Tips to try to keep dd safe whilst travelling around Vietnam and Thailand please.

[SaltySeaMaiden]

My dd 22 is soon to be going travelling for two months with her female friend (also 22). They have both travelled around Europe and the USA, but this is different area of the world that I have no knowledge of. They’re sensible and are currently having lots of jabs, good insurance, booked quite a few hotels and hostels in advance. It’s not them I’m worried about, it’s potential predators around them. Is there anything specific to that area of the world that they should be aware of? that they can take precautions against or avoid?

Methanol in cheap booze

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg3g805013o.amp

Yeah I was going to say the alcohol thing. It is not uncommon in places where bacpackers congregate. Avoid drugs too. Best not to get involved in that scene at all, the penalties are insane.

For everything else it is no less safe than Europe. Make sure she's got good travel insurance especially if she intends on hiring a scooter.

Yes, be careful of the 'free' drinks or massive buckets with goodness knows what in. Potentially dodgy.

Steer clear of illegal drugs.

Do not carry ANYTHING for someone else - e.g. helping someone take something through customs etc - easy to get used as a drugs mule.

Be gently sceptical of being asked for help. e.g. the scams in Cambodia where you are asked to buy baby milk for a young mother carrying her sleeping child (only the child is a tool in a scam whereby the 'mother' reclaims part of the value of the milk from the shop).

Steer clear of 'volunturism' and anything to do with orphanages. You aren't helping.

And have fun!

My DD’s advice after her 9 months travelling: Do not get on a motorbike, Do not eat cold pork (or any other cold meat) other than that have a fantastic time!

DD1 is in Thailand right now, and I confess I won't stop worrying until she's home, particularly as she's a bit of a "head in the clouds" sort of person. All you can do is educate educate educate, make sure decent travel insurance is in place...... and then hope that, as adults, they will make sensible decisions. You can't live their lives for them. She keeps telling me to stop stressing, but I told her it's in the Mum Job Description.

DD1 is aware of the cheap alcohol/methanol issues, clued up on personal safety, and is with a group of friends who are very much looking out for each other, no-one left on their own etc etc. She's not interested in drugs.

I read her the riot act re: mopeds, as she can't even stay upright on a Lime bike!

And she's having a whale of a time. Currently sending photos of a turtle she was swimming with earlier.

What places do they plan to visit in each country?