going to asia, travel tips?

Hey all, you guys are a knowledgeable bunch, I figure I'd ask for some suggestions.

Me and a bud are travelling to Asia (Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, possibly more) this summer, for about 3-5 weeks.

What should I take with me? 3-4 days worth of clothes, laptop, camera, documentation, my normal EDC loadout (lighter, light (ff3), LM juice), toiletries. We're going to megapolises, so I shouldn't have issues finding stuff I really need (excluding language barrier "issues"). I suspect I'll take a nice daypack of some sort (Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon?) as a carry on, and a bag full of clothes to put in the baggage.

Couple of specific questions:
1. I suspect that our traveling will be done in the following manner. Find a place to stay, dump "unnecessary" stuff (laptop, extra clothes) and go exploring. Will I be safe leaving my laptop wherever our accomodations are? My laptop weighs about 5 pounds. I wouldn't want to carry it with me. On the other hand, leaving it at home would suck too. I'd need it to communicate with my family, research travel destinations and offload pics from my cam.

2. How rampant is the stealing on the airlines and what if anything can be done about it?.. Thinking about it though, all my valuables (laptop, cam, cell phone) are gonna be with me on the plane.

Finally, I'd like to hear personal anecdotes and suggestions regarding yoru travel abroad and what you wish you've had with you (or something that you should've left at home).

TIA.

I traveled in southeast asia for a month back in the early 90's. I never once had a need for a long sleeve shirt let alone a jacket, so you can probably leave those at home.

Cotton/polyester blend shirts have the advantage of drying quickly so you can wash them in the sink at night and they're ready to wear next morning. The all-cotton shirt I had took forever to dry.

Travel as light as possible.

I would keep anything valuable with you if possible. A nicer hotel might allow you to check the laptop at the front desk (make sure you have passwords on everthing). I had something stolen from my bag in a hotel, but I mostly stayed in cheap hotels. Speaking of which, they don't all supply towels or even toilet paper, so bring your own (the micro-fiber travel towels also dry very quickly).

I found the Lonely Planet guidebooks to be a good source of information on how to get around and where to find hotels, hostels, etc.

Went back tp the Philippines last summer for the first time since I've moved here 26 years ago. What a big difference.

Most cities, even the not so major ones have internet cafes so communicating with loved ones and friends via the internet should'nt be a problem. So if you are thinking of only using your laptop for this purpose it is best to keep it at home. Just buy some larger memory cards for your camera and you are good to go.

Do not forget bug spray, personal first aid kits and some antibiotics for the just- in-cases. We went to the local travel clinic and got prescription for cipro. Clothes are cheap in Asia so purchasing any along the way won't hurt your wallet as much as flasholicism does. Do not drink the water! although we did not have any problems when we did but getting diarrhea takes the fun out of travelling, this especially in the Asian backwoods.

I travelled with my LedXtreme Predator, T3,XO3, and T2 and carried it on my person with nary a problem. It also helped me to get one of those voltage converters as most Asian countires have 220 volts electricity.

have fun and please feel free to pm if I can help more.

I have been to all the cities on your list and have not had a problem with personal security. As far as Tokyo, you could fall asleep dead drunk in a train station with $100 bills rubber-banded to your body and nobody will bother you. HK and Bangkok just use reasonable precaution; if you put a lock on your luggage and simply don't advertise the fact that there's a valuable computer in your bag it should be safe at the bell desk or in your room.

The one thing you may concern yourself with is getting scammed on the street. But even if you do, the amounts of money we're talking about isn't all that much; just the dissastisfaction of getting scammed haha.

Okay back to the important stuff, the lights! On a recent trip to Viet Nam the one most important light I brought was an LED task light - to find my way to the bathroom in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar place! Went to the Ch'am ruins and you can go into one of the temple chambers which is of course pitch dark inside. (Busted out the M4 and that's when everyone came running in - to see what they missed because nobody else had a light.)

EDIT: Please, PLEASE do yourself a favor and get immunized against hepatitis, and TYPHOID. My sister got nailed by the typhoid bug. Also, go to internationalsos.com and get the addresses to the clinics where you'll be travelling. I brought my sis to the International SOS clinic in Ha Noi and it was a first class joint, modern Western-style clinic with English speaking doctors. I believe you can sign up to be a "member," which may allow them to directly bill your health insurance provider too.

I'm a frequent traveler to these areas, actually in the Philippines right now. All good advice so far, will try to add vs repeat, but somebody may chime in before I'm done writing this post (internet connection is sloooow).

