We are leaving soon for SEA and Bali....what I have read is to eat only peeled fruits and cooked foods and bottled drinks without ice.....is this the standard to follow?? Thanks again for your experienced replies!!!

Every person has a different tolerance for eating styles. I violated the bottled water rule the first morning, when I brushed my teeth using tap water. That said, we didn't eat true "street food" - it just wasn't clear to me how they were cleaning the dishes and pots and pans, and I wasn't willing to risk my vacation.most we drank bottled water and some soda. Neither of us had any problem at all (we did take Immodium and Cipro with us, just in case).

On our recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia we fully intended to follow the guidelines you mention. On our very first night, in Ho Chi Minh, however, we were at Nha Hang Ngon for dinner and the dishes we ordered came with lots of fresh greens that were kind of essential to the meal. The beers we ordered were poured at the table into mugs full of ice. (We were speechless!) So much for the plan--it was either eat and drink what we had ordered or go hungry. We ate and drank there and elsewhere on our trip and never had any stomach problems in the 6 weeks we were in SE Asia. On the other hand, we mostly ate in restaurants and did not partake in much of the street food, though it often looked appetizing. If I were eating on the street I would definitely follow the peeled/cooked foods and bottled drinks standard.

I've been traveling to SE ASia annually since the mid-1980s. In general, I'm pretty conscientious about bottled water only, and eating fully cooked hot foods in places I'm unfamiliar with. I do eat salads in Thailand, for instance, and ate the herbs served with hot dishes in VN for example. At the places I stay, I feel confident eating fruits from the breakfast buffet.

I don't eat street food except in the places where they have hawker centers with running water - like Penang, Malaysia and SIngapore. If something looks dubious, I don't eat it. If I'm in a place where I have doubts about sanitation, I follow the food and water precautions exactly.

One tip is to wash your hands before you eat anything.

We do always take along medications just in case. Cipro is not effective against the most common bacterial GI bugs in Thailand any more, Azythromycin is the current recommendation. You can purchase it in pharmacies in Thailand without a prescription if you don't get it at home.

Do get the Hep A and typhoid vaccines before you go - those are food and water-borne illnesses.

I realise that I am in a minority here but, I really enjoy eating at street and market food stalls and make a point of doing so wherever I travel the world. That's my choice and I am prepared to accept the risks. For me, it is the best (but not the only) way of sampling some of these great cuisines. a link to an article on travel fish on the subject:

http://www.travelfish.org/feature/235

I don't have a particularly robust digestive system but the only places I got really ill was at a buffet in a 5* hotel in Vietnam. At least at a street stall you can see what is going on with the food!I make a point of only visiting stalls that are busy and frequent by locals and serve food which is freshly cooked in front of you. I find that it leads me to some of the best and most authentic food in these countries.

I would only ever eat peeled fruit but cannot imagine a bowl of Pho in Vietnam without the pile of fresh herbs on top (many stalls now make a point of washing these in bottled water in front of you.

When I worked for a time in Africa as a volunteer we had been advised in our extensive pre departure training on health etc, to boil water for a minimum of 20 mins and then filter it through a ceramic filter. OK that was an extreme situation as treated water was not available, but even treated water from your own tap water at home will have some bugs in it - it is just that your body is used to those.

As Kathie says, do make sure that you get the correct vaccinations for where you are going and buying antibiotics at a local pharma is definitely a good idea as they will have the local knowledge of what does and doesn't work.

We are going to Thailand and I worry about my tummy. I have a very low tolerance to getting sick. Hubbie on the other hand, on a trip to Egypt ate everything including drinks and food from dubious looking shops and roadside stalls and never got sick until the last day when he thinks it was caused by a cake at the 5 star Marriott hotel!

our feeling is that you observe ALL of the rules in order to prevent ANY possibility of an interuption in our travels.

