Staying healthy in Cambodia/Vietnam/Thailand?
Dec 28, 2015, 4:30 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 32
Staying healthy in Cambodia/Vietnam/Thailand?
Will be off to Cambodia/Vietnam/Thailand in January. Any tips in staying healthy? A big no no is ice. How about raw salads? Raw salads are everywhere in street food and restaurants. Bottled water to brush teeth?
Any advice and suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Any advice and suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Dec 28, 2015, 4:41 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Land of Oz
Posts: 948
No matter how hard you try invariably you will probably get sick even just a little.
If its tourist areas ice is normally okay as they make it with good water.
i brush my teeth with tap water but also use mouthwash.
I highly suggest buying some lomotil tablets, they are great for slowing down or stopping and sickness when it comes on.
If its tourist areas ice is normally okay as they make it with good water.
i brush my teeth with tap water but also use mouthwash.
I highly suggest buying some lomotil tablets, they are great for slowing down or stopping and sickness when it comes on.
Dec 28, 2015, 5:04 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 32
No matter how hard you try invariably you will probably get sick even just a little.
If its tourist areas ice is normally okay as they make it with good water.
i brush my teeth with tap water but also use mouthwash.
I highly suggest buying some lomotil tablets, they are great for slowing down or stopping and sickness when it comes on.
If its tourist areas ice is normally okay as they make it with good water.
i brush my teeth with tap water but also use mouthwash.
I highly suggest buying some lomotil tablets, they are great for slowing down or stopping and sickness when it comes on.
Dec 28, 2015, 10:00 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2012
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I've never had an issue in Thailand, even eating street food for most of my meals. Stick to food served hot and quickly after it's cooked and you'll be fine. Ice is okay in some circumstances, you can do your own research on that.
Honestly the only time I've gotten really sick in SE Asia was in Singapore...
Honestly the only time I've gotten really sick in SE Asia was in Singapore...
Dec 28, 2015, 5:00 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: AA EXP 6MM, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 265
Will be off to Cambodia/Vietnam/Thailand in January. Any tips in staying healthy? A big no no is ice. How about raw salads? Raw salads are everywhere in street food and restaurants. Bottled water to brush teeth?
Any advice and suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Any advice and suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
If this is your first or second trip, I would suggest to stay away from street food and market food to avoid "shock" with your digestive system. Food served in restaurants would be safer, including ice and raw vegetables. IMHO, using bottled water to brush teeth is not needed.
After several trips, you can try street food. At least this is how I plan out with my US-based colleagues when we have trips in Vietnam.
Dec 28, 2015, 5:08 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2010
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Brushing your teeth with tap water in some countries helps to get your immune system associated with the local bugs and to build up a resistance. Ice usually is not a problem. Salads, depending upon where you are eating, could be an issue however if the locals are eating there I would typically say that it would be fine.
Dec 28, 2015, 6:49 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 32
I've never had an issue in Thailand, even eating street food for most of my meals. Stick to food served hot and quickly after it's cooked and you'll be fine. Ice is okay in some circumstances, you can do your own research on that.
Honestly the only time I've gotten really sick in SE Asia was in Singapore...
Honestly the only time I've gotten really sick in SE Asia was in Singapore...
Last edited by kangaroojack; Dec 28, 2015 at 7:13 pm
Dec 29, 2015, 2:04 pm
#10
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Dec 29, 2015, 8:05 pm
#12
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My usual spiel is, in Thailand, eat where locals are eating and you are very unlikely to have problems.
Never had any problems in Vietnam but if you feel safer in restos that's fine.
In Cambodia stick to restaurants and even then there's no guarantee.
Never had any problems in Vietnam but if you feel safer in restos that's fine.
In Cambodia stick to restaurants and even then there's no guarantee.
Dec 30, 2015, 2:18 am
#13
Join Date: Dec 2007
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In Bali/Ubud now, on our second week of travel. Been to Vietnam (Hoi An) and Cambodia (Siem Reap) before that. And yes, we live in Singapore and always eat in hawker centers, never had any problem.
The only time we had a (minor) problem during our trip it was after arriving in Ubud and get a takeout from the only open restaurant that time (10PM). Which was BTW, 3x more expensive that average food options. Everywhere else during the trip it was fine.
We had number of restaurant and banh mi take-out in Vietnam and it was the most delicious food we had during this trip. In Siem Reap we ate at stalls next to Ankgor temples (pretty much the only places you can eat there) and at our small villa-hotel. Plus we asked expats working there for recommendations of a local food and they recommended places where we ate and nothing happened as well.
Have to warn that unless you are willing to spend the same amount on food as you spend in US (like $35 for a meal) you will find food in Siem Ream vastly inferior comparing to Vietnam. In other words for $7 meal you will have way more delisious food in Vietnam than in Siem Reap
Jan 1, 2016, 8:37 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2006
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I've been traveling to SE Asia every year for about 10 years, and I get at least a little sick every time. Just returned from about a month in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. I didn't worry much about ice. Typically I brush my teeth using tap water. I started feeling a bit ill in Luang Prabang and stopped by a pharmacy for a course of cipro which did the trick. I've been told that the bugs over there are getting cipro resistant though. After spending some time in hospitals a couple of times I have a bit of a hair trigger when it comes to taking the serious drugs. All immodium does is block you up, which is fine if you absolutely need to travel on a day and have no other option. But keeping the bug inside you longer isn't necessarily the greatest idea.
One of the hospital visits followed a meal at a "nice" restaurant in Taroko Gorge in Taiwan. So there's no guarantee based on the kind of establishment you eat at.
One of the hospital visits followed a meal at a "nice" restaurant in Taroko Gorge in Taiwan. So there's no guarantee based on the kind of establishment you eat at.