water bottle, bug spray
Did Tauck provide a reusable water bottle on this tour. They gave a really nice one on our trip to Africa last July. We are going on the VCT tour in January.
For those that have taken this tour, what was the bug situation like? Could you purchase bug spay either at the hotel or nearby, or did you bring your own? Trying to keep the suitcase weight within the very restrictive limit for a carry-on.
Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks!
0
Comments
We see to get a water bottle on every tour which is usually too heavy to carry around. We no longer bother to pack our own, partly because it’s not hygienic to not wash them thoroughly with dish soap and water regularly. Be assured water is always available.
A small bug spray barely weighs anything or you can take bug wipes or lotion. I wouldn’t want to be finding a store just for bug spray.
What I find about this area of the world is the extreme humidity, so either a lot of clothing or sending out laundry is required by most people.
We just returned in November from this tour. Water is available on the bus, and the hotels replenish the room water. Tauck did not provide a water bottle as the water is not safe to drink - including in the hotels.
I am a bug magnet and did not have any issues. I used bug repellant in the Cu Chi tunnels because of being in the woods. I left the small bottle I had in the hotel room.
I followed the weight and size restrictions for the checked and carryon that were provided by Tauck. Only a handful of those on the tour complied. The internal airlines are strict, and Tauck paid for all overweight charges. The TD stated she has never had a higher luggage overweight charge. None of the airlines weighed or were even concerned about the size of the carry-ons.
So that’s why the tour prices keep going up! People, keep to the luggage rules!
Thank you all for the helpful input.
We also took this tour in November. The local guide had mosquito spray for us at Cu Chi tunnels, and there were some there. I also had mosquito repellent with me, which I brought from home. I was most concerned in Chiang Mai, where I was careful to use repellent. I suggest bringing your own repellent. It was not provided by the hotels.
Our group seemed to be mostly compliant with luggage guidelines. When choosing carryon bags, keep in mind that there are a number of on tour flights. So, sometimes walking down stairs to tarmac, walking to or bus to plane and walking up and down stairs to board and exit plane.