hi,
can anyone recommend a good travel agent who specializes in SE Asia, especially Vietnam and Cambodia? (I'm based in the DC-area, but wouldn't mind chatting with an agent on the phone or via email.) I'm just looking for some help with flights, and not really in the market for a tour.

Thanks for you suggestions.
happy trails, Ellen

i used asiantrails.com for vietnam..they are based in bangkok and were very personable and easy to deal with...they have canned things but we asked for custom and they did it easily and cheaply....it was quality time...

in cambodia if you are only doing angkor wat, i would suggest you do it solo and have a local guide and driver which the hotel will provide...

If you're just looking for flights, there should be someone local to you who specializes in Vietnamese-Americans. We did far better sitting with an agent for a while going through all the possibilities.

For internal travel in Vietnam, the best price can only be obtained through Vietnam Air, but you can't pay for tickets until you are in Vietnam (or maybe Cambodia, but not the US.) However, we found that it was easy to book once we were there.

i would caution that making air reservations once you are in se asia can sometimes be a problem...full flights especially to places like siem reap cambodia....of course it depends on the time of year also

thanks for these responses. for the first time ever, I have loads of time to plan this trip, so I'll be able to check out everything.....I really can't wait!