You’ll love rugged

It’s around eight o’clock in the morning. The sun is low in the sky. The jungle critters are foraging for their breakfast. And here, inside the sanctum of Ta Prohm temple, just beyond the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia, I’ve just bashed my shin. Yes, I’m in agony, but it seems as if the ruins of this ancient Khmer temple precarious though they may be - are having some sort of healing effect. When you’re surrounded by such majesty, where a tangle of tetrameles tree roots wrap around carved stones from the 12th Century, it’s hard to think about pain. But how did I get to this incredible temple (and bash my shin)? Well, my journey actually begins in Vietnam...

Starting from Saigon

My first stop on a speedy tour of Vietnam is the bustling metropolis of Can Tho. I arrive with just enough time to fill up on the region’s famous sticky rice at Can

Tho Ecolodge, before settling down for an incredible night’s sleep. Just the ticket, because at 6am I’m awake and ready to board the hotel’s river boat. It takes me to Cai Rang Floating Market, which is exactly what it sounds like. Every day come rain or shine, local traders from the city fill up their small boats with fresh produce and paddle down the Song Hau river. Here they perch in the water, crying out to shoppers and tourists: “Come, come! Try this!” Hopping from deck to deck, I get to sample everything from banh mi (a type of baguette) loaded with shredded pork, to freshlysliced pineapple dipped in sea salt.

From sensational Siem Reap... I head back over the bay to Sihanoukville and catch a 45-minute flight to Siem Reap. Cambodia’s ancient capital, the temple city of Angkor, is a short drive from the modern city of Siem Reap, which has sprung up over the last decade to become a home to many extravagant hotels. One such place is Montra Nivesha, which strikes a tasteful balance between traditional Cambodian design and sophisticated sustainability.

... to ancient Angkor

An Angkor Pass (only available from the official ticket centre; $62/£48) offers unlimited access to every Angkor temple. As is tradition, we start our journey with a sunrise visit to Angkor Wat. I must say, the experience is somewhat underwhelming. I arrive to find throngs of tourists camped by the ponds, eager to get ‘that’ Instagram shot.

Inside, I lose touch with any sense of spirituality,