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After decades of warand deprivation,three former coloniesof Indochina haveeach emerged, in verydistinct ways, as primetourist destinations.By Duncan Forgan

Triple

beauties

In Vietnam, there is a sense o lightningprogress and blockbuster attractions suchas the limestone karst-studded wonderlando Halong Bay; in Cambodia, the darknesso the recent past is being counteredby increased investment and growingconfdence. Meanwhile, in sleepy Laos, abooming contingent o lotus-eaters romaround the world is helplessly seduced by the countryslanguorous charms. Vastly dierent they may be, butmore links the three countries than traumatic historyand optimism or the uture. Until conicts disfguredthese locations, a king ruled each one. And today, theroyal legacy o each o these destinations endures as anecho o its ormer sel.

HUE

Vietnam is a land o wordsmiths and there are ewlocations in this beautiul country that have not beencelebrated in verse. It is arguable, however, whetheranywhere is more worthy o poetry than the nations

ormer imperial seat o power.The Nguyen Lords, the eudal dynasty that

dominated much o southern Vietnam rom the 16 th to19th century, chose their capital wisely. On the bankso the eortlessly evocative Song Huong (PerumeRiver) they constructed a Citadel and lavish orientalwonderland o tombs, temples and palaces, which standtestament to the dynastys loty sense o aesthetics andits equally towering arrogance and disconnection withits humble subjects.

When the Frenchtook over in 1885, theyburnt libraries andlooted palaces but alsoupped the ante evenurther by bequeathingthe city with a leayenclave o boulevardsand grand architecture

on the rivers southside.

War with the Americanspresented Hue with its toughesttest yet. The city was levelledduring the Tet Oensive o 1968when approximately 10,000perished in a vicious battle.

Hue is a place, however, wherebeauty cannot be subjugated.

While many o Vietnams ruinedtowns and cities re-emerged asodes to unctional and aceless >

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Communist reconstruction, Hue rose rom the dust withits grandeur tarnished but largely undestroyed.

The Citadel wall presents an imposing barrieritsblackened surace still pockmarked by bullet holes romthe conict that defned Vietnams 20th century. Beyondit, however, the phoenix that is Hues imperial heritagecontinues to rise rom the ashes.

The Forbidden Purple City, a walled compoundreserved or the personal use o the emperor andhis concubines, remains a sad ruin, but showpieceattractions such as the The Mieu Temple Complexhave been expertly restored. In this part o the old city,ornate gates depicting dragons, demons and battlescenes lead to towering temples and peaceul pagodas.

The Citadel might be the most obvious remindero Hues royal legacy, but other tokens o its past aremyriad. Ho Quyen, the arena where emperors used towatch duels between tigers and elephants, is bedraggledbut still intact while the magnifcent tombs o theNguyen kings are examples o the air o the rulers.

PHNOM PENHThe sight o the royal palace in Phnom Penh is one thatcould soten even the hardest o hearts. Cambodiascapital has been through the mill as thoroughly asanywhere on earth over the course o the last 40 years.However, the vast compound o golden-spired templesand grandiose pavilions has stood as a replenishingsource o national pride in the most desperate o times.

The city only became the royal seat o power inthe mid-19th century when King Norodom relocatedrom the ormer capital o Oudong and ordered theconstruction o the Royal Palace complex. During theFrench colonial period, the Cambodian kings werelargely impotenttheir benevolent presence helped todouse the ames o nationalism.

The ascent o King Norodom Sihanouk to thethrone and the collapse o colonial power heraldeda new era o uncertainty. Over the next 50 years,Sihanouks ortunes would uctuate as radically as his

countrys. He helped lead his country to independence,but was deposed by a U.S.-backed coup during theVietnam War in which Cambodia was inexorablyembroiled. During the Khmer Rouge era, he wasreinstated as a convenient fgurehead and kept underhouse arrest in the palace. When the Vietnamese oustedPol Pots brutal regime, he was orced into exile or overa decade beore returning to the throne back in 1993.

These days, Sihanouks eldest son, NorodomSihamoni, occupies the throne but the real power is

wielded by Hun Sen, Cambodias strongman primeminister. While Phnom Penhs royal heritage may belargely symbolic, the presence o the palace provides a

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stabilising ocus or pride in a city that is evolving as astas any in the region. The riverside area is a case in point.

Its slick new bars, boutique hotels and restaurants oer aglimpse into the uture while touts, beggars and limblessland-mine victims are a reminder o where Cambodiahas been. Grab yoursel a pew with a view at the amousForeign Correspondents Club and watch the Tonle Sapmeander its way towards its conuence with the Mekongwhile nursing an icy bottle o Angkor Beer.

Amidst all the changes, the Royal Palace provideshistorical context. The ideal time to visit is late aternoonwhen the tourist stragglers are heading or the exit andthe sinking sun imbues the complex with an ethereal,almost magical, russet glow.

LUANG PRABANG

I prizes were handed out or the most beautiul cities onthe planet then Luang Prabang would be fghting withheavyweights such as Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town.The sunset vista rom the crown o the hill known as PhuSi is one o the most arresting sights in town. From here

the valley unolds like an emerald blanket towards theverdant mountains in the distance. Most visitors take inthe tableaux at sunset, watching the light reect uponthe Nam Khan River beore descending back into themelee o the night market to catch a bite to eat.

Its almost impossible to quibble with LuangPrabangs status as the premier tourist spot in Laos.The city delivers in pretty much every area. Saron-robed monks and impossibly ornate temples such as WatXieng Thong oer spiritual solace, lavish hotels such asVilla Maly and chic eateries such as Tamarind raise thecomort stakes while the string o open air bars liningthe Mekong River oer cold beer and cheap cocktails ina setting that bypasses the convivial and moves directlyto jaw-dropping.

The royal heritage here has been less impactedby the tumultuous events o the late 20th century thanin Indochinas other historical seats o monarchicalpower. Although the royal amily was deposed by the

communist Pathet Lao movement in the countrys 1975revolution, their palace and its surrounding templesremain merciully intact.

The town may have sacrifced a little bit o its soulin exchange or its worldwide ame. The unvarnishedLuang Prabang is never ar away, however. You just needto know where to look or it.

A good place to start is the night market wherequintessential Lao dishes such asping paa (grilled fsh),larb(meat salad with mint), and sticky rice are served up

at criminally low prices. It is a banquet ft or a king ina city that has maintained its regal poise long ater thedeparture o its royalty. e

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Where to stay

Hue

a esidence: This former residence of the French

Governor is one of the nest examples of Art Deco

architecture in the tropics. Inside it is equally

resplendent. Two additional wings were added to

the original mansion in 2005, and the renovation

has added grandeur to the hotels already heady

Indochinese ambience. www.la-residence-hue.com

PHnom PenH

oftel phnom penh phokeethra: The rst ve-star

hotel to open in Phnom Penh in over a decade, this

outpost of the French chain is suitably opulent.

The hotels design fuses traditional Khmer elementswith modern touches while the inter ior, the plush

rooms and the range of top-end restaurants are as

luxurious as you might expect. www.softel.com

Luang Prabang

Villa Maly: Built by the grandson of a Lao king,

this charming boutique option is a tting base

from which to explore the former royal capital.

Beautifully realised rooms with period touches and

modern amenities surround a gorgeous tropicalgarden and a generously sized outdoor pool.

www.villa-maly.com

Freshwatersh on sale inLuang PrabangMarket, Laos.

Kuang Si waterfall,Luang Prabang, Laos.