Years ago, I embarked on the classic Southeast Asian circuit: Hanoi, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, and finally the ancient spires of Angkor Wat

It was one of those high-touch group tours, about thirty of us in total, spanning all generations

We had a dedicated British guide who met us at Heathrow and stayed for the duration, supplemented by local experts in every city

Early on, I clocked two women in their eighties

They were both widows who had met on a previous trip and now traveled together for the company

I first stepped in to help them wrestle their suitcases off the carousel in Hanoi, a role I seemingly inherited for the rest of the trip

They were sharp, though; they frequently pointed out that I was providing more actual "guidance" than the official escort we’d brought from London

The real drama kicked off in Hoi An

Our guide announced a logistical blunder: there weren't enough seats on the flight to Ho Chi Minh City

This meant the group had to split, a later flight would be taken, and the Cu Chi Tunnels tour would have to be rearranged

I assumed the solution was obvious, logic dictates you put the elderly and the frail on the first flight to minimize their travel fatigue

Instead, the guide asked for volunteers

In a display of "me-first" agility that would make a seasoned commuter blush, the young and able-bodied (save for me and my friend) practically sprinted to the front of the line

They snagged the early seats, leaving us behind with the seniors

When we eventually made it to Saigon on the second flight, the atmosphere had shifted

The group was effectively fractured

A cold war emerged between the "early flyers" and those of us who stayed back; the two sides barely exchanged a word for the rest of the trip

We did eventually make it to the Cu Chi Tunnels, but the real education that day wasn't about guerilla warfare, it was about how quickly the veneer of "group spirit" vanishes when there’s a limited number of plane seats

Conclusion

Travel is as much about the people you're with as the places you see

While the temples and tunnels were unforgettable, the memory of that "every person for themselves" moment stuck with me just as vividly

It’s funny how a simple flight mix-up can act as a litmus test for character, proving that while some people travel to see the world, others are just trying to get to the front of the line