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PaddleAsia adventure tour
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- Personal medication - Note: If you
are allergic to bee stings, you are likely allergic to jellyfish
stings also. Bring your own EpiPen® (A self-injectable dose of Epinephrine).
- Personal hygiene items such as soap, shampoo, insect
repellant, etc.
- Sunscreen or sunblock (SPF15 or greater). Zinc sunblock
is recommended for sensitive skin.
- Lip balm (protector/moisturizer/sunblock)
- Rainwear and/or 'warm-when-wet' types of clothing such
as some of the new synthetic cloths. December through March is usually
very dry. El Nino can change that, but not much.
- Light weight, light colored hat. Throw an extra
hat in too.
- Sunglasses and safety strap. An extra pair of sunglasses
is a good idea.
- A small waterproof flashlight.
- Water shoes (wetsuit booties are a bit too hot)
- An extra pair of sandals (Dave learned this the hard way
when he had to wear a pair of undersized light purple shoes for
a whole week in Laos on one trip... they were the only pair in Vientiane
close to his required size 13)
- If you're coming on one of our hiking or mountain
climbing trips, you'll need a pair of sturdy hiking boots
with lugged soles.
- Lightweight gloves with non-slip gripping surface if
you have tender hands. This is also a good idea of you have sun-sensitive
skin. A sunburn on the back of your hands is not pleasant.
- Lightweight, light-colored, long-sleeve shirt if you
are sensitive to the sun. Wearing protection against the sun during
the midday hours is a good idea for anyone coming to an Asian country.
- If you bring a non-waterproof camera, you may
wish to bring your own pre-tested watertight container.
We provide a quality dry bag for each person, but in a humid climate,
moisture can sometimes be sealed in along with the camera. Bring
a hand towel or small towel to wrap your camera while in the dry
bag. It's good padding and it's helpful in case you've got
sweaty or wet hands.
- Plenty of film and batteries.
- Binoculars (a 'must' for a Khao Sok trip). We have
dry bags for your camera and binoculars.
- Bring your own towel. Some
of the other bungalow operations have synthetic towels that just
seem to smear the water around. The bungalows at Khao
Sok DO NOT have towels. Bring your own.
- You only need a small amount of money for incidentals, personal
items, tips, etc. 
- If you are a light sleeper, you might want to
bring some ear plugs. Frogs and other night sounds can get pretty
loud.
- Your personal paddle if you wish
- Tarutao, Khao Sok, Trang
- bring about 10 feet of light string to make a clothes line.
Bring a few clothes pins too.
- Jewelry and make-up are not necessary. If you don't bring
it, you can't loose it
- A smallbattery-operated
fan will increase your comfort level immensely.
Some of the bungalows have fans, but they are often on generator
power. They sometimes shut them off either in the middle of
the night or early in the morning.
Naturally we respect Thai and Lao cultural
values. Remember, we will be going to areas that see few Western
tourists. This means the local people can be easily offended by
scantily dressed Westerners. It is particularly important that women
realize in Muslim areas, it is very important not to appear in bikinis
or other clothing that people of more traditional cultures would
consider provocative or offensive. In other words, you won't be
able to wear your bikini around the fishing villages. A pair of
shorts and a shirt will do. Once on the water, you can do as you
please.
Pack lightly
Leave the kitchen
sink behind! You should pack lightly for
our trips. You don't need to bring huge suitcases or massive
backpacks. For example, on a two or three day Phang Nga trip,
you should only bring a small pack or small bag. Besides the
items listed above, you should only bring your swimming attire and
a couple of shirts and trousers or shorts.
If you are on an extended tour
and you can't leave your baggage at your hotel while you're with
us, we offer storage at various locations. We cannot be responsible
for the security of your luggage however. Please let us know your
situation ahead of time, so we can make arrangements for your excess
luggage.
Health
matters
In our experience, Thailand
is a safe, healthy country for normal activities.
Thailand does not necessarily require any particular immunization
for your visit. Cholera, yellow fever, Tetanus & Diphtheria,
Typhoid and Gamma Globulin are some of the vaccinations that you
should consider. We still recommend that you consult your
physician for recommended inoculations before departure to Asian
destinations, particularly in the case
of our Laos trip.
