Then do as we do, and as the Rough Guide implores - forget the war and head out, being sure to avoid the usual dash from Saigon to Hanoi, or vice versa, preferred by most visitors.

Fast forward a month to the last time I saw Luke. We were painting Land Rovers yellow in Kuwait and preparing to head over the border into Iraq and to war.

As we head into the New Year with an ongoing war and economic crisis, experts say a lot of Americans are in search of happiness and a more meaningful life.