Quick Tip #6: Forms of Transport

Getting around in Cambodia is fairly easy–in the sense that you have 25 options and you can arrange almost any form of transport to take you anywhere you want (especially if you’re willing to pay). Caution: patience required. On any type of shared transport (shared taxi, minibus, or bus) you will undoubtedly make unexpected and prolonged stops. In other words, in the land of rubber time, you should forget the “exact time” they told you and expect to arrive at “some point”. If you’ve traveled in Latin America, Africa or other parts of Asia, it’s the same or… same, same but different.

So armed with courage, a little faith in humanity and a lot of patience, you should be able to navigate your way through big cities, the countryside and across national borders without too many problems.

Inner city transit usually happens on foot, bike, moto, taxis, buses, or–where lucky–the metro/train. But, depending on where you are in the world, don’t be afraid to hop on a tuk tuk, a cycle-rickshaw, or really anything with wheels/hooves. Always be sure to negotiate a price first and make sure your driver really does know your final destination. Sometimes drivers will cut a deal with you on the price if you agree to go in and look at their friend’s shop. They get a commission for just bringing you by. It’s harmless and sometimes you can even find good stuff.  If you’re in a hurry though, make it clear that there are no extra stops.

Transit between cities exists in just a many forms: private and shared taxis (very common in Cambodia), minibuses, large buses, trains, hiking/treking, and boats–to name a few. Most of them will depend on your time and travel preferences.  ALWAYS bring snacks and toilet paper–10 hours will quickly turn into 15 or 20 for thousands of inexplicable reasons.

Overnight bus tip: In some buses you will get the option to try sleeper carriages (pass if you’re claustrophobic, think overhead bins on the plane but with sliding doors) and bed or semi-bed recliners (cama and semi-cama in my beloved South America).  Of the three, I usually choose the semi-bed (for long bus rides it’s a million times better than just the regular seats), because the price difference to full bed isn’t worth it for me.

Just remember, emergency care is not always easy to access and in many places it doesn’t exist. So, have fun, try new adventures but use good sense. Sometimes it’s worth an extra $1 to bump up your transit plans.

Wherever you go and however you chose to get there, remember to tread lightly. The path you’re taking is only around because those who came before you took care (or, at least, didn’t destroy it). The planet is hovering over a great, dark abyss right now, so let’s try not to kick it over the edge. There are ways to enjoy travel and leave plenty behind for future generations to enjoy too.

I’ll post soon on green travel tips, but in the mean time..check out these sites:

Responsible Travel

Travel Green

Rustic Pathways (my roommate’s former employer)

What to do in Bangkok

I’d heard a lot of mixed reviews of the city before I came and to be honest I was ridiculously nervous. People described it with the same frantic rhythm and unyielding chaos as Delhi. I loathe Delhi to the core. Maybe it’s what Arundhati Roy in the God of Small Things describes as “Scurrying hurrying buying luggage trundling porter paying children shitting people spitting coming going begging bargaining reservation checking…” but my experiences in the city were pretty rough.

Fortunately, Bangkok did not remind me of Delhi in the least. I loved my visit here, the people I met, the places I went and the food I ate. It’s not for everyone though.  Below I give a rundown of who will probably like Bangkok and what you should do if you come for a visit.

 

Will I like Bangkok?

Bangkok is loud and chaotic, but for those who like city adventures, it has a world of mysteries to uncover.  I loved it and definitely want to go back. Thai people were incredibly friendly and helpful which makes all of the difference to me. People try to understand your broken thai with patience and then confirm with you in English! That being said, it’s not for everyone. Bangkok is easy to make what you want of it. Especially if you have money. But remember to get of the beaten trail a bit and see what you can find. Check out my recommendations for who will thrive in Bangkok!

Go if you… are young (at heart), are a vegetarian, are a fashionista (Bangkok is one of the fashion capitals of the world), are gay/lesbian/transgendered, like a city that never sleeps, like market-shopping and bargaining, looking for a party

Don’t go if you … are easily overwhelmed by chaos, don’t like big cities, have limited mobility (the city is definitely not wheelchair or scooter friendly), don’t like mixing with local people, can’t handle the heat (it was the most humidity I’ve ever experienced–including my trip to the Amazon basin)

 

I’m on my way, what do I…

Whether you’ve been dreaming of going or not, you’re on your way to Bangkok. Here are some must-see’s during your stay! If you’re in the “go if you…” category, I would try to budget at least 3 days in the city.

