I am going on the Indochina Adventure from June 28 to August 4. I have never travlled to Asia and would appreciate any and all advice.
First off all, since it is such a long trip, and baggage has to be minimal, what is recommended clothing-wise? What is the weather like? (Please, in Farenheit--I'm from CA.) I know they recommend big backpacks asluggage, but that didn't work well from my experience in Egypt, so I'd like to just bring a big softsided roller. Is that OK? What are must clothing items? Will there be any place to wash clothes? (I hope so.) What footware is recommended as space is so small. I was thinking good sneakers and some nice walking strapped on sandals.
I assume there will be access at some point to the internet so I can make contact with home since the tour includes cities like Bangkok and Hanoi?
What access is there to supplies that I may need such as toiletries, medications if I get sick, etc? What are the bugs like there in the summer? Should I come armed with bug spray? Are these things cheap or expensive there? (I come with US $s.)
I will stay another 7 days when the tour ends in Phuket. I can fly to Bangkok any time on my ticket before I leave for home. How much time would you recommend in each place?
Is there anything you can tell me about anything? I appreciate any and all advice. I would have liked to know a few thigns when I went to Egypt that would have helped.
Re: Indochina Adventure
Hello Shareen,
Thanks for your post. With regards to baggage, for any tour the most important thing to remember is to travel light and don't pack more than you can comfortably carry. If you haven't already, I would recommend looking at our pre-departure information on the website, which gives loads of useful tips about luggage, email, etc:
http://www.imaginative-traveller.com/predeparture/
Clothing should generally be lightweight, hard-wearing and easily washed. Women should also be aware that the way they dress will often determine the degree of respect they receive from both men and women. You should bring at least one set of clothes which covers your legs to mid-calf and your arms past the elbows. A fleece is useful, as well as plenty of spare underwear and a sunhat.
Most hotels we use have a laundry service which is normally not too expensive. It is often possible to wash and dry clothes in a couple of hours.
Lots of country information and tips on clothing (footwear) & things to bring specific to the tour that you are on can also be found at the following link where you can download a detailed tour dossier:
http://www.imtrav.com/dossiers/saia.pdf
It is very hard to predict what the weather will be like, especially when you are on such a long tour that goes through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. The following link shows where you can look up an annual weather chart for many world cities:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/destination/destination.shtml
The following link may be useful for you when deciding what anti-malarial precautions to take, although you should always consult your doctor on medical matters:
http://www.travelpharm.com/fareast/fareast.htm
While you are on the tour access to medical facilities can vary so the most important thing is to make sure you have insurance which covers emergency repatriation in case of serious illness. For minor ailments we recommend that you bring along a first-aid kit. The tour leader also carries a first- aid kit for emergencies only.
If you need any other help please don