Everyone is different, but unfortunately, it's not too great if you find out that you have a sensitive system when you are on your vacation. I've had no trouble in Mexico or China, but never was so sick in my life as in Bali. I think it was because I drank a lassi a couple of days in a row, in a charming, clean restaurant in Ubud. I believe it probably contained yogurt and ice. I was nearly unable to fly out of Bali to Australia, and immediately saw a doctor there. Lost 10 pounds in 10 days, became severely dehydrated, and spent 2 weeks in Australia enjoying toast, oatmeal and water.
BMarieL

Kathie gives good advice about immunizations and antibiotic medications. Do be prepared and take some antibiotics with you, should you contract Bali Belly as I and my wife did...and apparently as BMarieL did too.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

I used to believe that I could eat almost anything I want while on travel and not worry about it. That was until I ate cuy in Arequipa, Peru. I threw up in the middle of the street a few hours later and was throwing up the entire night back at my hotel. That was the worst case of food poisening that I experienced. I now always remember to pack a barf bag with me while on travel

Its okay to drink with ice cube, n also okay with fresh fruit n vegetables ( just make sure they already wash it before serve). Recommend to always washed your hand before get your meal. If you drink some hot beverages like coffe or tea, its fine to you coz Indonesian people always boiled the water before serve the drink, its part of habitual manner n culture. But dont drink water directly from shower or other source. Only drink mineral water in a bottle. 'Traveller diarrhea' is common disease not just in Indonesia but also around the world. Almost 95% causing by viral, n easily cured by symptomatic drugs like Norit, charcoal kalk ( you could find it easily in many stores in Indonesia without prescription). So..No need to vaccination or bring many drugs. No need to much worry n hav fun with ur vacation..

If you apply western "folklore" to eating in S.E. Asia, you'll have a pretty miserable time. If you really look at how you can get infected with food poisoning - read up on it - then you'll explode a few myths and be able to enjoy a wide range of new and interesting foods. Street food is IMO n essential experience for those travelling in asia - not without it's dangers with a little knowledge and common sense can be both delicious and cheap.

cooking methods rather then the apparent presence or not of running water are a much better guide to how healthy the food might be.
So try not to cloud your enjoyment with prejudices about food brought from home.

there is no such thing as no worry.. there is such a thing as being careful... always bottled water and no ice cubes ever!!

fresh cooked food, rather than buffets... peeled fruits...fresh, fresh, fresh..

nothing raw!!

It is worth bearing in mind that mny people who blame water or cooking for their bout of bad tummy have actually infected themselves my hand to mouth contact in some form or another. Remember to wash you hands before eating - just think where they have been all day - those subway railings and various surfaces and goods they have handled before you eat.

If you're traveling in the "cool season" between December and February, your chances of getting ill drop quite a bit, as the heat is obviously a problem with many types of food.

The main thing to avoid is seafood from stalls, or upcountry anywhere. Ice is generally fine, as are most fruits and veggies.

You can try to dodge all the germs but IME it's best to exercise common sense, check out the places you're eating in as best you can, and enjoy yourself.

Your body will eventually need to build up resistance to the foreign micro-organisms, so might as well get it out of the way, then enjoy the amazing, delicious variety of local dishes.

Take precautions and meds to minimize your risk. I've seen too many friends get cocky and try to go native only to pay for it the next day

some of the people above have given you advice on the edge...beware..I M O

you have spent a lot of time and money on this trip- every day matters. even one or two days lost to the toilet, having to miss out as you cannot leave the hotel bathroom- not worth it! the travel medicine advice is good advice. cook it, peel it or leave it. you will hear lots of stories of people who took their chances and did fine- but you will also hear lots of people who don't use a seatbelt in a car and never have an injury, lots of people who ride a motorcycle without a helmet and never have a head injury- false logic! washing your hands is good advice of course, but did your food handler wash his hands? that is where much contamination comes from. if i order a drink, i always say "no ice"- and if it comes with ice, i send it back (don't just take out the ice cubes). eat your salad when you come back home, enjoy cooked foods while in SEA.

bams---the clearest answer i have seen to date---thanks..

Thanks for all the information....I am eating fresh salads daily but will give them up in 8 days!!Cooked, peeled, and no cubes...I hope they have cooold drinks! We are so excited about our new adventure.