How do you "cool down" in Vietnam & Cambodia?

[MomC]

First, let me say that I know this river cruise will be hot and humid. That being said, I need any and all suggestions on how to survive the heat when off the ship. What's tips have you all learned about trying to mitigate the sun, heat and humidity. Clothes? Fans? Misters?

I truly suffer in the heat, but really look forward to all that we will see. I just need your help!

Cruise Critic people have never let me down. SAVE ME, PLEASE!!

 

Mom C

[PunkiC]

We barely tolerate the heat so we can sympathize with your concern. We just returned from a cruise to Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu and Brisbane, and were thrilled when we finally arrived in the relatively cool weather (upper 70s) in Sydney.

 

The worst ever was Greece in July--Athens was 106. We thought we would die, but we didn't. There really isn't much you can do except wear very light clothing and try to find air-conditioned vehicles and restaurants along the way. We will be going back to Athens and Santorini in October and almost feel like we will be first-time visitors to these ports as this will be the first time we can actually get out and walk around.

 

There are some places that are just always hot, like Singapore, so you have to decide if you want to see them enough to suffer the heat. For me, the answer is almost always yes. I want to go pretty much everywhere before I die or get too old to wander around under my own power, even if I am too hot.

 

 

Oh, I almost forgot, I always carry an umbrella and wear a big hat to protect myself from the sun.

Edited March 18, 2015 by PunkiC

[41Rainbow]

First, let me say that I know this river cruise will be hot and humid. That being said, I need any and all suggestions on how to survive the heat when off the ship. What's tips have you all learned about trying to mitigate the sun, heat and humidity. Clothes? Fans? Misters?

I truly suffer in the heat, but really look forward to all that we will see. I just need your help!

Cruise Critic people have never let me down. SAVE ME, PLEASE!!

 

Mom C

 

Cambodia is a little warm this time of year. We were there a couple of years ago and I thought it was one of the hotest places I spent any time in.

 

I did spend 2 days at Marble Bar in Western Australia and it was 48 c there....but it was a dry heat ...not like Cambodia and Vietnam where its humid as well

 

Good luck

Edited March 18, 2015 by 41Rainbow

[H2Otstr]

Try to stay in the shade, buy a hand fan from the street vendors and drink lots of water. I thought Cambodia was very hot. Our tours were in the morning and evening with time to rest and stay out of the sun during the really hot afternoon.

 

Wear cotton-type or linen clothing. Shoulders and knees must be covered for visits to the temples. Tops must have sleeves in them. One lady on our trip wrapped a scarf over her bare shoulders and was not permitted to enter one of the temples. She bought a t-shirt to wear so she could get in.

 

We always had a cold drink and cold towel waiting for us when we arrived back at the boat. The program directors will try to keep you as cool as possible.

[alexandra cruiser]

so that I could change 2 or more times a day. on AMA ship,rooms and rest all ac d.Also, had a pool onboard and lots of shade on deck.

I m from FL.and used to the weather,so didn't effect me as much as others.

 

All the above things will HELP,but if you re REALLY sensitive to heat and humiditiy.As some in my group were(they had to miss many excursions,sit down in shade,etc).sadly, may NOT be the right cruise for you. Can be a physical cruise,with lots of stairs, uneven surfaces,climbing out of small boats,etc. Just be aware, some of the older cruisers had a LOT of problems with that aspect.The hotels are all top notch,as is ship.Just on shore its very third world.

 

BUt if you can manage all that, its a great trip.We loved it.Just be aware and pplan ahead.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Many of the locals carry and use umbrellas (parasols really), during the day. Take a light-coloured, compact one, and it will be really useful, or just buy one from a street vendor. In fact, I'm going to be in Egypt this fall and will probably take one, since I don't deal with heat or sun well either. Barring that, a good hat goes without saying.

 

Drink lots of water. In Singapore I found that their custom of drinking iced coffee in the afternoons really helped--a little sweetened caffeine was a stimulant and made it a lovely iced beverage. Alcohol makes things worse in my experience.

 

As others have said, loose cotton clothing, long sleeves for the sun, and a tour guide with cold clothes really helps too.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Wendy The Wanderer

[cruisr]

Go at a time of year when its not that hot. I have been there in November and January and was never uncomfortable. People are uncomfortable at different levels and while I travel to Asia at least twice a year I find that its not the heat, but humidity, that is worst for me.

 

Bring an umbrella, lots of water and if needed, bring some zip lock bags with you. Fill them with ice and a folded wet washcloth. Even if all the ice melts you still have a wet towel to put on your head. If you don't want to walk around with an umbrella, a wide brimmed hat works well, also.

 

I personally am not a big fan of Vietnam, especially Saigon. Yes, we call it Ho Chi Minh City but the locals call it Saigon. Cambodia though is one of my favorite places in the world.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Edited March 19, 2015 by cruisr

[roaming_kiwi58]

We were in Vietnam and Cambodia in the second half of December (including the Mekong river cruise) and it was not nearly as hot as we were expecting. Hanoi was actually cold. Saigon, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap were fairly warm but not as uncomfortable as we thought it would be. So it depends when you go.

 

We are presently in Singapore, having just this morning stepped off a cruise which included Penang, Langkawi, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Yao Noi, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka. The heat this last fortnight has been a totally difference experience to December in Vietnam & Cambodia! Incredibly hot and draining! Tired now of feeling like a sodden greasespot and ready to head home to more reasonable temperatures!

 

Not that I am complaining - a little discomfit goes with the love of travel! And I feel privileged to be able to visit these places.

Edited March 20, 2015 by roaming_kiwi58

[Wingtips56]

Time of year does make a difference. We did our Ama Vietnam/Cambodia trip in early February, just happening to time Hanoi with the closing days of Tet, finding that a great time to be in the city. It was cool and even sprinkled on Ha Long Bay. Cambodia and southern Vietnam were pretty warm but not horrible. Dress the part.

We have tropical weight clothing from LL Bean. Vented shirts in very lightweight fabric with lots of breathing spaces. Very bland colors help against the sun and make you stand out less than a brightly colored tourist. Short or long sleeves, with long-sleeves being a good idea to keep the sun off. They have buttons above the elbow so you can roll the sleeves up and secure them when you don't want that much coverage. Then there are the tropical walking pants with zip-off legs. These are very handy, as you can go out in semi-unattractive shorts to be cool but then zip the legs back on as required for temples (and cathedrals in Europe), or when it does cool down. Some have short zips coming up from the bottom cuff, which lets you pull the legs off over your shoes. (I got laughs hopping on one foot trying to get my boots off as the leggings wouldn't fit over them.)

 

Parasols/umbrellas are very commonly used, even by many of the local men.

 

We were warned by the locals not to come in April, the hottest month, with the months on either side sharing the heat.

 

At least with the Ama ships, you can take a dip in the pool when you get back. They greet you as arrive back on board from every outing with cool moist towels and a refreshing drink. The ships are air conditioned too, except of course for the open deck. With the internal hallway and all outside cabins, you can stay cool indoors throughout the ship. So you may get hot outside, but recover just fine back on board.

Edited March 23, 2015 by Wingtips56