A silly question about bathrooms
 

After trying to make a decision about where to travel for the first time alone, I finally settled on an Intrepid tour to Vietnam. In most ways I completely cannot wait. I am excited about the food, the photography, and the people.

I've gotten my shots and am prepared to eat most things.

But I am completely freaked about the bathrooms. How bad are they going to be when I am not in my hotel room? I have travelled only in Europe, so I have no idea what to expect in an Asian country.

Thanks for indulging this annoying question - it is the thing that I am completely obsessing about.

This all depends on what kind of a traveller you are - do you like to rough it a little??

I don't want to scare you, but here's the low-down...

Asian bathrooms are not the best. Most are "squat" toilets, which are basically a hole in the ground, where you squat over it to do your business. There is often a bucket of water next to the toilet for you to flush and no toilet paper.

Most toilets you have to pay an old lady with no teeth a small token price to use the loo. For a little extra, you can get 1 or 2 torn up squares of loo paper too.

The bathrooms are often hot, humid, smelly and the floors soaked with bad aims or flushing water.

Of course saying all that, not all toilets in Asia are like this! But if you're touring to the countryside or doing anything that is not 4 or 5 star, this is what you can expect.

With increasing tourism,"western-style" toilets are growing in popularity. Many places with often have both options, to cater for both locals and tourists.

Personally, when I travel to Asia (and I have done so quite a bit), I stick to the toilet in my hotel, and limit my water intake for the day (which is silly to do, as this only leads to dehydration, constipation and horrible desert mouth!). If I really need to go, I find the closest McDonalds, big fancy hotel or shopping centre, as these can often be relied on.

HOWEVER... Bottom line - don't let the bathrooms scare you off your trip! Asia is absolutely beautiful and you'll have such a good time that bathrooms will be so insignificant to your adventures and the amazing experiences you will encounter!

Just pack those tissues, make sure your shoes are not too flat and close to the ground, practice your aim, and pray to God you don't get diarrhea when out on the road for that can get very, very messy if you're not used to the squat technique!!

Good luck and have fun on your journey! You'll laugh about this later on - it's not so bad!

It's really not that bad. Have you ever been camping and had to "go in nature"? Well, it's kind of like that.

Before you leave home, go to a drugstore or Target and buy those little packets of kleenex. Never leave your hotel without them.

If you encounter a squat toilet, roll up your pants legs before you pull them down. Then, try to keep your pants from touching the floor when you squat. Oh, and get your TP out and in hand before you do all this. :-)
Don't try to "hover" unless you have really strong thighs.
When you are finished, use the scoop in bucket of water to "flush" the toilet if there is no flushing mechanism.

I really don't recommend not drinking to avoid having to use public restrooms. It can be dangerously unhealthy in hot weather. Honestly, I've seen worse bathrooms in gas stations in the US than I've seen in Asia.

If you are mostly on the tourist track, you'll rarely run into a squat you have to use. Hotels (not just 4 and 6 star) have Western toilets, nice restaurants have western toilets, museums, etc will all be places you'll find western toilets.

If you are often the beaten path you certainly will find squats.

Hi,Fogcity-I will be setting off on my third Intepid tour(last year India,Australia a few months ago)
in April.It's called Road to Angkor.I can't wait,either.Bon voyage!

"Most toilets you have to pay an old lady with no teeth a small token price to use the loo".

For someone who says they've traveled in Asia quite a bit, I would have expected a little more respect.

The bottom line - try to do most of your bathroom work at the hotel. Only if you must, then use the other bathrooms! :P

Thanks so much everyone. I appreciate the frankness and the tips. I felt so dumb asking, but feel much better knowing what to expect!

Bisbee - not to worry, karma will soon catch up with me. I too, am asian and may also loose my teeth eventually!

Fogcity - it's always best to know what you're up for, and not be mollycoddled - but as I said, let this not deter you from having a sensational experience! The little inconvenience the bathrooms may have on you is nothing in the big picture! Yes, I may be a bit of a princess, but it can't be all that bad if I'm heading to Vietnam and Cambodia next month, can it? - and don't be like me... Drink and re-hydrate! you'll need to!

we travelled around northern vietnam, Hanoi, halong bay and other trips 6-10 hours from our hotel. we encountered just about all the toilet accomdodations listed by my fellow travellers. bring your own t.p. wear clothes that are easy to get out of the way and that wont touch the ground.


some out of the way places had very primitive toilets...we went to a furniture factory that uses bamboo and
they did not have any facilities for tourists or employees...just behind the building...

learn to squat and have fun!