For medical
advice, check out the following sites:
Center for Disease Control main site http://www.cdc.gov/
Traveler's section http://www.cdc.gov/travel/
SE Asia section http://www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm
Note: Malaria is present in Laos, but is uncommon in our
other locations. During the rainy season, April through November,
it is advised that you take all precautions to avoid contact with
the mosquitoes. For our Laos trip, malaria prophylactic medication
is highly recommended, as is a lightweight mosquito net (available
from outdoor equipment suppliers). We supply mosquito nets on our
Laos trips. These are small precautions to fully enjoy a very special
experience.
Additional
Insurance
Acquiring travel insurance
policy that covers theft, loss and medical treatment is recommended.
Make sure the insurance also covers the activities that you will
be undertaking during your stay... such as kayaking.
Personal
medical kit
 We
have a first aid kit on all of our trips. If you would like
to bring your own or if you will be traveling to other destinations
before or after your PaddleAsia adventure, here is our suggested
list of contents:
-
One very useful addition to any first aid kit is
New
Skin. This is a liquid bandage, which is
both an antiseptic and waterproof. It creates a plastic shield over
the wound. This is very appropriate for the tropics.
- Aspirin or Panadol - for pain or fever.
- Antihistamine - useful as a decongestant for colds, allergies,
to ease the itch from insect bites and stings or to help prevent
motion sickness.
- Antibiotics - useful if you are traveling well off the beaten
track but they must be prescribed. You can however, get antibiotics
over the counter in Thailand.
- Kaolin preparation (Pepto-Bismol), Imodium or Lomotil - for upset
stomach or diarrhea.
- Rehydration mixture - for rehydration as well as treatment of
severe diarrhea.
- Topical antiseptic - mercurochrome, antibiotic powder, or similar
'dry' spray - for cuts and abrasions.
- Calamine lotion - to ease irritation from bites or stings.
- Bandages and Band-Aids (plasters) - for minor injuries.
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Thermometer
- Insect repellent
- Sun block and/or suntan lotion
- Chapstick lip protection
- Water-purification tablets if you plan on camping... not
needed on our guided tours
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Throat lozenges
- Moleskin - for blisters
- Sulamyd 10% eye drops
- Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)
- Antacid tablets
A simple medical kit can be very useful and won't take too much
space in your baggage. Prevention, of course, is the best form
of medicine.
Travel
tips
Use caution in what you eat and drink. Stomach upsets are the most
likely travel health problem but the majority of these upsets will
be relatively minor.
Drink bottled water only. Don't drink water with
ice unless the ice has a "hole" in it. In Thailand, the ice
with a hole is from proper drinking water. Crushed ice can be chancy.
Tea or coffee is recommend since the water would have been boiled.
Be cautious when drinking fruit juice, particularly if water was
added. Canned fruit juices are OK.
Salads and fruit should be washed
with purified water or peeled whenever possible.
Thoroughly cooked food is the safest but not if it has been left
to cool. Many restaurants cook their food in the morning and leave
it out all day. It's usually OK, but if you are very
sensitive, you might get a bit of an upset stomach.
Wash your hands regularly. It's quite easy to contaminate
your own food.
You should brush your teeth with purified water rather than tap
water.
Wear shoes. You can get worm infections through
bare feet. It is important to wear shoes at all time in Khao Sok
as the bungalow walkways and all flooring is made up of bamboo.
You don't want bamboo splinters.
Try to avoid insect bites by using insect repellents
or by covering bare skin.
Passport
protection
Losing
your passport is a big deal. You can get a new one at your country's
embassy in Bangkok. To make this nightmare easier to handle, carry
a copy of your passport and birth certificate in a different
place from where you carry your passport.
A
passport, especially a US passport, is worth a lot of money on the
black market. Be cautious. Keep your passport with you at all times.
Jet
Lag
If you are traveling a long distance and are concerned about 'jet
lag', check out this homeopathic remedy site at http://www.nojetlag.com
(made in New Zealand). There is also a lot of useful advice about
what to do and what not to do before and after your flight.
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