1. Get a guide.

If you have the time to hang out, meet a local, and become their friend, then you needn't hire a guide. If you've already got your departure ticket, however, I highly recommend getting a guide.

There's nothing like doing the initial bewilderment independently. To be a part of a fully functioning city and have utterly no idea of what's going on is one of life's rare wonders

By the second day of exploring a strange city, you begin to hit the limits of what a guidebook can explain to you. And you run the danger of falling into the expat subculture of English menus and pizza. Simply put, you need someone who you can ask "What's this?" and "How do I do that?"

2. Don't buy international flights on the internet.

For travel totally outside the US, the internet is not your friend. Our Hanoi-Siem Reap ticket we bought through Travelocity was easily 3 times what an in-country travel agency could have gotten it for.

3. Become a portrait photographer.

I like to take the pictures, as many of you know. And I normally prefer landscapes over people. But although competent, I'm not a particularly talented photographer. Thus I cannot make a landscape all that interesting for you to look at. But people like looking at other people -- we hold an intrinsic fascination with each other. So to include people in landscapes make them more interesting. And if you've got the right lens, you can go right to the portrait. I'm surprized how engaging those photos are.

4. It's good to be an American.

It's a shame that more folks from the US don't travel abroad, for it is much easier for us than for others. English is the default second language and the dollar is the default second currency. And in Siem Reap, the dollar is the primary currency -- we didn't change money at all.

5. A smile works better than studying a phrasebook.

I learned a handful of phrases -- hello, goodbye, my name is Greg -- but the Vietnamese and Cambodians really don't expect you to know their languages. Having a couple of phrases is a good touch. But a smile, patience and a good-natured bearing are essential. Humans have been conducting cross-language transactions for as long as there's been language -- so don't stress out about learning theirs. Just be graceful and pleasant.