BootsnAll Travel Community

This is a little depressing and is for all the women travelers out there, but I feel that I have to write it.

On the island of Ko Chang, just south of Bangkok, I met a very nice Norwegian girl that had just finished 3 months of cycling across Vietnam and Cambodia. She was very smart, well-traveled, and independent...definitely knew how to take care of herself.

We were both ending 3 months in Southeast Asia and decided to celebrate before going back to Bangkok to fly home. We were staying in the same bungalow and I noticed that she did not come back from one of the beach parties we went to...I assumed that she had hooked up with a guy and that it was none of my business, so I left it alone.

She showed up at 08:00 in the morning, crying, and saying that she had been robbed and she thought maybe raped as well. I stayed with her and took her to the police (who blew it off) as well as the hospital, which confirmed that she had been raped. She now has to wait 6 agonizing months for an HIV test.

The last thing that she remembered was being handed a beer from a nice Asian looking guy. She was already buzzing and her judgment was probably off, but it was no doubt drugged.
She was nearly hysterical at the news as we got into touch with her parents and got her a boat back to Bangkok to fly home early. The last thing I remember is hearing her sobs as the longtail boat took her away...the memories of an awesome lifetime adventure shattered in the last week before home.

I am telling women this not to make them afraid, I met a huge amount of solo female travelers which were just fine, but just to be cautious in drinking situations like this, especially in a high tourist area.

Just got back from Nepal, doing the usual things e.g. trekking, white water rafting and hanging out at Meditation retreat centre etc etc… I have to say it was a little wet, but that was due to the monsoon. I just wanted to share with fellow travellers than Nepal seemed pretty safe to me after viewing the travel advice on the USA website. It’s my third visit in as many years, and I had no problems so far. I’d recommend staying in Boudha (Boudha Stupa, Kathmandu) if you’re interested in the Dharma (Buddhism), plus the Dharma crowd are very friendly and full of information about Nepal. You’ll find most of them hanging out in a place called the ‘Little Britain Coffee Shop’. The place has great espresso coffee the food is excellent, and their cakes are to die for. If you travelling for a while and miss home, get down there and mix with the people there. A great plus is the place is run by an English guy and standards of hygiene are high; something so important when in Nepal. Well, that’s enough of my ranting; get to Nepal, the country needs you… Its well worth the visit, place safe and ignore the USA travel advice, they can’t be more wrong about the country.

Now is rain season, in yunnan area normally from May to Oct. is raining season, just want to mention , if you want to hike in tiger leaping gorge, should be careful stone falling and landslid, when it is raining more dengerouse

To avoid unmetre-taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport, the taxi point will give you one paper which state of Taxi car license number, driver name and the charge for this will be add up 50 Baht, if you don't received this, please contact to information center.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a safe city. about the only problem you might have is buying electrical goods in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. There are numerous brightly lit shops selling cameras and other electronics near Nathan Road. Don't use them as they will probably cheat you, using bait and switch techniques.

Instead use chain stores such as Fortress or Broadway, or for cameras, Stanley Street in Central has some shops and there are also the popular and reliable Wing Shing and Man Shing stores in Mongkok.

Shenzhen

Pickpockets!! Be careful with your belongings.

Bejing and Shanghai

The tea shop and art gallery scams are still around, and perhaps will get worse in the run up to the Olympics. Be wary of a couple of young 'students' approaching you to practice their English. They will then suggest going to a tea house, where the tea is very expensive (although you don't see the prices until you get the bill). In the art gallery you are put under high pressure to buy pictures.

Also expect that a lot of guided tours will also involve 'shopping trips'.

I recently found out that Thailand has two different police forces. If you should be ripped off or scammed because you're a tourist, you can call the hung hung naa naa ( I think). They have a special number. Apparently, making a telephone motion and saying these words is enough to turn things around your way pretty quickly - they are apparently not nice and it is not desirable to get in trouble with them.

If anyone knows any more about this, please post. It's comforting to know that there's something like this, especially since it seems that calling police for things like robberies gets you nothing, except maybe a laugh in your face.

Just back from Davao, Philippines. Never felt any in any danger. Sure there where a lot of armed security, frisking, looking in bags, under cars, bomb sniffing dogs....But these things somehow, make you feel safer. The mayor there, he don't take to kindly with anyone messing with his city. We met so many friendly, welcoming people there. All smiles and laughter. They really want tourism to return there. The diving is very nice, and everything is way cheap. We are even thinking of buying a place there.

Scary place? Brave to go there....things I have heard from friends who find out we have been there.

Go visit Davao, and enjoy the diving.

quote:

Originally posted by Amstel:
We are even thinking of buying a place there.

I've had the same fantasy. Too bad I have no money...

I loved Davao too, felt really comfortable there. It was extremely dangerous back in the '80s, but not now. Glad you liked it Amstel.

Bangkok Thailand

I'd say pretty much any time of year...When you are around the Royal Palace you will get three scams

1. The Royal Palace is Closed for Buddha Holiday - This is not true just keep walking I know they are so believable those damn touts

2. Come take a ride on my longboat - they will just take you to so many shops and its a scam

3. Come see Happy Buddha - Listen they will pull out a map and point to a random location...Again this is a scam. There is no such thing just keep walking.

These scams are so prevalent there are signs inside the royal palace about them.

4. Even within the confines of the Royal Palace, or so you think, fake guides will attempt to offer you a guided tour of the Palace for hundreds of Baht...they are fake!

You need to ask someone at the royal palace for an authorized tour guide and it is cheaper and real!

Dont go to Manipur state in India (north east part).

It is awful. Imagine the worst things, incluing robbery and the most dangerous deseases in the world and go there.

The same with other Indian cities (In North and Central cities we have been). Sorry Indian friends, but most cities are dirty in India and they cause awful deseases there.

Be extra carfull pick pocket in Xian China.
train station-city centre

Maybe should go into the Travel News thread...but here we go:

USA Lift Travel Warning on Indonesia

thanks for tips.

quote:

Originally posted by Court:
Be wary of catching a taxi from BKK airport. The non-metered ones show up in the taxi queue, just like the metered ones. Ask before you climb in.

Yes my friend paid 900 baht ($30) to get from the airport to Hard Rock Cafe in Siam? (No Meter) That's just rediculous, it's normally 250 baht ($9) with the meter

In BKK, if you're offered a flyer, do not take it!
in some case, they will come after you and make you pay some money because you "took" their offer. Don't be so kind to them!

This didn't happen to me but some of my friends.