Anyhow, leave the laptop at home if you are worried about it. I-cafes are rampant and cheap ($1-$2/hr here, some connections are FAST), hotels will normally have it available for much higher costs. My room came with a wired broadband (hah!) connection, speed varies). I'm only carrying the laptop because this vacation trip was an extension of a work trip...normally I would leave the unit at home.

A cheap and very portable option for picture storage would be either massive memory cards OR a digital picture locker of sorts. I've carried those around, about the size of a very small portable hard drive with memory card interfaces. I would be glad to provide more info when I get home to Hawaii in a week. When traveling on pure vacation, I pack two cameras...a point and shoot and a digital SLR. I take shots in RAW with the latter when possible, so memory gets eaten up quickly (I keep about 3gb of CF and may use it all up in a day). Only beef I have about the P&S is that most come with smaller memory cards, I'm carrying a Canon A430 which uses SD cards. You can also carry very small USB card readers and offload the pics in the above mentioned i-cafes...most have the abililty to burn CD-Rs or you could also ask the staff to do it for you. Probably cost you about $1-$3 each, but you would be limited to 750mb. I've not tried, but guessing a 4.7gb DVD-r would run $5-$9 if they could do it...don't be surprised, some places are very up to date.

Clothing is cheap in most places, UNLESS you are a big guy/gal. Asians are generally slight of build, anything past USA-XXL is difficult to get. I'm an XL for most casual wear, which translates to XXL or XXXL in asia. T-shirts are easy to get in the larger sizes. Laundry costs are cheap too. For a two week trip, I will normally bring enough underwear for the entire time (hate to have strangers work with those), 5 jeans, 5-8 collared sport shirts/t-shirts, and whatever else you need. Always bring a few pairs of long pants, cultural issue in some places. For example, in Bangkok, you need to wear long pants and covered sholders when entering temples...big tourist attractions will have rental pants/shirts to use while visiting, sometimes made of paper!

I heartily second the immunizations. Obviously, check with your doctor and let him know where you are going. Hepatitis A and tetanus is normally recommended, Hep B, Japanese encephalitis, others may be recommended. Also bring insect repellent with deet...dengue, malaria may exist in some jungle areas. Carry some hand sanitizers too, bird flu is still an issue. Anti-diarrials (sp?) like Immodium AD is great to have and hope not to need.

Sheesh, there are a ton of things to add. PM me if you want more info, but can't guarantee a speedy reply until 5/2 or so when I return home.

If you are traveling in poorer areas (and I would say this about traveling anywhere for fun/education)--don't carry anything that you would really care about getting lost/stolen. You will enjoy your trip much more--and be much less of a target.

Also, no matter what the locals say, keep the bugs off you (don't wear shorts/sleeveless shirts, etc. if you can avoid it).... My brother-in-law got eaten up in the Philippines last year ("…relax, be comfortable, the bugs won't bother you…")—had the family witch doctor treating him (--really), and went back through Beijing (he is Chinese, has a place there, and speaks Mandarin) spending a few days in a Beijing "hospital"... Let's just say he waited until he was strong enough to get on a plane back to the states to get treated.

And get the vaccinations.

-Bill

Here are a couple of good sources for travel gear:
Magellan's
TravelSmith
REI

Check out the microfiber and nylon pants, shirts, jackets. Also consider an ultra light rain jacket with arm pit zips. A light colored wide brimmed hat will be good too.

I'll second or third the leaving of the laptop. In fact don't carry anything with you that you can't afford to lose. Also try to find some little nick knacks to give as gifts; pins, pens, bandannas, medallions (that are reminders of you for people that you meet, help you out, etc.) I used to carry Texas bandannas and pins that seemed to go over well.

A waterproof bag helps too. Something like the white water bags that roll down to seal out the water. They are bomb proof and will protect your gear on boats, beaches, and during downpours. There are some I've seen that are built like a waist pack that would work well I think.

Lots of other ideas but I've got to go into work. Sounds like you'll be having a blast. Good luck.

