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My trip was a family one, accompanied by my partner and my daughter, who was seven at the time. It was a truly wonderful experience.

On this occasion, we joined an organised tour. Not something that we would usually do, but well worth the extra expense. What made it special were the local guides who were so proud of their country. They were a wealth of knowledge, and through their company all on the tour learned a great deal about the local people and these two wonderful countries.

Our journey started in the north of Vietnam, in Hanoi, the capital. Hanoi is so full of charm. The city is heavily influenced by French colonial architecture and has many sites to see. We enjoyed walking the back streets of the old quarter, bartering with the shop and stall holders. A great place for picking up gifts and trinkets. On another day we visited the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh - uncle Ho. He is without question one of the great figures of twentieth century history, and the visit to his mausoleum is a must. We also went to the infamous 'Hanoi Hilton' - Hanoi's former central prison. One wing of the prison survives and is now a museum.

Getting away from Hanoi, we travelled overland to Halong Bay. Considered Vietnam's greatest natural wonder, Halong Bay boasts over 3000 islands that jut out of the sea. Our home for the night was a converted junk, and during our time on board we visited some of the beautiful caves and islets around the bay. If you do visit Halong Bay, I highly recommend a night on board one of these boats as you get to see so much more of this truly special place.

Travelling south, we boarded the Re-unification Express - an overnight train journey from Hanoi to Hue, the once Imperial capital of Vietnam. Our stay included a visit to the Citadel, once home to the Nguyen Dynasty emperors. Unfortunately, much of the Citadel was destroyed during the Vietnam War, but restoration is being carried out. Nevertheless, what remains does give you an impression of how vast the Citadel was. These were truly powerful emperors. Our guide was happy to inform us that one emperor demanded a selection of different meals for every day of the year, and thus you will find much variety in the food in Vietnam. Indeed, I'll admit to being a food lover, and I was not disappointed by the variety on offer in Vietnam. In many of the tourist restaurants you will find a menu in a variety of languages, so choosing something is not a problem.

By comparison to Hanoi, Saigon (otherwise known as Ho Chi Minh City) is a modern city, with big sweeping roads and avenues built on a grand scale. Again, there are a whole host of places that you must visit, with the Binh Tray wholesale market being a big draw for the souvenir hunter. I particularly liked the old post office - the size and grandness of which dwarfs the all-too-familiar regional post office that we are accustomed to in the UK.

On one of our days in Saigon we paid a day visit to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnel network stretches almost 200 miles, and during the Vietnam War, thousands of people were living here at any one time. Not only did the tunnels provide the Vietnamese with a means of waging a guerrilla war against the superior French and later the American fire power, but it also provided a way to protect whole communities. Climbing down one of the tunnels is very thought-provoking and terrifying.

Leaving Vietnam, we flew from Saigon to Siem Reap for the temples at Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm (the latter made famous by Tomb Raider). After our first night in a wonderful hotel, our start the next morning was an early one so that we could watch the sunrise over the temples. As well as being gigantic in scale, the reliefs on the walls tell stories from 1000 years ago. Again, being accompanied by a guide, we were able to fully appreciate the story behind this most wonderful temple complex.

Vietnam and Cambodia are countries that have had a violent and troubled past, but what you do notice is that everyone is looking to the future. They welcome all visitors with a smile, and I am sure that I will return again one day.