Basics - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 47

accompany you on sightseeing trips - a native
speaker can facilitate access to temples and
museums, or perhaps book a package holiday -
see below for useful contacts. Carry a doctor's letter
with you about any drug prescriptions you have
for when you're passing through airport customs,
as this will ensure that you don't get hauled up for
narcotics transgressions.

Women travellers

Southeast Asia is generally a safe region for women
to travel around alone. That said, it pays to take the
normal precautions, especially late at night when
there are few people around on the streets; after
dark, take licensed taxis rather than cycle rickshaws
and tuk-tuks.
Be aware that a common Asian perception of
Western female travellers is of sexual availability and
promiscuity. This is particularly the case in the tradi-
tional Muslim areas of Indonesia and Malaysia,
as well as southern Thailand and the southern
Philippines, where lone foreign women can get
treated contemptuously however decently attired.
Most Southeast Asian women dress modestly and
it usually helps to do the same, avoiding skimpy
shorts and vests, which are considered offensive
(see p.40). Some Asian women travelling with white
men have reported cases of serious harassment -
something attributed to the tendency of Southeast
Asian men (particularly in Vietnam) to automatically
label all such women as prostitutes. Be wary of
invitations to drink with a man or group of men
if there are no other women present. To many
Southeast Asian men, simply accepting such an
invitation will be perceived as tacit agreement to
have sex, and some will see it as their “right” to rape
a woman who has “led them on” by accepting such
an invitation and then refused to follow through.
Women should also take care around Buddhist
monks. It should go without saying that monks
who touch women (something strictly against the
Buddhist precepts) or who suggest showing you
around some isolated site - such as a cave - should
be politely but firmly rebuffed. The key is to stay
aware without being paranoid.

Contacts for travellers with disabilities

IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Disabled Persons Assembly T 04 801 9100, W dpa.org.nz.
Resource centre with lists of travel agencies and tour operators for people
with disabilities.
National Disability Services T 02 6283 3200, W nds.org.au.
Represents more than 700 not-for-profit organizations online and also
has o ces nationwide.

IN THE UK AND IRELAND
Access Travel T 01942 888 844, W access-travel.co.uk. Flights,
transfers, car hire and accommodation.
Irish Wheelchair Association T 01 818 6400, W iwa.ie. Useful
information provided about travelling abroad with a wheelchair.
Tourism for All T 0303 303 0146, W tourismforall.org.uk.
Provides advice for overseas travel and free lists of accessible
accommodation abroad.

IN THE US AND CANADA
Access-Able W access-able.com. Online resource for travellers
with disabilities.
Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH)
T 212 447 7284, W sath.org. Organization that actively represents
travellers with disabilities.
World on Wheelz T 1800 578 8958, W worldonwheelz.com.
Specializes in accessible travel for wheelchair-users, slow walkers and
seniors with special needs.