What not to wear in Southeast Asia

I like to travel light. Aside from the practicality of getting about without lugging an oversized suitcase, airlines now make it costly to take too much along on your trip. But I’m okay with that. Back in pre-9/11 days when you could carry more than 3 oz. of liquids on board, I was able to make do with a carry-on suitcase. These days, I still use my carry-on sized case but I check it instead.

Traveling light doesn’t mean you have to forego travel essentials (more about that later.) Being prepared for most inconveniences can make the difference between a trip you enjoy and one you endure. Who wants to run about in an unknown city or town trying to track down something you need right away?

Clothing
Every traveler has her list of clothing they wouldn’t leave home without. This gal needs 5 bras to get her through her travels, but I don’t even own five bras. Packing lists like these are useful, but each one needs personalization to make it fit your lifestyle and clothing preferences. I don’t pack skirts or dresses, for example, but you may want to.

• 2 long pants, but not jeans. Loose, comfortable clothing is important, but jeans are just too hot and heavy for the humid SEA climate. My favorite pair of pants are cut like 5-pocket jeans but are made of a light serge. My second pair of bottoms are linen drawstring pants. They’re easy to dress up, plus they’re light and comfortable like pajamas.
• 2 capri-length pants. Unless you’re hanging at the beach, don’t wear shorts in SEA.
• 1 pair of yoga pants. I can dress these up or down, and they’re great for lounging in.
• 3 tank tops, for layering under shirts or sleeping in.
• 3 cotton t-shirts
• 3 long sleeved shirts. Light, long-sleeved shirts are great for keeping the searing sun off your arms. My favorite long-sleeved shirt is made from crinkle gauze and has tabbed sleeves so you can roll them up. It also dresses up nicely when layered over a tank top.
• 1 Polartec hoodie, good for airplanes and frigid VIP aircon buses.
• 1 pair of low-rise trek shoes. I have a pair of ultra-light Adidas trail runners with mesh uppers that are perfect when heavy, hot hiking boots would be too much.
• Tevas, or a sturdy pair of trek sandals.
• Flipflops for lounging. I also wear them in the shower just in case. I don’t want to develop athletes foot on my trip.
• 3 pairs of socks, which I will hardly wear but are nice to have. I tend to live in Tevas and flipflops when I visit SEA, but I still need socks to wear with my trek shoes.
• 2 bras and 5 undies. I always prefer cotton, but for travel, nothing beats quick-drying fabrics like nylon. Wash them nightly in the sink and never be out of clean panties.
• Scarf or sarong. Use the scarf to dress up an outfit, give yourself some privacy at a roadside pee stop, or cover up after swimming. In some more conservative places, you might want to cover up while swimming.

The other stuff
Aside from the obvious toiletries and first aid supplies like aspirin, Band-aids, and relief from traveler’s diarrhea, here’s a short list of indispensable items.

• Earplugs and eyeshade. I never let a noisy or too bright situation ruin a good nap.
• AC adapter. Almost all electronic chargers are dual voltage, so a converter isn’t needed. Just get plug adapter and you’re all set to charge you camera batteries and other electronics.
• Travel pillow. Mine isn’t inflatable, but it does compress quite nicely and has a nice, plush cover. It keeps my head from lolling & snapping me awake while I nap on long flights, train rides, or buses.
• Journal & pens. Sometimes I just write down a bulleted list of things I did, and other times I wax on and on about my experiences. Either way, it’s the only way I will remember all the details. Good for annotating my photos, too.
• Washcloth. This sounds stupid, but I’ve yet to meet one in the places I’ve stayed, so I bring one from home. I spend my entire day outdoors, and by the end of the day I need a scrubby cloth to get the dust & grime off me.
• a small purse for when a daypack isn’t needed.

Useful tips
Roll, don’t fold. Rolling your clothes takes better advantage of your luggage’s cubic space than folded clothes. I’m sure there’s a perfect scientific explanation for this, but you’ll have to trust me. It works. Wear bulkiest items on the plane (e.g. hoodie, trek shoes) and pack the lighter stuff away. Tuck small stuff like undies and socks in the corners, and pack the inside of your shoes with t-shirts.

Bag it. During flight, the change in air pressure makes plastic containers expand and collapse, so avoid messes by putting all your toiletries in 1-liter zipper-lock bags. Bag your clothes, too. After a trip to the Smoky Mountains that soaked my backpack and everything in it, I decided that everything goes in a plastic bag. Grocery store bags are really good to keep dirt and moisture from your clothes and other effects. Put bottoms in one bag and tops in another, which makes finding stuff easier as well.

Tags: packing, SEA, Southeast Asia, Travel, what to wear

The Golden Triangle

I have to admit I quite impulsively booked a flight to Bangkok back in September. I didn’t really have an itinerary; I just knew I wanted to be someplace else for a month. After some research and planning, this is my itinerary thus far:

2 days in Bangkok staying with my outrageous friends, Cameron & Dale. They live in a very swanky highrise condo next to the Malaysian Embassy. Staying with them for a few days is the best way to decompress from the long flight, and snag some insane shopping bargains at the nearby Night Market and Silom Road.

5 days in Chiang Rai, in the region commonly know as the Golden Triangle, formed by the borders of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. This area is home to dozens of different ethnic minorities, but is also known historically as a hub for the opium trade. My stay includes some responsible trekking and bike riding to nearby villages. I’m looking forward to visiting Mae Salong, a village in the hills of north Thailand that is populated by former Chinese Nationalists soldiers who settled here in the 1940s.

2 days on the Mekong River, having crossed the Thai border from Chiang Khong. Once on the Lao side, I’ll take a boat downriver, a halfday journey that stops overnight in the riverside town of Pak Beng. The boat arrives the next day in Luang Prabang. From there it’s slow goings, but that’s the whole point. I have about 10 days or so to explore the northern province. The scenery is spectacular, with tall karst formations, waterfalls, and Buddha-filled caves.

From there it’s a long and winding bus ride to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, where I’ll spend 3-4 days before I return to Bangkok for a few more days before flying back to San Francisco.

Tags: Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle, Laos, Luang Prabang, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Vientiane