-LT

leave at home any valuables that would make you a target. take off your rolex, wear a swatch with a compass on band.

leave your laptop at home, don't bring any valuable you cannot keep on your person. get a money belt to carry passport, large bill etc. keep small bill in your pocket.

bring all normal meds you are used to. things that are easy to find at home is not so easy in asia. imodium is advised.
take a full course of anti-malaria meds. best is doxcycline.

bring a water purifier like UVaquastar, take all micro-fibre clothing. take maxi of two items. one to wear, other to wash. best test is will clothing dry by morning. if pants is still wet in the morning, find a different brand to take.

this tactic will allow you to travel ultra-light.
for a three week trip to China, my pack weight was 22lbs. my son's was 18lbs as I was carrying some of his load.

use a travel specific pack if possible. I used a med sized Eagle Creek. main was 3,000 cu in + small attached pack of 800 cu in. Pack should have real suspension system for a full load.

we went thru customs with only carry-ons.

theft of computer goods or valuables are rampant on airlines. Theft are committed by airline baggage handlers. You must keep all valuabes in carry on bag. upon arrivals, you should lock all items in secure hotel lock or vault.

You should be alert for pickpockets. They are extremely good in relieving tourists of money. Be prepared for disaster such as cyclone season. power can be disrupted during monsoon season. you should bring sturdy hiking boots to traverse terrain in case of flooding or mudslides.

Check out walkabouttravelgear.com.
Clothing, tips what have you. Definately make sure that you have ample supply of any medications that you need. One overseas trip I passed out from Hypoglycemia and since then I always bring glucose tabs and at least one Glucagon kit.

Basic medical supplies - bandages, stuff for treating small cuts and scrapes, something for a headache, imodium is a MUST.

I travelled to the US some time ago, got caught short of imodium on the flight back. I don't know what I ate (though I was careful), stuff happens wherever you are, doesn't matter which country. Could be a slipup because I was tired, or someone else's slipup during food preparation. Doesn't matter. Bring imodium.

UV Aquastar is good.

Watch the humidity. Some countries are extremely humid, clothes don't dry as fast. YMMV.

Variable power lights are nice, dial down, dial up. Spare set of batteries recommended. Multitool is a must, I never travel without one these days. Unfortunately, they have to be checked in on flights, so that means I still have to deal with check-in baggage. Ahh, innocence lost.

Waterproofing - ziploc bags rule. Bring one for the camera, it doesn't enjoy being dunked or splashed. 3-5 weeks - laptop will probably be useful. Make sure your firewall and antivirus/antispyware software are up to date. Where you plug it in, your laptop could catch something too.

strictly follow rules about what you eat and drink. what's safe for locals may not be safe for you.

make sure it's been boiled or you can peel it.
avoid fruits and fresh veggies that's prepared by slicing.

usually there's a steady supply of boiled water in thermo's in hotels, trains etc. everyone seemed to be packing a tea container in China.

Thanks for a basic med kit idea, I didn't think it'd be necessary "in the city" for some reason. I am aware of hep/other immunization shots - that's all in the plans of course.

So the danger to my laptop is real. Honestly though, it'll suck without my laptop, so it's coming with me. I understand the danger and I'm going to act accordingly.

There seem to be two differing opinions: lots of clothes vs just the clothes on your back. I think I'm going to pack as little as possible. We're going to be in civilized places so hopefully running it through hotel's laundry would be possible.. if not, i'll figure something out.

Thanks for the filter and clothing ideas. Would jeans not work? I used to live in Israel, I imagine it won't be much worse than that.

Thanks for all the links as well, keep the advices coming

when you only take two changes of clothing. you will need to wash every night.

one to wear, one to wash... all micro fibre. down to underwear, socks, etc.

the 22lbs I carried included enough gear to survive a 10 degree night in the open. this was necessary because we were traveling during winter from HK to remote parts on interior China, not usually frequented by tourist.

you will regret taking your laptop. extra weight and pita security risks. ultra-light is the best way to go..

eart said:

So the danger to my laptop is real. Honestly though, it'll suck without my laptop, so it's coming with me. I understand the danger and I'm going to act accordingly.

...Thanks for the filter and clothing ideas. Would jeans not work? I used to live in Israel, I imagine it won't be much worse than that.

Click to expand...

If you must take your laptop, back it up and get traveler's insurance on it and any other valuable. I believe you can also register it with US Customs before you leave so they don't try to tax you for it, because they might think you bought it overseas, when you re-enter. I only have my camera stuff done that way though.

As for the jeans, hot and humid is much different than hot and dry. You would be better served with nylon/micro fiber particularly the convertible pants solutions out there; dry fast, weigh less and are two clothing pieces in one. Get caught in one downpour wearing jeans in the tropic during summer and you'll know what I mean.

-LT

If all the areas you are considering, your water filtration system will probably be unused. Thailand is probably the worst place of the 3 for municipal water, but bottled stuff is available everywhere, even the locals rarely drink muni-water. I've been all over Thailand, and never had a problem with obtaining water.