Do:  Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Pratunum market (whole sale shopping-go with friends!), Chatuchak market (weekends only), RCA (bar and club area), get a massage, Sky Bar (as featured in Hangover II), eat street food and ride as many forms of public transit as possible (tuk tuk, mototaxi, regular taxi, BTS, boat)

Eat: Thai food. It is extraordinarily delicious and super cheap. There is also a ton of other Asian cuisine + you can find all of your Western favorites.

Stay: Lub’d might be one of the top 3 hostels I’ve ever stayed at. It’s not on the main backpackers drag, but it’s super accessible on public transit and fairly central.  The staff that works there is mostly Thai and they’re very friendly and eager to help. 5 stars.

Get Around: If you’re staying close to the BTS (sky train), it’s fast, cheap, modern and amazingly efficient. But taxis, tuk tuks and mototaxis abound in the city and you never have to wander far to find one to take you to your destination. One of my favorite trips was on the boat after the Grand Palace and Wat Pho tour. Take the local boat! It was about $.5o for a 20 minute trip down the river to  connect to the nearest BTS station.

Happy Trails in Bangkok!

 

Quick tip #1: Always take the toilet paper!

If you’re staying somewhere that gives you toilet paper, take it all. You’ve paid for it and you’ll need it.

Toilet paper is an under-appreciated commodity in the West, but when you’re traveling you never know when you will need it and when you won’t have access to it. So, grab the roll, take out the middle brown part and stash it anywhere you have open space.

Happy Wiping.

And I’m off!

So tomorrow morning I head to Bangkok.

In effort to make this arrival to Asia less hectic than my horribly unsuccessful arrival to Delhi (also late at night), I’ve made the following adjustments:

1. Booked a single room close the airport that includes a one-way hotel transfer (Queen’s Garden Resort). The hotel and the transfer service both have ratings and user comments on a variety of sites, so it seems to check out. I will make the trek into the city the next morning during daylight after a sound night’s sleep!

2. Booked a dorm bed in a hostel in a neighborhood near the train (the same one that runs by the airport). In Delhi, I had a hard time meeting people because the hostel I stayed in only had private rooms and didn’t have good common space for everyone to chat. This hostel seems like a much better fit–Lub’d

I’m hoping these adjustments to my travels will make a smoother transition to Thailand than I had to India. Of course, Incredible India has no match in terms of confusion and chaos…

A useful map from Wikitravel!

Post any travel recommendations here!

How to pack everything you need–in one bag!

It’s been two years (already), since I stuffed a single backpack full of supplies and headed out for a tour around the world–literally.  I was a Thomas J. Watson Fellow from May 2008 to August 2009 (go the site to learn more about the incredible scholarship that changed my life) pursuing the project “In Peaces: Nonviolence and Reconciliation Movements” in India, Rwanda, Chile and Northern Ireland.

Needless to say, I was completely overwhelmed by the thought of packing for a whole year–let alone fitting it all into something that I could carry on my back. After finishing the year, I felt like the master of smushing, compressing and all-around packing.

I think it’s important to remember that the decisions we make as travelers don’t take place in a vacuum. There are many cultural practices we may not agree with in a place where we’re visiting, we are still beholden to those standards as visitors. Knowing when to push boundaries and when to just follow along is one of the most difficult dimensions of travel.

Below are a few of my travel essentials, a few helpful questions to start the packing process, and a few basic packing checklists. Fellow travelers, please share your own must-haves!

Questions before starting the process:

1. Will you be staying in one place or moving around?  

• If you’re in one place, take some of the pressure off of the one suitcase rule! I’ve found when I’m living somewhere, I like  having my stuff and being able to change it up.
• If you’re moving around, the most horrible experience I can possibly imagine is lugging multiple bags around. This is especially true of any bag you can’t carry by yourself or latch on to yourself physically (thieves are tricky…best to have everything attached at all times)

2. What will you be doing?

• Hiking? Beach bumming? Distributing vaccines to HIV positive children? –>these all require different sets of clothes and supplies (i.e.:you don’t need your swimsuit for the Himalayas)!
• staying at hostels? with a friend? hotels/resorts? —>think about what amenities will be available wherever you stay (i.e.: towels, hot water, laundry, food, etc)

3. What season/climate do you need to prepare for?

• Though many people enjoy all 4 seasons in the far North and far South (except me! I just like it warm!), countries in the middle (tropics) typically have a wet season and a dry season (their climates remain fairly constant year-round).
  
