Aussies are heading to Vietnam in big numbers - and this is the best way to see it

The best view of Vietnam is not from a hotel rooftop or mountain lookout. It's from a wicker chair on the foredeck of a river ship, directly outside the wheelhouse, where the captain is literally looking over my shoulder.

On this low, front-facing deck, we have the same vantage point over the bow. At dawn, the Mekong is half-asleep. With no other boats churning the water, its surface is glassy, reflecting the silhouettes of bushes along the banks. A stunning sunrise brightens the sky from charcoal to glowing apricot. This becomes my favourite place to do nothing on the tiny Toum Tiou II.

As it noses upstream to Cambodia, cargo and fishing vessels glide towards us through the haze. I can hear birds chirping and smell the damp, earthy air.

The Mekong is a moving, living landscape that draws you into the scene.

Coffee calls, so I head to the top deck, where the perspective is panoramic. Colourful, ornate temples appear regularly on both riversides, tucked among stilt-houses on bamboo poles. People wave from the floating villages, wooden ferries and fish farms. I shout "xin chao", they reply "hello".

I have to drag myself away twice a day for shore excursions. From Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, we visit museums and palaces. In small towns, we stroll through markets, watch local artisans at work, and feast on spring rolls from our cooking class. We explore Tra Su Cajuput Forest by rowboat and ride a cable car up Mount Sam, where a giant Shakyamuni Buddha is carved into the cliff. Sometimes I choose to cycle, following our convoy of tuktuks, while the dozen other passengers cheer me on.