In Vietnam you'll encounter a patchwork of rice paddies, colourful markets, stunning bays, bustling cities and colonial architecture that survives from the days of French Indochina. The divisions forged by partition and war are still discernible; the North remains, on the whole, less westernised than the South, and the capital, Hanoi, is an intoxicatingly authentic slice of the old Orient.

Head down to central Vietnam and visit the imperial city of Hue, home to the tombs of several emperors, or charming Hoi An, where elegant merchant houses line the riverfront. The south of the country is home to Ho Chi Minh City, a vibrant, bustling metropolis, along with the myriad channels of the Mekong Delta.

The Mekong is one of the most bio-diverse rivers in the world, with a huge number of plant species, mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. Originating in China, it flows past the gilded golden temples of Luang Prabang and forms part of the border between Laos and Thailand, before crossing Cambodia and reaching the Delta in Vietnam.

Cambodia is home to the remarkable temples of Angkor Wat, and many travellers see little of the country beyond this one (admittedly extraordinary) location. There is so much more to explore, however, including the beautiful Tonle Sap lake, where traditional fishing communities live on stilts above the water, and the energetic capital, Phnom Penh, which is home to some impressive architecture and grim reminders of the Khmer Rouge regime.