Southeast Asia
 

I'm spending most of January in Thailand and Cambodia. I'm super-pumped about it and wondered if any GC folk had ever made it over to SE Asia, and if they had any suggestions about what to bring and things to do--our itinerary is pretty much taken care of, but I've got a free day or two.

Thanks in advance!

I've been to Thailand and Malaysia but I was only 6 at the time so, unfortunately, I didn't experience/understand as much about the culture and ancient monuments that I would have had I been older. From what I remember about Thailand, it's beautiful. I remember going to some snake show where these poisonous snakes would leap out at the audience. The snake handlers would pull the snake back seconds before it went for the jugular on the audience members. I was freaked out the whole time as my dad sat there calmly with his video camera. I can't remember where this show is located but a few years ago I was watching E's Wild On and they featured this snake thing in their show on Thailand.

Re: Southeast Asia
 

I've been to different countries than where you are going: Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Malaysia and Vietnam. I went in 1994.
Hmmm...definitely have comfortable walking shoes (Tevas might be good) and maybe your own waterbottle that you can refill so you can have water to take with you (I am assuming that you could fill it with the hotel's water each morning...best to check to make sure that it is actually potable water). Do you need malaria pills or anything for Cambodia? Sunscreen of course, and maybe even an umbrella to keep the intense sun off of you.


And now for the scary part:
You might also think about getting cables ties (sometimes called zip ties) so that people can't stuff things into your zippered pockets on your luggage when you're not looking (thinking of Brokedown Palace here, which was Thailand). You can probably buy a bag of them at Office Depot or Staples. If you have a cable tie on, you can only get it off by cutting it off (you'll need scissors too). It's the kind of thing that they use to seal mailbags with. Anyhow, if the cabletie is off, then you KNOW that someone has been fiddling where they shouldn't be.

One night in Bangkok
Makes a hard man humble...

"One night in Bangkok
And the world`s your oyster
The bars are temples
But the pearls ain`t free
You`ll find a god in
Every golden cloister
And if you`re lucky
Then the god`s a she
I can feel an angel
Sliding up to me"

Hey, and I will spend two weeks in January in Indonesia/Singapore/Malaysia as well! One of my fraternity brothers will go with me, and this is his first time to SE Asia, so we are super excited as well.

Last issue we were talking about was the electricity. SE Asia uses different shape of outlet plug, and 220V. So you might want to buy adaptor/converter from the US, since it might be easier to find one here in the US than down there.

Ditto on the pickpocketers, there are so many of them. My suggestion is to make copies of your IDs, and carry them around with you instead of the original. Passport, driver's licence, etc can stay at the hotel safe. Bring just one credit card, if you really need one, and enough cash to survive before go back to the hotel.

I don't know how safe it is in Thailand and Cambodia, but Indonesia is on the official "not to go" list of the US Travel. So we need to report ourselves to the nearest US Embassy, to let them know that we're around and to give them our itenarary (sp?) travel.

It sucks going in the winter, since the temperature will dramatically change. From 30s in the US to 90s in SE Asia. It might get uncomfotable at first. Also when you're coming back to the US, you might freeze to death ;)

I've heard about the Air Asia, based in Malaysian (Kuala Lumpur), which serves a super cheap flights within SE Asia. Check this out, http://www.airasia.com/general.php?p=pmain&l=en

Have fun in SE Asia! I promise you this will be one of your best adventure ever.

I've been to Thailand and a couple of other places in SE Asia.

There's a lot to see and do in the Bangkok area. If you want to do the tourist thing, there's a tour where you are bused up to one of the temples (I forget the name). You spend some time there, then you are taken down the river back to Bangkok. You get lunch on the boat.

Zip ties are a good idea, and definitely watch out for pickpockets.

Be prepared to haggle for everything, including taxi fares!

The tap water is not safe to drink, but any good hotel will have a filtration system installed on their tap water - ask when you check in. The hotel I stayed at provided bottled water every day as well.

Oh, if you go to a restaurant and your meal comes with a garnish that looks like a carrot, don't eat it. It is not a carrot. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but it's extremely spicy - I'm used to spicy foods and I found it way too hot to handle.

Have fun! :)

Gue kira elo orang Indo.

That's why I know a lot about SE Asia ;)

Kapan lagi ke Jakarta? Gue baru dapat kerjaan di Jakarta dan akan pindah Januari ini. Kalau elo masih di Jakarta Januari, kita bisa clubbing!!!

I understand Jakarta, January, and clubbing. It sounds like fun to me. ;)

My friend spent almost a month traveling around Asia including (I think) Japan, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore. She had to get some shots. Did they tell you anything about shots? She said there was no escape from the extreme heat and humid, but the weather might be different in January.

Before going to SE Asia, I remember taking a pill that my mother had to crush up in my food (I wasn't able to swallow it but, then again, I was 6). I think it was a pill to prevent malaria but I'm not sure.

I lived in Japan while I was younger so it was easier to travel around Asia when I was younger. I've been to South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan (of course), Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. My passport was filled by the time I was 10. Too bad I can't get past page 2 of my new passport. :(

Move to Jakarta for good? I'll be in the capital for only two days, unfortunately, in early January :( Most of the time will be spent in Bali/Bandung/Singapore.

(for moe.ron only: Kapan pindah Jakarta? Tempat clubbing di Jakarta di mana? Gua bakalan tinggal di Kelapa Gading) :p

Kayanya gue akan pindah middle of Januari. PM me your e-mail buddy. We'll stay in touch. I'll be living in Pondok Indah and working in Jl. Gatot Subroto.