Just talked to someone who recently went to China. They said NEVER swim in any of their hotel swimming pools. Anyone have any experience with this? Also they said keep eyes, mouth closed in the shower. You all agree?

I don't know what phobias your recent traveler friend has... I live here in BJ and my girls are on swim team here. And can tell you not to worry!

Obviously cleanliness of pools will vary from hotel to hotel, but the truth is, they are used so infrequently. Any time I am with clients at the Hyatt we marvel at the extravagant (and somewhat gaudy) pool and the fact that it is empty.

We take drinking water for granted in the west. We shower in drinking water, we flush our toilets with drinking water!!! So when you shower in China, the water will not be potable, so you want to avoid swallowing, but it is not contaminated and it won't sting your eyes.

I brush my teeth in tap water (being careful not to swallow) as do my kids.

If you are at a hotel whose pool is gross, contact the management or move to a nicer hotel.

Thanks, Bchen!

I just got the same advice re India! I can't imagine swimming without getting some water in my mouth and eyes and the guidebooks do tell you to keep them closed in the shower.
Bchen's advice makes sense. Any other opinions?

This post reminds me of when I was much much younger and in Bangkok.

My wife and I stayed at a multi-story hotel that, while relatively new, had gone downhill very rapidly. The rooms were $1 a night! When we checked in, we discovered pubic hair in the bed, and for health reasons always wore rubber sandals in the shower.

But the pool looked clean, anyway...so I dived in at the deep end.

Midway through swimming towards the shallow end (it was an almost an Olympic sized pool) my wife dashed to the edge of the pool shouting at me. I ignored her, finished my lap and got out, inquiring what the matter was.

She pointed to a very very large sign by the pool - which I had neglected to see. It read, in very big lettering: "For heath reasons, bar girls are not allowed in the pool."

My wife flustered a bit and said nervously and warningly: "What about the men who GO with the bar girls???"

I didn't enter the pool again.

So Mitch04-
Here is the question..
Are the bar girls not allowed in the pool because they'll contaminate the water?
or..
Are the bar girls not allowed in because the water will contaminate them?
Happy travels!

I'll worry about what gets into my lungs for every breath I take in China first.

But to answer your question, no, I don't care. If I care that much, I don't go to China, period.

I swam for at least an hour almost daily in hotel pools during a week each in Beijing and Shanghai last spring. I cannot imagine having a problem and I had none. Both of these pools were a lot cleaner than the city pool I swim in back home!

If the water in a hotel pool was not properly treated I wouldn't swim in it, no matter where it was. If the water was untreated but kept fresh, like in a hot springs, no problem. Just don't swallow it.

How would you be certain that the water in ANY swimming pool was treated correctly? Anyone who swims (as opposed to bobbing around) is bound to swallow some water...all I can tell you is that I have had no problems with swimming pools in China, or anyplace else, for that matter.

NGail: I suspect it was the former....

If a pool is treated with chlorine then you can smell it.

Just dumping cholorine in a pool does not insure that the pool has been treated correctly! That said, I would have no qualms about swimming in a pool in a high-end Chinese hotel...but then I would rarely turn down a chance to swim laps in a good pool...

I knew you were going to say that. You are right, and that means that there is no guarantee that any pool is going to be treated correctly. When you swim your laps you blow any water out of your mouth and nose, but maybe swallow a drop or two. You're not likely to get sick, and would be even less likely if the the pool was treated with chlorine, even if not done expertly.

We've seen signs in restrooms that say that employess are required to wash their hands before returning to work in a restaurant. Doesn't mean that they do. A conscientious employee might forget, if s/he were sick.