Thanks again, Virginia Travelers. I guess I'll leave my bathing suit at home. I had known about using bottled water (even for brushing teeth) and avoiding ice and raw fruits and vegetables (except those that I peel myself). I followed those instructions in China and Egypt (and maybe Peru and Bolivia...can't remember for sure). It was difficult to pass up beautiful looking cut fruit and salads, but I didn't get sick, so it was worth it.
I'll bet you have more of a chance to get brain eating amoeba from one of the bazillion fresh water lakes in Florida than a chlorinated pool at a hotel in Africa. Back in the day, our divers received gamma globulin and antibiotic shots after diving in Naples Bay (IT) to remove buoy ropes from the propellers of our liberty launches!
Nothing to fear from Halong Bay..it is an open body of salt water. We did a cruise on our own ( pre-Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand tour) and there was an opportunity to swim, but it was too chilly in January. And, if anyone bails on that beautiful Four Seasons pool in the Serengeti, it is his or her loss! Furthermore, if brain-eating bacteria is your worry, you should probably stay out of hot tubs in spas!
Nothing to fear from Halong Bay..it is an open body of salt water. We did a cruise on our own ( pre-Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand tour) and there was an opportunity to swim, but it was too chilly in January. And, if anyone bails on that beautiful Four Seasons pool in the Serengeti, it is his or her loss! Furthermore, if brain-eating bacteria is your worry, you should probably stay out of hot tubs in spas!
Yes, but the water temp there and in the pool at Mt Kenya Safari Club were quite brisk!!! Yikes!! : ) Reminds me of a Seinefeld episode. : )
I’m not sure whether people think the pools are too cold or just don’t want to be seen in swimsuits but on most tours we are virtually the only ones to go in the pools. Yes they ar generally quite cold. I was in the ship’s pool on my just taken Panama Canal Cruise five different days, it was lovely and warm, only once was there anybody else. Consequently, as soon as the guy videoing the tour for Tauck vignettes spotted me he started filming, yikes!
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Yes, but the water temp there and in the pool at Mt Kenya Safari Club were quite brisk!!! Yikes!! : ) Reminds me of a Seinefeld episode. : )