Basics - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 32

should not be contaminated by soap or shampoo.
Toilets in these places will be Asian-style squat
affairs, flushed manually with water scooped from
the pail that stands alongside; toilet paper tends
to clog these things up, so if you want to avoid an
embarrassing situation, learn to wash yourself like
the locals do.

THE JOY OF BED BUGS
A bugbear of travellers all over the world
is that an inexpensive place to lay your
head sometimes equals a cosy night with
small, scurrying strangers. Bed bugs are
pesky little biters that lie uninvited in your
bed, sealed into the creases and seams of
the mattress. Tell-tale signs are small
spots of dry blood on the mattress or
sheet, or you may even see the small,
pinhead-sized bugs themselves in the
sides of the mattress. The joy of bed bugs
is their ability to be transported from
place to place. They'll worm their way
into sleeping bags, sheets and even
clothing, ensuring that wherever you lay
your hat is their home too.

Food and drink
One of the highlights of a trip to
Southeast Asia is its fabulous cuisine:
from fresh Thai green curries to Lao larp
(a “salad” of minced meat mixed with
garlic, chillies, shallots, toasted rice,
galangal and fish sauce), the variation of
mouthwatering dishes is endless.
Each country has its own national dishes, but
they also demonstrate influences from abroad -
Vietnamese cuisine, for example, has many Chinese
elements - and in large Southeast Asian cities it's
always possible to find establishments specializing
in Western and Indian food. Fresh fruit is always
available (see box, p.36). Eating customs differ from
country to country; see the separate chapters for
further information on these. You can't buy alcohol
in Brunei, but in other countries the most popular
tipple is beer, rather than wine.

a communal room, perhaps with a blanket and
mosquito net, but it's often advisable to take your
own net and blanket or sleeping bag. As a sign of
appreciation, your hosts will welcome gifts, and a
donation may be in order, too. But in reality, the
chance of encountering this kind of arrangement is
quite rare. Some countries such as Laos forbid tourists
from sleeping in homes that aren't approved by the
government as tourist accommodation.

Camping
As accommodation is so inexpensive in Southeast
Asia and there are few campsites, there's no point
taking a tent. The only times when you may need to
camp are in the national parks or when trekking,
and you may be able to rent gear locally. Bungalow
owners usually take a dim view of beach campers.
Beaches, especially in tourist areas, are often unsafe
at night, particularly for women by themselves.

Water

Most water that comes out of taps in Southeast Asia
has had very little treatment, and can contain a whole
range of bacteria and viruses - always stick to bottled,
boiled or sterilized water. Except in the furthest-flung
corners of Southeast Asia, bottled water is on sale
everywhere. Be wary of salads and vegetables that
have been washed in tap water, and note that ice is
not always made from sterilized water.
The only time you're likely to be out of reach of
bottled water is when trekking into remote areas, in
which case you must boil or sterilize your water.

Bathrooms

In most places in Southeast Asia, you can expect
bathrooms with Western-style facilities such as
sit-down toilets and either hot or cold-water
showers. In rural areas, on some beaches, and in
some of the most basic accommodation, however,
you'll be using a traditional Asian bathroom ,
often referred to as a mandi , where you wash using
the scoop-and-slosh method. This entails dipping a
plastic scoop or bucket into a huge vat or basin of
water and then sloshing the water over yourself.
The basin functions as a water supply only and not
a bath; all washing is done outside it and the basin

General precautions

Most health problems experienced by travellers are
a direct result of food they've eaten. Avoid eating
uncooked vegetables and fruits that cannot be
peeled, and be warned that you risk ingesting
worms and other parasites from dishes containing
raw meat or fish. Cooked food that has been sitting
out for an undetermined period of time should also
be treated with suspicion. Avoid sharing glasses