Jeans should be fine in all areas, but summer is hot and if you have thinner cotton type pants you will be more comfortable. I should have looked at your profile to see where you are coming from, but it is super humid in these areas.

Exercise care when carrying backpacks around town, a favorite trick is to slash the bottom and get your stuff. You'll notice most women carry their bags and backpacks on their chest for this reason. Pickpockets abound everywhere, so wallets should never be kept in back pants pockets...i keep mine in the front pocket attached to a chain to my belt. Also, when traveling, try to keep smaller sized local currency around. Taxi drivers and others like to pretend they can't change larger currencies, in the hope you'll just let them keep the change. You should also insist that HK and BKK drivers use their meters, as they like to "forget" and then demand a price many times what you would have paid on the meter. Japan tends to be less problematic in this area.

Also, split up your credit cards, so if you lose your wallet, you have immediate spares. Keep a copy of your passport with your luggage, if you lose your passport it will be easier to get a replacement. If you wear glasses, take a spare pair or copy of your prescription (I keep my prescription with my passport).

Above all, keep safe, have fun, and make it back home to share the experience.

If you're staying at a decent hotel, most of them have small in-room safes. Stuff the laptop in the safe. While I would have really appreciated having a laptop, it is just a pain in the rear to carry around. Though 3-5 weeks without laptop would drive me nuts.

Backpacking/remote areas and urban/metro areas are different stories.

About the medikit - my home is in a large city, few million people, and I was on my way to a convention center for a meeting. Went to the bathroom, did what I had to, tried to wash my hands on the ultra high tech tap. This tap is so high tech, it uses an infrared sensor. Not realizing this, I pushed hard on the top of the tap, which didn't yield, I slipped and cut myself on a sharp edge of the tap.

Actually, IMO, this is REALLY technology for technology's sake. What's wrong with an ordinary push tap?

Anyway, it was leaving quite a mess and rather painful, because it was a big cut, so I rinsed it off, walked down to the pharmacy, bought a couple of bandaids and that was it. But it also led me to think that injuries occur in a whole lot of innoculous situations and that the job of protecting ourselves is, largely, up to us. A few bandaids, 5x5cm dressings and dressing tape is not going to take up too much space or add much weight to my workbag, so I decided it's now becoming part of my EDC. I was at no real risk in this situation with clinics and a pharmacy in the same building (and I knew where they were, having passed through the place many times). But it could just as easily have happened when I DIDN'T have ready access to both of the above.

Couldn't type well for the next few days though. :sigh:


Other tips I've learned: MP3 players make flights go faster, weigh very little. Choose one with removable AAA batteries rather than lithium ion, then you will have to lug a lithium ion charger (YET ANOTHER bloody charger to carry). NO IPOD FOR ME!!!!

Earplugs can be extremely valuable in case you find aircraft noise annoying, or roomie snores. Last trip I was glad to have them even though I found neither to be a big enough problem to warrant using them. It's good to know you're prepared.

Countycomm binoculars - 2 pounds of glass and housing, but these are REALLY fun to use. Best $35 I ever spent!! But beware - they may just make you wish you had a digital camera with sufficient range to match them. They provide some serious, serious magnification... my guesstimate is that we're looking at the FOV of a 350mm (35mm film equivalent) lens. Most little point and shoots have a zoom that tops out around 105-140mm.

The CC binocs are big, but the huge 50mm aperture is wonderful. They are tremendously BRIGHT. But if weight is going to be a problem take something smaller. Binocs are measured in magnification x aperture. 7x50 for the CC binocs are 7X magnification (very reasonable, you don't want too much or too little), with a 50mm aperture. Large apertures let in more light, they are brighter, easier on the eyes and can be clearer, at the expense of weight. 30-40 should be reasonable without adding too much weight.


All the best with your adventure. Take some good pics and show us

If you are carrying your laptop already the iPod charges via the USB sync cable.
And i found the airplane movies and music entertaining enough that i didnt use my iPod in the end. But YMMV.

Oh, just a slight reminder... Please take care of your belongings while moving around. The last time in Bangkok I almost got pickpocketed (almost lost my GPS: Garmin 60C!). One woman kept pushing me but her hand was unzipping my small sling bag. Thank god I saw it but she slipped away.

Someone here posted a link to this site recently, excellent info on travelling light!

http://www.onebag.com/home.html

Andrew