• During the wet season anywhere you want to make sure you have a pair of durable closed toed shoes, mosquito repellent and light, long pants and shirts (protection from malaria and dengue carrying mosquitoes)
• During the dry season have plenty of long, light pants and shirts (just a good travel item in general), plenty of sunblock and chapstick and lots of lotion!

4. What clothing is culturally appropriate?

• Unfortunately, this question is mostly for women. Men do need to consider things like shorts vs. long pants for different occasions, when a tank top is okay and what settings to take off their hat, but they are largely excluded from the drastic consequences women face if they make an error in judgment in clothing choices. Though I’m not one to cater to macho world, when I was in India, Kashmir, Rwanda and even South Africa (where rape is at one of the highest rates in the world) I thought carefully about my daily outfit.
• In most places, cover down to your knee and cover your shoulders (no tank tops, t-shirts okay)
• In more conservative places, women may need to be covered from ankle to wrist to neck.
• Consider wearing clothes that are easily adjustable (pants that roll into capris) and always have a scarf you can wrap around yourself

5. What can you live without?

• leave the things you don’t really need at home
  
• blow dyers, straightening irons, clothing irons, and cable TV are examples to include on this list

6. What cheers you up after a rough day?

• For me, it’s Harry Potter and a piece of peanut butter toast. I always make sure both aren’t too far away!
  

7. Is what I’m about to pack multi-functional?

• I try to only pack things that can be worn multiple ways and can be used for a variety of occasions.
  

Megan’s Must-Haves:

1. airtight/compression bags –these ones from target are my favorites! Cheap, durable, no extra contraptions required

2. bags, bags and more bags– ziplocks, waterproof satchel, canvas grocery bags and one normal-sized backpack. Anything that folds up tiny and can be stuffed in random pockets, compartments, etc (they come in unimaginably handy…but don’t over do it! I have 3 canvas bags, a handful of ziplocks, one waterproof satchel and one school-sized backpack that I use as a carry-on)

3. chacos

4. peanut butter-hard to find, unbelievably expensive in many places, and the one food I miss most of all

5. sarong (mostly for the ladies)-it’s a towel, a cover up, a wrap around skirt, a scarf..possibilities are endless

6. sunscreen (especially for all my fair skinned brethren)-it’s expensive, can be hard to find and since I’ve got more freckles than anyone I know, I can’t be too flippant about my sunscreen choices.

7. copies of all your documents-credit cards, passports, etc (and leave a copy at home!)

8. universal converter

9. tampons (again, ladies)– refer to sunscreen, only in this case many places don’t have them (be reasonable, Buenos Aires-tampons, rural India-no tampons)

10. A few of my favorite movies

11. chapstick

12. 2-3 carabiners

13. newskin–a band aid and neosporin all in one!

14. 3-4 bras–including one sports bra and one convertible strapless

15. one knock out dress– must be easy to pack and wrinkle resistant!

16. reusable waterbottle– one less plastic bottle in a landfill is a perfect reason

17. swiss army knife

18. multi-purpose clothing-if I can’t wear it 3 different ways and it doesn’t go with at least 5 other things in my bag, it’s not coming!

19. flashlight or booklight

20. compressible raincoat– many options, but this is my favorite!

21. duct tape—quick fix for your bag or a good way to wrap up that package to send home! (thanks for the reminder Gemina)

Things that are more difficult to find (outside of major urban centers and sometimes even in them):

deodorant, socks, bras [that fit well], english language books, journals, floss, natural soaps/shampoos/conditioners/etc, hand sanitizer, nail clippers, face wash, bathing suit, mascara, eye masks, ear plugs

Things that are easy to buy anywhere (if you’re not too particular):

Aspirin, antibiotics, shampoo, soap, flip flops (barring strangely sized feet), conditioner, sunglasses, pads, jewelry, cell phones, baby powder, toothbrush, toothpaste, band aids, razors, guidebooks, gloves and hats

Lists to help you get started:

One Bag

Independent Traveler

Happy Packing!