Just back from this trip and thought I could help...general conversation
Hi Fellow Tauck Travelers,
I know that another trip will not run until the Fall of 2017, but I wanted to jot down some notes that will help all on future trips.
1. Travel Lighter
All the hotels on the trip have hairdryers so no need to pack one from home. If you really want to travel light and do not mind using quality products from hotels then don't bother with a toothbrush, tooth paste, Q tips, make up tissue removers, shampoo and conditioners, great face and body soaps and lotions. Sorry but you will need to pack deodorant. All hotels have wash cloths as well.
2. Always have tissues in your pockets when you are out of the hotel, on the bus and seeing the sites...toilet paper seems to run out quickly.
3. Washing clothes on route...Tour Guide suggested to wash clothes at the Furama Hotel or across the street from the hotel at a local place. Many of us did both and all turned out well. At the Sheraton in Saigon they offered us a 20% discount for laundry which was helpful as well. I also did clothes at the Four Seasons...costly but heck we are on vacation.
4. Take advantage of the Tauck way of travel...three times on the trip you are staying on the Executive level of the hotel. This entitles you to the executive lounge......Metropole, Sheraton and Shangri La. So each day you are entitled to High Tea at 2:00 and then a spectacular cocktail hour with complimentary drinks and a buffet to die for. Many people chose not to go out to eat for the few dinners we had to pay on our own and take advantage of this great, relaxing and congenial settings. Also there is fresh fruit in your room at every hotel...enjoy a little pick me up as you shower after a long day of seeing the sights.
5. Seeing the sights...Angkor Wat and as well as many of the temples along the trip will require you wearing knee length or below the knee shorts, capri pants and short sleeved shirts. My walking shorts were fine except for the temple day in Thailand. Then long pants not even capris were a must. Bring the lightest pair of pants you have because it is hot and muggy in pants but you do not want to miss the sights.
6. Cambodia and US currency..yes it is true! Carry new and crisp 1, 5, 10 dollar bills and you will be all set. In fact have them ready to go in your pockets. There is one day that you will go on a fishing village boat trip. The small boys on the boat will try to give you a back massage as their dad drives the boat. This made me uncomfortable that they worked the boat and also tried to do more for us. I skipped the massage and gave them each a dollar instead.
7. Other moments of kindness....visiting the school in Vietnam. Do go to the dollar store before leaving the USA and buy pencils for the school. Though I had some concerns about our visit to the school, many people on the tour had not read that we were going to visit a school. They all went scrambling to either buy candy or collect the toiletries from the hotel to bring with us. Tauck supplies milk to this school so be prepared, if you would like, to give something that the school can need. One travelers with me thought we should have taken the fruit from our hotel rooms that we were not eating and given that to the school. I think the tour guide or Tauck can give us better guidance in this issue.
8. Carry some pencils with you along the way...there were other times that I met children along the way as we traveled and I wished I had kept a pack of pencils with me just to say hi and give them out.
Well that just about does it for my thoughts...this was trip 14 for me with Tauck...well worth it..Enjoy! Regina
I know that another trip will not run until the Fall of 2017, but I wanted to jot down some notes that will help all on future trips.
1. Travel Lighter
All the hotels on the trip have hairdryers so no need to pack one from home. If you really want to travel light and do not mind using quality products from hotels then don't bother with a toothbrush, tooth paste, Q tips, make up tissue removers, shampoo and conditioners, great face and body soaps and lotions. Sorry but you will need to pack deodorant. All hotels have wash cloths as well.
2. Always have tissues in your pockets when you are out of the hotel, on the bus and seeing the sites...toilet paper seems to run out quickly.
3. Washing clothes on route...Tour Guide suggested to wash clothes at the Furama Hotel or across the street from the hotel at a local place. Many of us did both and all turned out well. At the Sheraton in Saigon they offered us a 20% discount for laundry which was helpful as well. I also did clothes at the Four Seasons...costly but heck we are on vacation.
4. Take advantage of the Tauck way of travel...three times on the trip you are staying on the Executive level of the hotel. This entitles you to the executive lounge......Metropole, Sheraton and Shangri La. So each day you are entitled to High Tea at 2:00 and then a spectacular cocktail hour with complimentary drinks and a buffet to die for. Many people chose not to go out to eat for the few dinners we had to pay on our own and take advantage of this great, relaxing and congenial settings. Also there is fresh fruit in your room at every hotel...enjoy a little pick me up as you shower after a long day of seeing the sights.
5. Seeing the sights...Angkor Wat and as well as many of the temples along the trip will require you wearing knee length or below the knee shorts, capri pants and short sleeved shirts. My walking shorts were fine except for the temple day in Thailand. Then long pants not even capris were a must. Bring the lightest pair of pants you have because it is hot and muggy in pants but you do not want to miss the sights.
6. Cambodia and US currency..yes it is true! Carry new and crisp 1, 5, 10 dollar bills and you will be all set. In fact have them ready to go in your pockets. There is one day that you will go on a fishing village boat trip. The small boys on the boat will try to give you a back massage as their dad drives the boat. This made me uncomfortable that they worked the boat and also tried to do more for us. I skipped the massage and gave them each a dollar instead.
7. Other moments of kindness....visiting the school in Vietnam. Do go to the dollar store before leaving the USA and buy pencils for the school. Though I had some concerns about our visit to the school, many people on the tour had not read that we were going to visit a school. They all went scrambling to either buy candy or collect the toiletries from the hotel to bring with us. Tauck supplies milk to this school so be prepared, if you would like, to give something that the school can need. One travelers with me thought we should have taken the fruit from our hotel rooms that we were not eating and given that to the school. I think the tour guide or Tauck can give us better guidance in this issue.
8. Carry some pencils with you along the way...there were other times that I met children along the way as we traveled and I wished I had kept a pack of pencils with me just to say hi and give them out.
Well that just about does it for my thoughts...this was trip 14 for me with Tauck...well worth it..Enjoy! Regina
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to give to kids in nursery.