Vietnam & Cambodia Travel Tips: Expert Advice for First-Timers

Seeing Angkor Wat. It's such a large place – the largest religious monument in the world in fact – that you could go numerous many times and still not the entire thing. The scale is incredible.

Make sure to time the sunrise correctly when visiting the sand dunes in Mui Ne. Watching the golden sunlight wash over the sand here is really magical.

I’d also spend longer in Ho Chi Minh, as one night was nowhere near enough. I will be back!

Driving across Cambodia during the day was beautiful and made for some great scenery, so I would recommend doing the Phnom Penh to Siem Reap transfer in daylight if there's the option to do so.

And of course: try all the food!

These destinations are best for foodies and culture vultures, probably suiting friends, solo travellers or couples best. 

Outside the rainy season (May-Oct) preferably, although sometimes it pays to go in the shoulder seasons and risk getting a little wet! We travelled in late June and the rains ended up being late this year, so we only had one downpour, and that was on the last day! 

Absolutely Angkor Wat, without a doubt, as well as pub street in Siem Reap. This place is packed with restaurants, bars and an all-round fun atmosphere. It’s also fantastic for people-watching.

It's imperative to see the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields in Phnom Penh. It’s a really challenging, but also and thought-provoking, experience.

Finally a cruise along the Mekong is a must – we departed Ho Chi Minh but there are also options outside of the city which are a bit more off-the-tourist trail.

On the drive out to Mui Ne, keep your eyes peeled for the colourful circular fishing boats, as local fishermen head out for the morning catch between 5:45 and 7am. The village even has a fishing market, so after you’ve caught the sunrise I also recommend grabbing some fresh catch too.

Travelling outside of the dry season (Nov-Apr) is a sure-fire way to save money on the holiday itself. When you’re there, don't be afraid to haggle in markets, eat away from the main tourist streets, and always choose to drink beer, not wine, as the latter is usually imported, making the former considerably cheaper.

Vietnam is too big and too varied to really get under the skin of the country in a few days. Ideally I would recommend two weeks minimum there, and a week in Cambodia if short on time. Combining the two would only be sensible for trips longer than two weeks, otherwise you'll feel like you haven't seen enough of Vietnam.

Finally, if you're veggie, always triple check that your food doesn't have meat in it.

Cambodia felt a bit like Northern Thailand but flatter, while Vietnam was quite distinctive – Ho Chi Minh had a very different feel to Bangkok.

We flew from London to Vietnam with Vietnam Airlines, which takes just shy of 12 hours. Thankfully we had a night flight, with a comfortable evening departure of 7pm.

Onboard the service was warm and friendly. We had a fantastic Thai green curry for dinner, which was delicious and spicy, and I was able to make a start on some of the movies on my to-watch list thanks to the in-flight entertainment. I also managed to get a good chunk of sleep before we landed in Hanoi, and from here we took an internal flight to Siem Reap.

Transferring between the flights was a breeze and we made the most of lounge access while we waited; I would highly recommend the massage chairs in the Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge in Hanoi!

For our return we flew Premium Economy, which gave us extra space and legroom, allowing you to sleep comfortably. 

1. Don't rush Angkor: ideally take two-three days to explore it properly. Also, wear light clothing and a hat, it got up to 46 degrees some days!
2. Mui Ne is a great beach stop close to Ho Chi Minh as an alternative to Nha Trang, especially for kite surfers.
3. Try fish amok in Cambodia, but DON'T try the spiders...

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