I fully expect to see eastern style bathrooms (specifically ladies rooms)in China and would hope to find some western ones. That being said, should I wear only skirts? You Fodor-ladies know what I'm talking about!!

my wife wears slacks and has no problems...

head to hotels to find western toilets in their public rooms

Have TP ready, roll up your pant legs, secure your handbag, steady yourself and squat down nice and slowly ...

Some of those eastern style toilets are even flush ones! I didn`t have any problems and I wore pants.

LOL, this is a genuine problem, but didn't think it would ever be posted.

In India, there are also the Indian or eastern style bathrooms. Luckily more and more public restrooms and private homes have both. Some now only have western.

Regardless of what you wear, you feel like you're doing a Houdini act to get into position. Practice can make perfect, but I just seek out western bathrooms wherever possible.

Bring TP and a travel hand sanitizer in your purse as they may be the critical things not provided.

You should be able to manage with either skirts or pants.

Most of the public restrooms I went to in China, had one western stall, marked handicapped. Most of the time I waited in that long line but if not a western stall pants/capris worked out ok for me. Don't forget tp or tissues & sanitizer.

Where I have doubts about the sanitation I actually prefer squat toilets. My tips for using them are here: wilhelmswords.com/faq/ - I prefer pants to skirts, you only have one kind of clothing to deal with instead of a skirt and undies. That said, last time I was in Beijing ('04) the toilets at the Temple of Heaven were quite stunning, and I suspect that others will have been improved for the Olympics.

If you use TP, don't put it in the squat. Usually there is a wastebasket; use it for your paper. It goes against the western grain to do so, but the owner of the "plumbing" will thank you.

Never been a problem with pants. Check your pockets though; you don't want to drop anything!

I recall one trip to Europe when my DH and I were driving in the French part of Switzerland. We made a stop along the road... which was quite a necessary stop... but there was only a "hole in the ground" for both sexes. In SWITZERLAND!!! I simply COULDN'T do it. I waited (with legs crossed.. lol) until we made our way to the next town where there just happened to be a McD's!!! Thank goodness.

Re: their use in Thailand. I have used eastern ones in Chiang Mai at Hangdong markets and in Bangkok at some very out of the way places. I'm always in pants/slacks as I don't wear skirts very much anymore now that I'm retired. The hardest thing for me is the getting down and back up again, as I have very long legs. They can be a disadvantage in this situation, unless you have strong muscles!! Thai women are lucky being so petite... lol (and I've noticed that they squat a lot, doing various tasks during the day! Playing with their babies, washing dishes at their street food stall, cleaning floors, etc. Always squatting!) Their legs are obviously very strong.

I always carry my TP travel roll, even in places with western toilets. TP isn't always available. Neither is a towel to wipe your hands after washing. The Thai girls/women often take their wet hands and run them through their long straight hair. I've seen this over and over again.

And yes, do use the waste basket for your used TP, not the toilet itself. That's a hard one to get used to, as I'm sure it is for Asians who visit the US or other western countries. Is that why we sometimes see TP on the floor in public places (if there is no waste basket right there)???

OK... enough on this subject (but it is an interesting one).

Carol

I found a gadget online that is called a Sani-Fem Freshette for about $20. I wonder if it is worth getting. It is yet another thing to carry around, but if it will do the trick - who knows??

I had to look up the sani-fem (F.U.D.). I must say I chuckled just a little bit. I'm not sure how much help it would be to westerners trying to use eastern bathrooms... but worth a try? I think I shall continue to seek out western style bathrooms rather than carry something else with me when I'm shopping in the markets.

Looks like a "She Wee" which somebody talked about here a year or so ago. My daughter bought one on-line for her field trip and she said it was great!

I bought one of those Femi-San things a while back, but after taking a closer look I decided it was simpler to just squat. If a large percentage of the world's population can do it every day, it really shouldn't be such a problem! (Unless you have some kind of disability - I found that trying to squat with one ankle in plaster and instructions to put no weight on that foot was nearly impossible.)

I have what I suspect is an inefficient bladder - nothing to brag about but there it is. On my 3-week trip to China (back 5 days ago & still up at 4AM) I developed an early aversion to Chinese toilets, regardless of attire, & vowed that it would be death before dishonor as the habit of not flushing the loo paper creates an unholy smell in even semi-civilized public toilets.

Others on my trip chose to use the sides of the highways rather than the public rest stops, particularly after visiting the "last decent rest stop" on the highway, according to our guide. My husband took a hasty picture of the men's room before exiting - no more squalid sight has been seen by western eyes...

It must be amusing to truck drivers along The Silk Road to see buses full of western tourists literally 'hit the road', men to the right, women to the left...

I hope you buried the toilet paper, shedridt!!

Squat toilets can be more pleasant than western style in countries where western-style is not the norm.

Just watch out if you go to far western China where the effluent is eagerly awaited by the pigs; or a cheap and cheerful Yangtze cruise where the privacy in the women's loo equates to that of a men's pissoir. You all squat in a line with nothing but a foot-high wall to divide you from your neighbour.

Happy travels all.

A cheap, effective solution.

Go to your local bicycle shop and pick up two of the Velcro pants ties that bicyclists wear to keep their pants from getting caught in the spokes. (they're usually next to the cash register at check out or Google "bike leg bands&quot

Just wrap them around your pants legs when you use an eastern toilet and you'll be fine. Just rolling your pants often leads to "unrolling" at an inopportune time.

Works perfectly and takes up no room.

Here is what they look like: http://www.bicycleclothing.com/Legbands.html

I like the bicycle clip idea. My only advice is that you should <u>not turn around</u> and face the door when using a squat toilet, you should face the back of the stall, the bowl is wider at the back and is designed to be used standing that way and this will cut down on splashing considerably. Also, stand pretty well forward inside the stall, not back near the door.

You can find western-style toilets in any international-chain hotel, and as a foreigner just stroll in and use them, no one will question you, you will usually find them off the lobby and then other sets near the restaurants. I have been doing this for 20 years of living in Asia (can tell you all the best hotels bathroom spots in Hong Kong and Singapore for sure; a small tip is always appreciated by the attendant. For the Tiananmen area in Beijing, try the Grand Hyatt). In places like McDonalds there should be at least one western toilet.

BostonHarbor - what a great idea! I love it!! I will go to the bike shop this weekend.
Cicerone - this is a good tip also.

Everyone has had some really good ideas. I will stick with my pants, forgo the skirts and get a pair of the leg bands. Much easier to carry around.

My tip: take disposable gloves. You can then pull or push yourself back into a standing position without having to worry about what you touch in the process!

More info on which way to face when using squats (I was puzzled by Cicerone's advice, as I've always faced out). This is from Lonely Planet Japan (my emphasis): &quot;... the correct position is facing the hood, away from the door. This is the <b>opposite</b> of squat toilets in most other places in Asia.&quot;