If you have never visited Cambodia before and are limited on time, the highlights not to miss are the ancient, UNESCO World Heritage-listed temples of Angkor, including Angkor Wat, and the Mekong riverside capital of Phnom Penh, once regarded as the Venice of old French Indochina.

Known to the Vietnamese as Cuu Long, or "Nine Dragons", the Mekong Delta, covers 39,000 sq.km and is the rice basket of southern Vietnam. A watery world of rivers and canals, rice fields and fruit orchards, a visit to this fascinating and beautiful region of southern Vietnam is a must for any visitor to the country.

Northern Laos especially presents many great trekking opportunities. Not only is the terrain very mountainous and largely swathed in forest, it is also home to a dazzling array of highly colourful minority tribal people who still pursue the traditional slash and burn (swidden) farming methods, unchanged for a thousand years.

There can be few more relaxing ways to explore the watery hinterland of Cambodia and southern Vietnam than by taking a leisurely river cruise through the verdant delta of the mighty Mekong River, the most biodiverse river in the world.