Should I cruise or do a land trip? What would you do?

[saddlebrooke]

wlee,

 

If you decide on a land tour and you have not visited Asia before it is worthwhile doing a bit of research. Singapore is very westernised ( my personal opinion) most people speak excellent english, signs are in english, it is not very heavily populated and the prices, hotels restaurants, are steep for Asia. Hong Kong has the feel of Asia, it is really busy with alot of crowds on every street but it is relatively cheaper for food etc and has quite a few markets, Like Singapore it is the norm to haggle at the markets and english is spoken in quite a few places, particularly hotels and tourist outlets. Venturing further afield to Vietnam it is not as well prepared for tourists but there are alot of cheap hotels and everything, food, clothes, gifts and tours are really cheap the us$ is widely accepted there. The volume of people and traffic in cities such as Saigon is Phenomenal and an experience in itself. Vietnam has some great unspoilt beaches such as Nha Trang. Other Asian countries like Malaysia and Thailand offer their own experiences and many parts of these countries are tourist orientated. In my opinion Asia is a great place to visit, cheap to travel in, full of alot of unexpected palces of interest but it would be worthwhile investing in Lonely Planet Guide To Southeast Asia or another guide book of similar caliper

CruiseKidz

Hi: Just a question as you have some good knowledge of Asia. Did you take any meds for Malaria? We have some excursions about 2 hours from Bangkok and also in Nha Trang. I have heard that this medication can make your stomach upset during the entire time that you take it.

Terry and Judy

[CruiseKidz]

I didn't take any meds and I travelled with kids. Just the usual precations, drink from sealed water bottles, no ice and I avoid red meat in aisa and try to stick to what the locals eat, simple noodle or rice dishes. Local beers can sometimes cause a bit of a stomach upset but it doesn't last and I avoid long periods in the heat and wear a hat. I have been on a cruise that docked at Laem Chabang for Bangkok. We went to Pattaya instead of the 2 hour trip to Bangkok. Pattaya has a great beach which suited us for the kids but not much else to the town gets really sleazy at night.I have bought fresh seafood from the vendors on the beach in Pattaya & Nha Trang and lived to tell the tale!!

[greatam]

Hi: Just a question as you have some good knowledge of Asia. Did you take any meds for Malaria? We have some excursions about 2 hours from Bangkok and also in Nha Trang. I have heard that this medication can make your stomach upset during the entire time that you take it.

Terry and Judy

 

You don't need malaria if you are only going to normal "tourist" spots. But you DEFINITELY need Hep A & B (should have at least Hep A anytime you travel outside the USA).

 

Don't drink the water, even to brush your teeth. And if you buy it from a street vendor, MAKE SURE the bottle is sealed BEFORE you pay. Very common in Vietnam to have the bottles refilled with "city water".

 

In Vietnam, BaaBaa (333) beer is the best. DH is a beer drinker par excellance. States it is very similar to Miller. He states Tiger beer is "OK". The rest of them are junk (his opinion).