Is anyone NOT canceling?
 

We are due to leave April 22. We arrive via Seoul from the states and are scheduled to tour Guilin, Shanghai, Yangtse River cruise, Xian and Bejing. Half our group wants to cancel, half doesn't. I am follow the WHO investigation and am waiting another week before deciding. Any feedback from others?

I was planning to go on 2 May to China, but my tour company (Smartours) called me today to say they have postponed our trip. Very disappointed, but also feel relieved that I don't have to make a decision whether to go or not. <BR><BR>Based on my readings of CDC and WHO, it's not getting any better, but worse. I would recommend postponing your trip. China will be there for a future trip.<BR><BR>I'm working on a Mediterrenean cruise in lieu of China. Very excited!

From what I read today, SARS is acutally spreading and is not showing any signs of letting up. Why go on vacation and have to worry about all this? That would not be a vacation for me. Go somewhere else or wait until are clearer before going to China.

We were scheduled to go 4/24 with Pacific Bestours. Postponed until 5/22 and if things aren't better, will go in Sept. Doesn't look like much fun touring with masks and the fact that the Chinese did not report accurate figures on the extent of SARS is scarey. Pacific Bestours allows you a 2 year period to go anywhere they go if you postpone. We have already paid and choose to go when it is safer. We waited until yesterday (our cut off date)to make this decision. Disappointed but feel safer waiting.

I'm not cancelling and as long as my tour company doesn't cancel, I'll be heading to Beijing via Singapore, on the 14th May for a 2 week tour, visiting Xian, Shanghai and taking in a 4 day Yangtze River trip also. <BR>I have been checking the WHO site for updates and when I visited my doctor yesterday, for my annual flu shot, he didn't say anything in protest when I mentioned that I would be back next week for a script for Malaria pills and my Typhoid shot.<BR>

Persepctive is needed. South Africa has reported that 1 ( yes, 'one' ) person is in hospital as a suspected case. Think about that figure for a while!...one!<BR>The number of people who contract influenza per annum worldwide is some staggering figure, not sure but but a vast figure, the number of people who die from Influenza world-wide is also a staggering figure. A report from the New Zealand Health Department quoted a 97% recovery rate from SARS. <BR>One does wonder why not such attention was paid to the outbreak of AIDS, or in fairness maybe because of this they are wary, I don't know.<BR>All I would say is that perspective is required. <BR>It would be fascinating to see the statistics for other contracted illnesses that people suffer from travel, Malaria etc, and see how they compare with current SARS situation!!

P.S<BR>That figure of '1' case in South Africa is actually the first case on the whole continent, so we are talking '1' case in the whole of Africa.

I was scheduled to fly to Hong Kong on May 22. Continental Air cancelled all flights to this city until June 2. They told me they could re-book me via NW to HKG (but it wouldn't be in Business First), or I could totally cancel or use the proceeds to travel elsewhere. I decided to go to Bangkok instead, and am now booked in Business class for the same time period.

This link will interest anyone concerned. It shows the map of reported cases, e.g 154 in USA, 126 in Singapore.<BR><BR><BR>http://www.who.int/csr/sars/map2003_04_10.jpg

I am the original poster and my trip was cancelled today. I'm heartbroken . . . but will stay healthy, I guess.

I'm sorry.....things usually have a way of working out for the best.Promise yourself to reschedule at the first opportunity and enjoy your trip of a lifetime in the near future.

Marigross, we aren't talking about Africa here. We are talking about ASIA. It was reported in the press today that an American man from Utah died of SARS yesterday in China. His 6-year-old son is in Hospital in Hong Kong. You can't possibly compare SARS to AIDS, since SARS is airbourne, and AIDS is not. You are comparing apples to sunglasses.

Your point is good, ThinGorjus, but the FEAR of AIDS when it was a &quot;new&quot; disease is very similar to the current fear of SARS. Years ago I talked to a lot of people who were afraid to dine out at restaurants where some of the staff was gay. People were freaked about getting AIDS from mosquito bites.<BR><BR>That said, however, I think it is prudent to avoid putting oneself in a position where exposure might be possible. Have you seen the US State Dept. travel advisory issued today (or maybe late yesterday)? The thing that concerns me most is that if I were exposed and one of the unlucky ones to be severely affected I probably wouldn't be able to get medical care in China nor, as the advisory says, would I be able to be evacuated. I just hope China starts taking this risk seriously to prevent further spread so that we can get back to traveling to China.<BR><BR>Elizabeth

I agree, and firstly a lot of firms in Canada the country has issued a travel advisory. Anyone travelling to Asia has to quarantine themselves for 10 days. Why on earth will I want to put myself in such a position.<BR><BR>I think at present (operative word at PRESENT), there are too many unknowns, the last thing I want is to be the one to put other people at risk or feel ostracized by others because I travelled to a SARs infected country.<BR><BR>I too postponed my trip was supposed to HAVE travelled this week.<BR><BR>