AWE-INSPIRING CAMBODIA

World-class temples and luxury islands make this one for your bucket list

- SHARON SWEENEY

VISIT THE MEKONG DELTA

Watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat in Cambodia is an unforgettable experience. As the sun casts a golden hue over the temples – one of the seven wonders of the world – crowds look on in hushed awe. It’s the grand finale of a trip of a lifetime in southeast Asia that kicks off in Vietnam. Fly to Ho Chi Minh City – all bustle and business – and head south west to the lush Mekong Delta.

Here, waterways crisscross the land between jungle and emerald-green rice fields, and your taxi is a flat-bottomed boat. Amid tall palms and coconut trees, families welcome tourists and you can try your hand at making rice noodles, delicious bánh xèo pancakes and discover the jelly leaf vine that is used to make a popular Vietnamese pudding.

For a luxurious stay, the Can Tho Ecolodge in the Ben Tre province has lodges set amid beautiful gardens and a pool. Book an early breakfast and take a boat trip to the Cai Rang floating market, where brightly coloured boats laden with fruit and veg ply their trade. Takeaway vendors in motorboats chug up with sweet Vietnamese coffee, bánh mì (baguette) snacks or beautifully sculpted, ready-to-eat juicy pineapples, all sold for a few dong (elsewhere, dollars are your easiest currency).