We have to make a decision by 4/7 to postpone a 3 week trip to China entering thru Hong Kong. Would like to hear from anyone who has just returned and has been thru some of the places where SARS has been found for an evaluation of actual situation for tourists at this time. Our next opportunity to go would be 5/8 or 5/22. Do you think this would be better? Thanks

i'm trying to make the same decision, only leaving 4/3 for beijing. I"ve been constantly checking CDC and WHO websites as well as NYTimes for latest articles. Have found that Globe and Mail in Toronto has even more articles due to problems there. The more I read, the worse it sounds. on the other hand, there are 1.3 billion people there and they don't all have it. I'm not sure about the "cootie" factor, meaning that it is very unlikely I would get it, but how will I feel being there and wondering. No guarantees in life. That's my 2 cents, for what it's worth....and i'm still very conflicted. good luck.

Do read the latest updates. The cdc website has links to the WHO site and other sites with up to date info. www.cdc.gov/travel

I am trying to make the same decision. I would love to hear from folks who are still going and what helped them make the decision. I really want to go. My trip is in May. Things could be much worse by then--who knows?

I'm going April 22. A few in our group are ready to cancel, but I won't until the last minute, if necessary. Is there any feedback from those living in China? We arrive via Seoul, not Hong Kong, but do visit Beijing and Shanghai.

As I said in a previous entry, watching carefully. We can't go til fall if we postpone and I really wanted to see spring flowers, etc. The summers are brutal in So. China and big chance of hurricanes through September....what to do? what to do??? And the bug is right here in the USA as we type!!! OH DEAR

I am having the same dilemma. I am due to leave on May 1st from Australia. My travel route is hkg/shanghai/beijing/xian. I am considering cancelling hkg but now there are reports that China has not released their latest cases except for beijing. My colleague was sent to Paris for training on wed and she was told to take the next flight out coz she stopped over in Singapore. The scary thing is everyone in the airport was wearing a mask except for her. All schools have closed in Singapore and Hkg. Despite all that, I will sit and chew on it for another 2 weeks when my ticket payment is due. I was told to ask for a seat next to no-one(would be easy coz many have cancelled) and wear a mask and gloves on the plane. Don't drink any water so u don't need to use the toilet. Hopefully, the cabin crew have some sort of disinfectant that they can spray in the cabin.

Just returned from a trip to New Zealand and we spent a couple days in Singapore on each side. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary in Singapore, in the airport or around the city. Yes, there were a few masks on the plane, but no gloves and everyone was still using the toilets! We didn't see or hear anyone coughing, but I suppose I did find myself washing my hands more as a general rule. Singapore Air flights we flew were quite full, so lots of people are going about their business.

I was in the same dilimmema to, due to leave 15/Apr. I cancelled my trip, not because I am paranoid, this virus is not contained, but the bigger thing actually is how much fun is it to wear a mask on a vacation in planes, restaurants etc? I mean that surely takes away from the vacation, as much as I was hyped to go, I am confident that a resolution to this virus will be found in the future and Asia is gonna be there and I can visit 'mask and worry free!'

if you check the WHO they might have a couple cities marked that are under high alert, if you are planning to there, obviously avoid it. but washing your hands, being extra careful, taking a few masks would help. if you have a cold and are traveling there, i dont think it would be a good idea to go.

Hi! Just gor back on Sunday. Went from Beijing to Xi'an and then Hong Kong. By the time we left Hong Kong the guy in charge of the hospital and the crisi control had gotten SARS and it was not recommended to go to hospitals unless it was an emergency. We were unnerved, locals are wearing masks ... It is a deadly risk, so I'd recommend you wait until they actually can say for sure how to beat this virus. It was pretty scarey that they were having problems identifying it and confirming what the symptoms are.

For those of you flying through to Asia via HK. Air Canada has adopted a policy for no price penalty for rerouting through another destination. I am due to fly on Apr 10 and I am looking into having them change the itinerary if possible. Maybe some of the other airlines has adopted something similar. The updated Canadian travel advisory is on the link below and they are suggesting you avoid HK at all costs. <BR><BR>http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/prote...03/2003_11.htm <BR>

Thank goodness I don't have to make the decision whether to go or stay. I was reading article on BBC about SARS in which &quot;A World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Monday the virus may have come from an animal and is more infectious than the Ebola virus&quot;, Pretty scary. Full story at <BR>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2901607.stm<BR><BR>

Tess, I read the bbc story you cited. While the last sentence in the report ia as you quoted, there is nothing in the rest of the article that sounds remotely like this. I'd suggest the cdc pages that give lins to their own SARS pages and to the WHO pages as being the best sources. Current link is www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/index.htm

NEWS FLASH!! We postponed our April trip to China and HK on strict orders from our doctor who had several people come to him here in SO. Cal with cards from the immigration and health given to them on landing back in LA with orders to report immediatly to their doctor and hand in the card. Fun, Eh!<BR>We got back from Maui Hawaii last week and during our vacation, someone was put in the Maui hospital with SARS symptoms upon returning from HK.<BR>To top it off, the general manager of the hotel we planned to visit in HK encouraged us strongly to rebook later.<BR>Then to top it off, when I called Cathay Pacific to cancel, they said it was a smart idea although &quot; the HK airport had not been closed down for quarantine yet&quot;&gt; That should shut down China. Well, just have to wait until the WHO gives the all clear..

