Hi guys.
Heading to Cambodia and Thailand next month and was wondering whether it is necessary to take malaria pills in Cambodia. I have already been to Thailand and I never took anything there but I did for Vietnam.
Help please! Thanx.
Trace.
Cambodia - Malaria
Re: Cambodia - Malaria
Hi Trace,
Thanks for your question.
We can't advise unfortunately whether or not you need to take anti-malarial precautions on your tour. Hopefully one of our other travellers who has been to Cambodia will let you know what they did.
Make sure you arrange to meet with your doctor or a medical professional at your local health centre before your trip to see what they recommend and to see whether you need any other vaccinations for Cambodia. Doctors are normally the best source of malaria advice.
Sorry I can't be more specific.
Re: Cambodia - Malaria
Trace,
We just got back from the Majestic Angkor trip (awesome, BTW), and we took malaria prophylaxis while on the trip. Our travel docs recommended it. Both of us were taking mefloquine, but one of our group members took doxycycline. Mefloquine is a once per week, while doxy is a daily.
If you're going to be gone for a while, it's probably not a bad idea...better safe than sorry. I had malaria once. Wouldn't ever want it again...
Have fun.
Dave
Re: Cambodia - Malaria
On my trip roughly half the group chose to take antimalarials. This was travelling in December which is a low risk time of year anyway. I took Malarone... like Sand and Tsunamis I've had malaria before.
I believe the WHO recommend taking two types of antimalarial for some parts of rural Cambodia. Given the cost of the things, that could well work out more than your plane ticket if you are going for any length of time. "You pays your money, etc..."
Bear in mind mefloquine is also known as Lariam. Not everyone gets on with it.