When we visited Vietnam it had been many years since we'd travelled in Asia, and the thing that impressed me was how clean, tidy and generally non-smelly things were (aside from a growing roadside litter problem outside the towns). Sure, some toilets were as described, but there weren't so many occasions on which we had to use these more basic facilities. No need whatever to freak.

My niece is going to Vietnam on an Intrpid tour next month, and our oldest son is traveling there independently in March. Other family members are also making plans. It will be interesting to hear their impressions - I hope the place isn't getting too overrun, but the country can certainly use the money.

BTW, did you know that Vietnam now has the second fastest-growing economy in the world, after China - over 8% pa? Having had the good fortune to see the people up close I'm not really surprised.

Well I won't mention the worst toilet I ever saw cos it was in Kenya and a long time ago. But if you don't like cockroaches you can imagine.

The second worst was in northern china where you watched your doings drop down the hole and you watched the chickens eating them.

Intrepid are "intrepid" but I guess you'll stay in nice enough places. And whilst out and about in a city there's always McDonalds to head for - or a new shiny shopping mall. When push comes to shove you just waltz into the nearest up market hotel and look for the Ladies.

I've never been stopped - though have often expected to be when comparing the opulence of the lobby with my travel clothes.

Good advice to always carry your own loo roll. As essential as that water bottle!!

But don't worry - you will survive!! When you have to go, you have to go, and you will. And don't be shy - cos though I have never been to Vietnam, in China a public loo, even for women, can be one long trough, and you squat next to a complete stranger.

Happy crapping.

Fogcity, hiya mate, we were totally overawed at the difference in toilet facilities in Thailand/Indonesia, but soon overcame it, we made it a thing to carry toilet paper with us wherever we went for the "just in case"

As for what we in Oz call "Bali Belly" I was warned years ago to take a 2 litre flagon of Raspberry Cordial with us (Anchor Brand was named) and make sure we drank a good glass of that each morning noon and night, which we did, we had no horrible stomach upsets, though on our last night in Phuket, I had only salad at our hotel, and the morning of flying out, had an upset stomach, which we put down to the salad not having been washed in bottled water, only tap water, I had some tablets with me which did the trick though, so all I can suggest to you is to take a 2 litre of Raspberry Cordial with you and have it morning, noon and night...........

We now carry it with us whenever we go away and have advised others to do the same, seems to work for some reason, maybe mind over matter, .......... oh and don't forget the loo paper.........

In addition to the toilet paper you may want carry antibacterial hand lotion (eg Purell) since if you're squatting there will likely be nowhere to wash your hands, and certainly not hot water. I keep in both in my day pack in Asia.

Nothing is going to jump up out of the hole and grab you so the only really important thing you want to remember is to not fall in. If you can manage that then you will be ok.

That reminds me of the shinkansen train in Japan. They still have signs in Japanese with instructions on how to use the toilets (basic message: sit). I believe that when they first started those trains a lot of the passengers from the countryside had never used a western toilet. They would try to squat overtop of the bowl by putting their feet on the edge or on the seat. Not a very stable position to be in when on a train and people were injured falling in/off.

Bisbee: I thought Mng168's description was funny because it was so accurate.

The last public toilet I had to use really was manned (?) by an older lady with very few teeth.

I didn't find the comments disparaging, the writer was trying to paint a picture. You are hardly likely to find a sylph with pearly whites in such a station.

I just returned from an Intrepid trip in Vietnam. My recommendation- just bring some antibacterial gel and wet wipes. The hotels we stayed in were all nice with nice bathrooms. I only had to use two turkish toilets, the rest were Western. Many of the sinks did not have soap. Many of the floors were also wet, because the bathrooms have a shower in there, not seperate from the rest of the room. The floor gets wet, then as people walk in there gets muddy. Roll your pants up when you walk in. Over, I am a clean freak and survived, but used alot of the antibacterial hand wipes! Enjoy, we loved our trip with Intrepid.

There are plenty of "Western" style toilets - but the line for them is longer! Also, you might want to bring some Purell.

You can bring a couple of kleenex packets with you, but do help yourself to the TP and tissues in your hotel rooms, they won't be missed!

fuzzylogic,
thank-you so much!! At last I can justify the existence of macdonalds.