Hi Elke,
10 days per country will certainly be a bit short. All also depends on the period you go there. When do you plan to go?
I cannot tell you much about Cambodia or Laos. I only know they are very beautiful.
But as a Vietnamese native, I think you shouldn't miss some important spots like: the Halong Bay, the Ba Be Lake, the Tam Coc area (known as "Halong Bay on the rice paddies") in Northern Vietnam; Hue City, former imperial capital and Hoi An, known as one of Southeast Asia's major international ports from the 17th to 19th centuries in Central Vietnam; Mui Ne Beach and of course, Ho Chi Minh City in Southern Vietnam. Wherever you go to, try to taste the local specialities since they are quite varying from one region to another (there are about 500 traditional dishes!). Famous dishes like Pho (rice-noodle soup) and Nem (spring rolls) are but the tip of the gastronomic iceberg. If cooking were painting, Vietnam would have one of the world's most colorful palettes.

I travelled for 3 months with a 45 litre pack....depends on how good you are at packing   I usually go with a backpacker travel company called Intrepid,,,,,take a look at their website, i know u want to go it alone but you can look for an idea of itineary and where to go etc....  www.intrepidtravel.com

In Cambodia,,you MUST see Angkor Wat Temple and MUST MUST see Tha Prohm.  To learn the history of the place...The Killing Fields, The Genocide Museum & The War crimes museum are all a bit harrowing but give you a very informative insight into what the people have been through but certainly not for the faint hearted.

In Vietnam...Must see Hoi An, a little town, very arty and THE place to get clothes made, if you have anything specific they can go by your instructions or even copy pictures, Cruise around Halong Bay and for a bit of different fun, Cat ba island.....

Cambodia is quite dry, arid..people are friendly.......Vietnam is very lush and green,,gorgeous food,,,gorgeous beaches....wonderful people..Both a real treat !!

thanks for the advice! I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at all the possibilities and cramming it all into 1 month, so really have a lot of planning left to do! And am definitely looking forward to sampling alot of local dishes, one of the best parts of travelling!

spent 17 days in these 3 countries, what an amazing land! 

It will be summer then, just pack minumum and buy a backpack in hanoi.

This thread dates back to 2010.