fortress and is often referred to as "Halong Bay on Land." The gentle bends of the Ngo Dong River, which glistens a brilliant ochre in the sunlight, add to the rhythm of rolling hills and mountains.

Phong Nha National Park

Filming in a location never before seen on the big screen is one way to persuade an audience that a fictional destination does, in fact, exist. Phong Nha Ke Bang, a national park in Central Vietnam bordered by Laos to the west and the East Sea to the east, had gone unnoticed for years prior to the accidental discovery of Han Son Doong Cave in 1991. Since then, Phong Nha has seen a steady increase in the number of adventurers seeking to explore this largely unexplored territory for themselves.