Just a few points of clarification . . . <BR><BR>* Of course, I don't know what the people coming through US immigration were actually told, but the official policy is that people traveling from affected areas are given a card listing the symptoms stating that *IF* they develop symptoms they should go to the doctor and bring the card - not that they should just go to the doctor immediately just because they'd been in the area.<BR><BR>* Shutting down Hong Kong is not exactly the same thing as shutting down China.<BR><BR>* The WHO has, in fact, as late as March 28th, indicated that there is no reason to make any changes in travel plans.<BR><BR>Again, I urge people to turn to the WHO, CDC, and their national health organization if from another country for the most accurate, up-to-date information.<BR><BR>Andrea in Shanghai, working for a medical clinic

We have just cancelled our 4/15/03 China&amp;The Yangtze tour through Grand Circle Travel. Even though CDC website recommends non-essential travel be dalayed throughout China, and large american Hong Kong companies are sending staff home, the travel insurance does not recognize SARS as a reason for cancellation...of course it is not listed in its brochure! <BR><BR>Although GCT promises full return of expenses up to and including the day of departure, there is still a penalty of $1000 per person, that if approved will be returned as a travel voucher only good at GCT for one year at it's full value. The rest of the trip expense will be refunded in cash.<BR><BR>I can't tell you how disappointed we are in not going to China as we have planned since last August! Also, I must add that GCT when booking the trip gave the size of tour group as 18, however the list of fellow travelers held 66 names! (that were to be broken into two tour groups on arrival!) <BR><BR>What really upset us...our air tickets arrived with no seat assignments for the 14 hr flight segments. Confirmation from GCT in Dec/02 had us seated together. No flights had changed, but when I checked seats with United, my husband and I were not seated together! MY husband and I were now three rows apart and separated by the width of the 777! Seated next to my husband, who received an aisle seat, on a two seat side, was another single woman from our tour! That situation alone caused us to rethink our trip with GCT.<BR><BR>I want to thank everyone who has shared their experiences, photos, travelogs, and advice, especially Peter. This is the best board for all travel needs.<BR><BR>We still want to visit China, maybe next spring!<BR><BR>Thanks again.<BR><BR><BR>

Channel 4 has just announced that 3 people were removed at gunpoint from an American Airlines flight after it landed in San Jose, California. It seems these people are infected with the SARS virus and did not want to be quarantined in Hospital. The entire population of the airplane was eventually placed under quarantine for an indefinite period of time. And people are afraid of terrorism? It seems there are other things more pressing. Cheers.

Our local news also had a story about cases of SARS on an American Airlines flight to the US. HOWEVER--it wasn't the story noted above. No guns were mentioned and only those suspected of being infected of SARS are in quarantine.<BR>I encourage anyone who is considering a trip to Asia should rely on the WHO and CDC for accurate information.

We have also shelved our plans to visit China this year- Beijing. With two young kids it was enough to worry about already. By the same token, we are not yet ready to forego Thailand and other than in HK, it appears that a fear of SARS would not be accepted as a reason to cancel. In fact, just the mere mention of SARS in a recent e-mail to a Phuket hotel led to this response:<BR><BR><BR>&quot;...Anyway, for SARS, Thailand is not the infected with SARS (at least for the time being). The virus has spread out from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam to Singapore and some other countries in North America and Europe. In Thailand, we have only one case. He was a doctor of WHO who was infected with SARS from Vietnam and came to Bangkok for treatment and the virus did not spread out even to the doctors and the treatment team. Sadly, he died on last Sunday. So, there is no infected people left in Thailand now. By the way, to make sure of the virus outbreak, the treatment team are in quarantine for a week.<BR><BR>However, at the present, for the public health policy, after you are arriving at Bangkok International Airport, you are requested to get into the quarantine room for checking to make sure that this virus does not travel together with you to our country. It may take some times but for the protection, this regulation is strictly applied.<BR><BR>In Hong Kong there are more than 50% of population are wearing the air filter masks, but it's hardly seen in Thailand. You may see some of the vendors on the street wearing the mask but it is to protect them from the smoke and pollution from the vehicles. I can say in personal that our country is quite safe and free from this deadly virus.<BR><BR>So, in short, our country is quite safe for the visitors. &quot;<BR><BR>I guess the lesson to be learned is to expect even more delays upon arrival where ever you go in Asia.<BR>