Jewels of Southeast Asia, here we come!

[tufbuf]

Let us know what ABD is recommending.

I would think they would have given out recommendations already if there was any real concern.

I agree. Jap encephalitis vaccine is not even recommended for travelers staying less than 30 days. I don't think ABD will take us to restaurants with risk of catching Salmonella (typhoid). I'll be very careful about eating salads and make sure the chicken is well-cooked. Hep B is mainly an STD or by some unfortunate chance you get inoculated by it or bitten by someone who has one and you are not vaccinated, but you won't catch it walking down the streets of Asia. The scarier mosquito-borne disease which has no vaccine is dengue hemorrhagic fever. I probably will take all precaution to avoid mosquito bites, especially in the monsoon season.

 

[familygoboston]

I agree. Jap encephalitis vaccine is not even recommended for travelers staying less than 30 days. I don't think ABD will take us to restaurants with risk of catching Salmonella (typhoid). I'll be very careful about eating salads and make sure the chicken is well-cooked. Hep B is mainly an STD or by some unfortunate chance you get inoculated by it or bitten by someone who has one and you are not vaccinated, but you won't catch it walking down the streets of Asia. The scarier mosquito-borne disease which has no vaccine is dengue hemorrhagic fever. I probably will take all precaution to avoid mosquito bites, especially in the monsoon season.

I'm anxious for all of you to report in about this trip...it's on our list ( which is quite long)

One caveat on Hep B- yes, it is a blood borne disease, and hopefully no one will ever need medical care abroad, but it's not a bad idea to have the vaccine if you travel frequently out of the country to developing nations where their medical establishments may not be as careful, Hep B can come from dirty needles or blood transfusions etc. As a matter of fact, it's been recommended for all infants in the US since the mid 90s. Most adults have missed that window, but it not a bad idea for you if you like to travel!

I agree about the Mosquitos, I would ( and have on many trips) take general mosquito precautions ( sleep with bed nets, cover up exposed skin in the ams and evenings even if its warm, use bug stuff, and use permethrin to wash outer clothing before departing) because there are other issues outside of malaria that have no preventative and you just truly want to avoid them!

Then I remember that all the places I've been that I took all these precautions, absolutely never did anyone have any kind of a scare, or problem or even on some trips ever so much as SEE a mosquito! So I always prepare, but have never had a worry once there!

Can't wait for your trip reports!

 

[Cousin Orville]

Anyone planning a trip to Halong Bay before/during/after the ABD? I'd love to do that, but logistically it seems difficult.

 

[abbyjt]

Anyone planning a trip to Halong Bay before/during/after the ABD? I'd love to do that, but logistically it seems difficult.

We have booked some sort of food tour on our pre day. You go on the back of mopeds with local girls. They pick you up at your hotel. It got great reviews on trip advisor and some other websites. We haven't planned our second pre day yet.

 

[sjlsk8r]

We are planning a spa day for our pre day. We are also planning on going to Sihanoukville for two post days in Cambodia after. If anyone else had similar thoughts, the Sokha beach hotel is running a 40 percent off sale for the next 70 hours.

 

[Judyat]

We went to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam a year ago this month. It was a wonderful trip. We did not have any special shots. We visited Bangkok, Siem Reap, Ho Chi min city, Hue, Hoi, Halong Bay and Hanoi. I can't imagine a trip to Southeast Asia without a visit to Hue and Halong Bay. If you're going in the summer it will be the rainy season and also very very hot. I love ABD trips especially our trip to Italy. I really have to question some of the activities on the Southeast Asia trip. There are so many wonderful things to see and do and frankly the ones they have picked would not be on my list. I also question the time of year. Going to Southeast Asia in summer when it's the wettest and the hottest is also not my idea of fun but if you can overlook that I'm sure the trips will be good. Ours was wonderful.

 

[Cousin Orville]

We went to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam a year ago this month. It was a wonderful trip. We did not have any special shots. We visited Bangkok, Siem Reap, Ho Chi min city, Hue, Hoi, Halong Bay and Hanoi. I can't imagine a trip to Southeast Asia without a visit to Hue and Halong Bay. If you're going in the summer it will be the rainy season and also very very hot. I love ABD trips especially our trip to Italy. I really have to question some of the activities on the Southeast Asia trip. There are so many wonderful things to see and do and frankly the ones they have picked would not be on my list. I also question the time of year. Going to Southeast Asia in summer when it's the wettest and the hottest is also not my idea of fun but if you can overlook that I'm sure the trips will be good. Ours was wonderful.

What activities did you really enjoy but did not see on the ABD itinerary? We've got some off time during the ABD and a few days before/after the ABD. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

From what I've read the lack of a tour on Halong Bay is my only disappointment, but in reality the 7 hrs travel time may be too much for my son anyway. ABD likely omitted Halong bay because of the tourist boat sinking in 2011. Who knows?

Actually this month, April, is typically the hottest of the year. It goes down a bit in June. Not that its much consolation, but its bit better than WDW in the summer. But it is the rainy season - no escaping that. I remember in an Amazing Race a couple yrs ago while in HCMC, the streets were flooded calf high. All part of the adventure

 

[tufbuf]

What activities did you really enjoy but did not see on the ABD itinerary? We've got some off time during the ABD and a few days before/after the ABD. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

From what I've read the lack of a tour on Halong Bay is my only disappointment, but in reality the 7 hrs travel time may be too much for my son anyway. ABD likely omitted Halong bay because of the tourist boat sinking in 2011. Who knows?

Actually this month, April, is typically the hottest of the year. It goes down a bit in June. Not that its much consolation, but its bit better than WDW in the summer. But it is the rainy season - no escaping that. I remember in an Amazing Race a couple yrs ago while in HCMC, the streets were flooded calf high. All part of the adventure

I would be very careful and not wade on flooded streets, if it does happen.

 

[Cousin Orville]

I would be very careful and not wade on flooded streets, if it does happen.

Fair point. Hopefully it won't come to that.

 

[ABD Whovians]

We are on the 6/24 trip and really looking forward to it. Our girls will be 14 and 10. We are all very excited!

Now we just have to get those pesky visas sorted out...

 

[Judyat]

If you take a look at the Gate 1 trip to Southeast Asia you will get an idea of the things we did. Some of the things we especially enjoyed was seeing Angor Wat at sunrise and then touring Angor Tom and going back to Angor Wat at sunset. It was magical. There were also several boat trips and dinners at local homes. The boat rides took us to floating villages and islands. We watched fishermen from our boats put out their nets and saw what they caught. An ox cart ride and fish massage were also fun. A pedicab ride in Hue and dinner at a local home in the Citadel. The water puppet show in Hanoi as well as the museum of ethnology in Hanoi and the Hanoi hilton where John Mccann was kept were eye openning as well the the Cu Chi tunnels outside Hoi chi min city. There were also many pagodas that were interesting. The list goes on and on but if you check the iternary and optional trips listed there you will get a better idea of what's available. Southeast Asia a wonderful place to visit and I would go back in a heartbeat. The hotels and meals were were great as were the people.