We have booked a flight to Siem Reap and have to get to Phnom Pen from there to catch a flight to Hanoi. My boyfriend wants to make the journey by boat but I can't seem to find much information on the internet about this. Can you help? Also from Hanoi we want a 5/6 day relaxing break at the beach before travelling on to Saigon (all in October). We thought we might make the journey by rail rather than flying trying to keep our carbon footprint to a minimum. Can you recommend a beautiful "resort" paying maximum £120 per night and is it possible to make the journey by rail from Hanoi and then on to Saigon? Joan Jackson, Preston

A response from Times Online deputy travel editor Gereth Scurlock: A fast boat from Siem Reap to Phnom Pen takes around the same time as the public bus, but costs about twice as much. The experience should afford you glimpses of Tonle Sap lake's floating villages as well as the ecosystem of a body of water that floods to six times its size during the rainy season. The journey costs approximately $25 and takes around 7 hours. You should be able to book tickets at your guest house or hotel in Siem Reap.

The main train line from Hanoi to Saigon hugs the coastline, so you can stop at a beach resort on the way. For more information on the train services, including fares, the best source of information is the Seat 61 website.

A good luxury beach hotel option en route is the Evason Ana Mandara in Nha Trang, a coastal resort town and stop on the Hanoi-Saigon line. In October a garden view villa with terrace is £130, while a seaview villa would set you back £170. It's a spa resort owned by the same chain as the Soneva Fushi hotel in the Maldives.

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