11 Random, But Vital Travel Tips for Visiting SE Asia

11 Random, But Vital Travel Tips for Visiting SE Asia

After my first trip, I am eager to get back to Asia. This time around, I’ve talked my partner into saving for a year and taking off on a one-way ticket adventure. Naturally my convincing brought about talks of the experiences from my trip. Although the idea was to talk him into it and not scare the shit out of him, I still had some negative things to report. The good news is, that everything negative could be resolved with a little better planning and, by following suit to some of the things I’ve learned. For those of you who don’t know, I am a list creating, monster, to-do’s, budgeting, planning, packing. Whatever the plan, a list will coincide, I’m freaking obsessed. Moving on. So, I went through my files, notes, and everything Soulowonderer, and found 12 random but vital tips or things to prepare yourself for. Disclaimer, all of these tips or lessons were learned firsthand, I know that it may not look too favorable on me for some of my mistakes, but, in my defense…

fuck it, I don’t have one. Let’s get started, shall we?

1. Female Needs
   Tampons are not the norm in Asia. You can find them in big cities, like Bangkok, Thailand, some parts of Cambodia, but they were terribly expensive and limited in flow size choice, and places that sold them. In Yangon, Myanmar, they were none existent. I’ve decided this year to try the DivaCup. Firstly, tampons and pads take up space in your luggage, leak, are unhealthy for you and most importantly, leave a pretty heavy burden on our landfill. I haven’t tried the cup yet. When I do, you will get an update. Click on the link to learn more. DivaCup.

2. Bathroom Responsibilities.
   Pack flushable wipes, but do not flush them, (the sewage there is not capable of handling it). First things first, every toilet in Asia has a Bum Gun. That would be a hose similar to the one on your kitchen sink, but next to the toilet. This is to be used in place of toilet paper. Some places may not even have TP or charge you at the door for a few pieces. Be prepared to answer, 1 or 2, to the bathroom attendant. Americans especially are not familiar with this concept, and initially, it may make them uncomfortable. A friend once said to me, “if you had to clean poo off a sidewalk would you rather pick it up with toilet paper or spray it off with a hose”. Hey, to each there own. I used both, the bum-gun and wipes.

Grab.
Download, setup and verify Grab. Grab is everywhere in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia. Myanmar and much more. Do this before you leave the states, on the phone you plan to use. You will have trouble doing it with your phone card number and connecting to your email and phone account when you don’t have your original service provider… Which leads me to #4

Phones.
Phones cards can be purchased anywhere, but they do not always work, even if your phone is unlocked. Don’t freak out, get on Amazon and order an R-Sim. They are cheap but do this before you leave. Proactive instead of reactive. I walked around Bangkok to find one for almost 2 hours.

Local Transportation.
Do Not take tuk-tuks for every ride. For the experience is cool once or twice, but the money they charge is usually doubled and they charged per person. Take a Grab everywhere and save your cash. One week I spent $300 USD, gallivanting around Bangkok. The next week I used Grab. No SHIT…$80…that is a $220 difference, folks, and I did just as much running. Remember, I keep a list for everything, expenses included. If you don’t have access to Grab, 3/5 cars you see, are Taxi’s. Make sure you tell them to turn on the meter and your good.

Clothing, Same Same but Different.
Size Does Matter. For the average American or European woman, clothing size norms are much different than in Asia. Ladies, we are larger. I had a very tough time buying certain items in my size. My SIZES: 5 6 inches, 150 lbs., physically fit, size 8-9 medium to medium-large bottom, small to medium in tops, and 7 in heels Average you would say, right? I could not find or easily locate many of these items. Also, open memo to Female Travel Bloggers, please be aware that all women’s body differ drastically, and it is important to mention that when telling us, your readers, how easy it was for you to find clothing. Js.

Bathing suits/ Bikini Bottoms
Bra/sports bra/underwear
Jeans/shorts/leggings/sweats
Dress/Evening Wear
Heals above 2 inches

Hygienic/cosmetics.
Bring what you need. Most of the lotions I found all had whitener in them. It’s a cultural thing, respect it. I am of Puerto Rican nationality, so my skin has some color and I could not find foundation liquid or powder easily or inexpensively. Makeup was available in most 7 Elevens, but very sporadic on the selection. Some had mascara, some did not. Same goes for all other cosmetics and accessories.

Vaccines.
Get your shots. Okay listen, I didn’t get all of mine the first time, but I wish I did. I was so nervous to eat certain things, get tattoos, have a drink with ice, and a lot of other shit too. I ended up doing all those things anyway, I was fine, but I really could have done without the anxiety of dying for 24-48 hours after I did something risky. You can even get them done in Bangkok, at a fraction of the price. Click here for details.

