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Thread: Vietnam and Laos? What to do? What to look out for?

  1. #1
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    Default Vietnam and Laos? What to do? What to look out for?

    Well my best friend (room mate) just suckered me into a trip to Vietnam and Laos...Her parent's don't want her going alone.

    We bought tickets for start of november.

    She is well traveled...I on the other hand am not.

    What should we do out that way?

    And more importantly what should we look out for.

    After speaking to the doctor about my shots, malaria pills, possible parasites...I'm kinda freaking out...Is this warranted or am I coming back with worms haha?

  2. #2
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    Get your Hep shots and you'll be fine.

    If you get sick over there, do yourself a favour and go to the clinic/hospital.

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    If you are a 5-star traveler, then you will be fine. If you are a 2-star traveler and are weaksauce, then you will get sick. Recommended to only drink branded bottle water or beer!

    What to do will depend on what you like to do but most people will travel there for food and various famous landmarks, both countries are small but will vary greatly in region in all aspects. Don't think you'll by much there as these days its mostly cheap stuff from China anyways.

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    Hanoi was awesome, recommend a boat trip out to ha long bay. Go to a travel clinic and get your shots. I think its hep, typhoid and dap. Might be fine for malaria but the travel clinic will be able to tell you based on where you were going. I went to Komodo and had to take them. Gives you bizarre dreams and nightmares. Can only speak for Vietnam as I have not been to Laos but the beer and food are very good and dirt cheap.

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    We are skipping laos. We land in ho chi min november 5th i believe. roomis has the tickets so not sure.

    Going to fiji for a couple days as well instead of laos

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    Just to play devils advocate, I backpacked Vietnam and Thailand for over a month with no shots of any kind. 3 star style. I was fine. Don't stress about it too much.
    I can eat more hot wings than you.

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    Be wary of the ice in Vietnam. I get sick everytime from it. Depending on where you go, try and find a place that refrigerates the beer (not that common). Otherwise, they'll stick a cylindrical piece of ice into your mug of beer.
    1. drink it cold and diluted & get sick
    2. warm beer in a hot ass climate.

    Just fyi. I'm usually too slow to tell them not to put ice in it. After a certain point, too drunk to care.

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    When I went to Vietnam in 2010 with 2 buddies, we wanders ho chi minh for a day. Ended up paying about 245cdn each for a 2 week trip from ho chi minh to ha long Bay. It included transit, most hotels and some meals at some hotels. It was well worth it and we found it by just Wandering into a little tour booth. Would recommend!
    Edit: obviously it wasn't direct, there was tops at Hanoi, na trang and others but I forget as it's been 6 years haha

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    Originally posted by CompletelyNumb
    Just to play devils advocate, I backpacked Vietnam and Thailand for over a month with no shots of any kind. 3 star style. I was fine. Don't stress about it too much.
    I'll bet all the people infected with preventable diseases had the same mind set Sure its unlikely to catch anything but if all it takes is an hour of your time and a couple needles then why not.

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    Originally posted by Rocket1k78


    I'll bet all the people infected with preventable diseases had the same mind set Sure its unlikely to catch anything but if all it takes is an hour of your time and a couple needles then why not.
    agreed!!

    I'm not going to chance it. I have bad luck haha.

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    Originally posted by Rocket1k78


    I'll bet all the people infected with preventable diseases had the same mind set Sure its unlikely to catch anything but if all it takes is an hour of your time and a couple needles then why not.
    I'm very well travelled and truth be told the only times I have gotten sick were from the really nice resorts. All the street meat and questionable experiences in South American Party towns and overseas hostels and it was only when going to the resorts that I ever got the shits.

    Of course some peoples experiences will differ.

    I only have twinrix.
    Travel

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    Go to Cu Chi tunnels and shoot AKs and M60s, eat tons of food, buy commie propaganda posters, eat more food, Ha Long Bay as mentioned, the central highlands if you have time (not too well versed on northern Vietnam so no comment on that).

    Tbh whenever I go to SE Asia, the food is too good not to eat in every country, some years I've gotten ill, other times nothing at all. At the very least buy all your water bottled, a huge 4-8L jug at your hotel, a 1L or so to keep filling up to bring out. You can usually tell if the ice they use is self made or bagged (clean) by the shape of the ice cubes, usually...

    After around 2 weeks or so your stomach will get used to the local water pathogens more or less.

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    Nice, Have fun love Vietnam...hoping to go back sometime next year!

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