Scared single girl going to Bangkok, Cambodia then Vietnam

[sammyj1978]

Thanks for reading but i'm hoping people will tell me it'll be ok....
1) should I book a transfer from Bangkok airport to the hotel?
2) I've booked a single room on my trip - will I be ok?
3) should I be worried that people are going to try and pack drugs in my bag?
4) do I need to take leg-cover things? Only packed shorts so far!
5) should I take gifts for locals? - loads of friends has said yes but on here they say no!

sorry for so many questions!

[desiree2]

Hi
1.Bangkok is an absolutley mad, crowded, noisy, sometimes overwhelming city but I love it. Transfers are easy to arrange whether taxi, shuttle bus or train, however, if you are feeling a little apprehensive then arrange a transfer. It's very comforting to get to a strange city and find someone holding your name on a card! Transfers are much more expensive than arranging your own but it's an expense I've never minded paying.
2.You will be fine in a single room. I'm off to Sri Lanka in January (not with G as they don't have SL tours - yet!) and have a booked a single room, sometimes it's good to have your own space for a while. I"m certainly not concerned about my safety.
3.I don't worry about people packing drugs in my bag but be wary if someone asks you to carry something for them. Lock your bag when you are out of your room. The night before any flight I tend to take everything out and repack - this is normally necessary to get everything crammed back in.
4.Take a pair of long loose pants or a sarong to cover your legs for temples. Make sure your shorts aren't too short especially if you are going into villages or country areas.
5.Gifts can foster a culture of begging so you have to be careful. You can always take a bunch of pens/pencils to hand out to schools. If you want to help out then buy gifts on your holidays and hand them out to your friends when you get home.
6. Enjoy yourself. The more trips you do, the more you'll adapt the above advice to suit yourself.
Desiree

[tletter]

1) should I book a transfer from Bangkok airport to the hotel?

It sounds like you'd find it more comfortable with a prearranged airport pick-up - G can provide this service.

2) I've booked a single room on my trip - will I be ok?

I'm not sure of your concern but why not share a room if this is a major worry? It'd be cheaper as well.

3) should I be worried that people are going to try and pack drugs in my bag?

I would think that this is a very small risk unless you decide to hang out with a dodgy crowd.

4) do I need to take leg-cover things? Only packed shorts so far!

Some reasons why you might want a pair of pants: (i) it can be cool on a long distance flight; (ii) protecting legs at night from mosquitoes; and (iii) you might want to be able to enter holy places.

5) should I take gifts for locals? - loads of friends has said yes but on here they say no!

If you buy local goods then that'll help more people than giving away gifts to a few people.
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[kiwikoalabaer77]

Hi,

Bangkok is my favourite city (besides my hometown Cologne) and it's a great place to start a tour even when it's your first trip and/or your first time travelling alone.

1. If you feel insecure I would book an arrival transfer.
2. You'll be absolutely fine with a single room. I used to sleep in dorms and share rooms till my late twenties but since I am in my thirties I mostly prefer to have my own space so I tend to book my own room.
3. Don't leave your luggage unattended when being in public places like train stations, airports etc.
4. Yes, you do need one or two pairs of long pants for temples etc. I would also recommend to pack not only tank tops but at least one or two T-Shirts with short arms and a cardigan or something similar with long arms. This is sometimes more convinient than tank top and shorts when being in rural areas as people are more conservative in South East Asia as they are in western countries.
5. Yes, it's better to buy local goods and you'll even have something to bring home for your family and friends or for yourself as a souvenir. But be aware that jewellery is often not genuine. This also goes for silver gems.

I am sure you'll have a fabulous time. I guess, you are going on the Roam Cambodia and Vietnam trip? When are you going?