Food.
Asia cuisine is sweet, tangy, or HOT AF. You can ask them for a specific level of spiciness. At first, I felt rude asking them to tone it down, so I resorted to ordering again or not eating. I lost 12 lbs. in 2 weeks, on a diet of shrimp and mango salad. The good news is you can and should ask. One gentlemen waiter asked me, “American Spicy or Thai Spicy”. That was all I needed to convince me it wasn’t rude at all. Trust me, they are used to it, and won’t take offense. As a matter of fact, I used the phrase “American Spicy” a lot after that. I also gained that 12 lbs. back. (Booooo).

Expect the Unexpected. Not every town caters to tourists needs and wants. There are many small towns that are made of close-knit communities. Although you are completely safe, you may find it hard to order food or get assistance due to lack of English speaking folks. Don’t stray from these areas. Be patient, eat, smile, and stick to local customs, i.e. clothing.

Safety Third. There is a well-known joke between my friends and me, we say, Asia, Safety Third. In Yangon, when the electric goes out, and you see 3 men, 1 standing in flip flops with a hard hat…in his hands, 1 barefoot, no hardhat, holding a metal ladder that is sitting in a puddle, while the third man is on the latter tapping an electrical line with a metal pole. This is a true store. Also, in Myanmar and Thailand, I’ve seen scaffolding made of tied uneven pieces of bamboo, dodgy earthquake damaged sidewalks, roads made of dirt, families of 5 on one motor bike, and 8 dudes sitting on each other in Tuk-tuk speeding and dodging cars on the freeway. Last but not least, my sister and I switched boats…in the middle of the ocean…on a plank between the two. Be careful folks.

Street Food and Fruit.

From my experience, the street food was safe, as long as you are a bit choosier. I will tell you this, I only got sick 1 time, I was in Thailand…In a moment of hangover weakness, I ate KFC…I died and was reborn on the bathroom floor.

Pick a vendor that has local customers, make sure the food handler is wearing gloves or has a protective sheet between the food and their hands. Watch to see if utensils are being used on more than one product and stick to locally grown fruit. Below is a list of fruits that are native to SE Asia. Remember, if the fruit is imported, the laws for imported product quality, may not be what your use too.

Food. Asia cuisine is sweet, tangy, or HOT AF. You can ask them for your level of spiciness. At first, I felt rude asking them to tone it down, so I resorted to ordering again or not eating. I lost 12lbs in 2 weeks, on a diet of shrimp and mango salad. The good news is you can and should ask. One gentlemen waiter asked me, “American Spicy or Thai Spicy”. That was all I needed to convince me it wasn’t rude at all. Trust me, they are used to it, and won’t take offense. As a matter of fact, I used the phrase “American Spicy” a lot after that. I also gained that 12 lbs. back. (Booooo).

Expect the Unexpected. Not every town caters to tourists needs and wants. There are many small towns that are made of close knit communities. Although you are completely safe, you may find it hard to order food or get assistance due to lack of English speaking folks. Don’t stray from these areas. Be patient, eat, smile, and stick to local customs, i.e. clothing.

Safety Third. There is a well-known joke between my friends and me, we say, Asia, Safety Third. In Yangon, when the electric goes out, and you see 3 men, 1 standing in flip flops and a hard hat…in his hands, 1 barefoot, no hardhat, holding a metal ladder that is sitting in a puddle, while the third man is on the latter tapping an electrical line with a metal pole. This is a true store. Also, in Myanmar and Thailand, I’ve seen scaffolding made of tied uneven pieces of bamboo, dodgy earthquake damaged sidewalks, roads made of dirt, families of 5 on one motor bike, and 8 dudes sitting on each other in Tuk-tuk speeding and dodging cars on the freeway. Last but not least, my sister and I switched boats…in the middle of the ocean…on a plank between the two. Be careful folks.

Street Food and Fruit. From my experience, the street food was safe, as long as you are a bit choosier. I will tell you this, I only got sick 1 time, I was in Thailand…In a moment of hangover weakness, I ate KFC…I died and was reborn on the bathroom floor.

Pick a vendor that has local customers, make sure the food handler is wearing gloves or has a protective sheet between the food and their hands. Watch to see if utensils are being used on more than one product and stick to locally grown fruit. Below is a list fruits that are native to SE Asia. Remember, if the fruit is imported, the laws for imported product quality, may not be what your use too. Stick to the list below.