We got back this week from our trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos - a fascinating part of the world and long overdue on our bucket list. Natural wonders such as the limestone pinnacle islands of Vietnam's Halong Bay, caves in Laos filled with Buddha statues and travertine tiered waterfalls in the forest were all wonderful. The cultural experiences were awesome: Angkor Wat justifies its global icon status, the temples of Luang Prabang are havens of tranquility and the the cities of Saigon and Hanoi are crazily buzzing with vitality. But it's the people who are the stars. The Vietnamese excitedly breaking out into the global scene; the Cambodians endless forgiving and able to move on from their killing fields; and above all, the Lao people whose quiet and gentle kindness is the number one reason to experience Southeast Asia. Loved it all!