Enjoy your trip and have a good time

Vanessa

[sammyj1978]

Can't thank you guys enough!
I thought I should book the transfer because of my fears... I'm 34 so think I will need my own room at some point and I've seen on here take doorstops for your own self security... Midji bites I think are going to be self knowing - deet it up... Then, I travel well with the frame of mind "when in Rome" so I will be taking a quick change to put on a long dress to be respectful.
Can't remember the other thing I asked but thank you again guys for taking the time to comment!
Sam xx
Oooo I leave the UK on 10th Nov and pick up the trip on the 12th xxx

[happybunny]

Hi
Im also travelling alone for the first time ..leaving on the 7th..trip on the 9th vietnam.cambodia then bangkok.....

have you had any innoculations and if so, which ones...I will also be leaving from uk

Elaine

[emsytravels]

Ah you'll be fine. I was scared like you before going on a Gadventures trip to Peru with a friend. They looked after us so well I felt safer than on trips to Europe with just me and a mate wandering on our own!

I'm now booking another G trip around South East Asis on my own, so that tells you how safe it is. But yes book a transfer to stop yourself worrying, you'll feel less anxious about it then. I'm going to be brave and get the bus!

You'll actually find you'd rather be sharing as it's more fun - I shared with my mate and we sometimes shared with a girl who was on her own!

You really will have an awesome time.

[AdamfromCanada]

Thanks for reading but i'm hoping people will tell me it'll be ok....
1) should I book a transfer from Bangkok airport to the hotel?
2) I've booked a single room on my trip - will I be ok?
3) should I be worried that people are going to try and pack drugs in my bag?
4) do I need to take leg-cover things? Only packed shorts so far!
5) should I take gifts for locals? - loads of friends has said yes but on here they say no!

sorry for so many questions!

Of the destinations you're hitting, I've only been to Bangkok and not for particularly long, but I've done several G trips, so here's my thoughts:

1) I think that the G transfers are outrageously priced in most cities and that where you might be able to hire a cab for $5-10, you're paying $50-75 for the transfer. That said, there is a peace of mind that comes with knowing you're getting picked up. It's also worth noting that there's several taxi/tuktuk scams that come in to play in Bangkok. When we were there, over a very short period of time, we ran in to almost all of them, but they're easy to avoid. First off, the cabbie from the airport didn't want to turn on the meter. This is apparently a common trick, trying to negotiate a price, because they know approximately how much the meter would net them. Insist on the meter or you won't ride with them. It is probably better to establish this before your bags are locked in the trunk...

The second scam was a tuk tuk driver trying to convince us our destination (the Marble Temple) was closed for renovations. It wasn't closed (I'd read about this scam) and I insisted I still wanted to go there. If you get convinced, they'll take you somewhere else instead, usually to a mall that will pay them to get you there. Our driver, failing in his first mission refused to take us to our second requested location (Wat Arun) unless we agreed to go to a mall first. We held our ground and he refused to drive us further, so we didn't pay him.

2) I've been on six tours with G Adventures now and no one has ever had a big issue, whether sharing a room or having their own. When solo travelling, I love having my own space to spread out and so I think the single supplement can be worth the money.

3) Don't leave your baggage unattended, but you should be fine. Remember, for someone to use you as a drug mule, they need to have contact with you both before and after the border crossing/flight. I'm sure the Brokedown Palace thing could happen, so maybe be a bit careful about the charming stranger right before you get on the plane, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

4) No idea. Sorry!

5) Gifts for locals is a difficult thing to pull off. You can risk offending proud people by doing it, as you look like the condescending Westerner, or you can get yourself swarmed if people catch on that you're giving stuff away. There may be opportunities to help the locals in one way or another, but you're doing a fair bit by spending a little money there, and that's less controversial. Your tour leader may be able to tell you if there's any way to help further, but third world charity is a terribly difficult thing because so often it rewards the wrong activities and benefits the wrong people (ie. encourages begging, using children as a draw, etc. etc.)

I hope that's helpful.

[nicolle89]

When are you going? I'm doing the indochina discovery tour starting 12th of jan was really scared before booking but now not worried at all! It's my first time travelling as a single girl. I'm Sharon a room although I don't know who with yet ha x