Several years ago we ttoured Vietnam, followed by a visit to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Tom in Cambodia. After the war in the 1960’s and 70’s it took many years before we were emotionally ready to travel to Vietnam. The welcoming reception wee received from the majority of the people we met, most of whom were not born until after the war. On the one hand, being on an “escorted” tour, we were able to cover a large part of a beautiful country with a wide range of interesting stops. On the other hand, while our escort was very open about the political atmosphere, we were still reminded that this is a communist governed country. The two weeks we spent traveling from Ha Long Bay near Hanoi in the north, to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south, made this one of the most memorable trips we have had.

In contrast to Vietnam, which is an aggressively emerging nation, Cambodia was just beginning to recover from the tragic past of the Killing Fields genocide and their war with Vietnam. The temple ruins of Angkor Wat at Siem Reap are a world class tourist attraction that should be on every traveler’s bucket list, but the memories of the Khmer Rouge genocide are still being felt as the society slowly rebuilds.

The Citadel in Hue

Morning traffic in Ho Chi MIn City (Saigon)

Ankhor Wat Seim Reap Cambodia

Ankhor Wat tree roots over ruins

Seim Reap tradition dance

Girl amon the ruins Ankhor Tom