PRE-DEPARTURE GENERAL INFORMATION
Traveling abroad can give you a new understanding of life; it can test you on many levels and also reward you in many ways. In order to get the most from your experience, it always helps to be prepared both mentally and physically for the journey. This document will give you many answers to the questions you have and give you good tips for traveling safely and with good health.
You will get the most out of your time here if you come with an open heart and an open mind.
We will do our best to ensure your time abroad goes smoothly and gives you lasting memories that will sustain you for many years.
Vaccinations:
Being vaccinated is a very personal decision. Some people prefer to be covered for everything that might happen and others prefer not to have anything more than is absolutely necessary.
I strongly recommend you be covered for Tetanus. One injection should cover you for 10 years. India is not as clean as we are used to and often we need to remove our shoes in sacred places such as Temples, so we need to take care in this area.
Hepatitis A is carried through food and water and there is some risk to come into contact with this. Vaccination involves 2 injections one month apart. This would be a sensible vaccination to have before traveling anywhere in Asia.
Hepatitis B is carried through blood so we are at very low risk of being in contact with this. Injections are costly and are given over 6 months without any guarantee of absolute protection. This would not be necessary to have. Cholera vaccination is no longer totally effective.
Typhoid vaccination comes in the form of tablets and is taken usually a week before traveling. It can have very nasty side effects. It is very unlikely you would come into contact with this on your travels.
Malaria tablets. Malaria is only common in the depths of the more isolated areas after the monsoon. Malaria tablets are very difficult for the body to process and can have some very severe side effects. You will certainly see mosquitoes and may well be bitten by them, but there is a very low risk of catching any type of disease.
Please weigh up all the advice and make your own informed decision.
Travel Insurance:
Travel insurance is included in the price.
Money:
Changing money can be a very time-consuming task and not always easy to do as the banking hours are 10am-2pm Mon-Fri and 10-12 on Sat. Most hotels can change money and in some towns, there are private moneychangers with longer hours.
You can also access ATM machines using a Visa Card, these are now available in small and large cities. They’re everywhere!
Tipping:
Students should tip bag carries minimally when they deliver bags to the room.
Please do not give pens, sweets, money, etc to children who will approach you along the way. This perpetuates the begging mentality which the countries themselves are trying to eradicate. The countries we are visiting are very resourceful where people take care of each other by feeding the poor and having many welfare programs run through Temples and Churches. If you have only one pen and 10 children wanting it you will only cause trouble by giving the single pen. This fascination with pens is a reflection of their obsession with foreign goods whereas excellent local made pens cost very little and are readily available. If you see someone genuinely in need, feel free to buy them a cup of tea or some fruit. If they turn it down and ask for cash they are probably not as genuine as they first appeared and may be working in a professional begging ring that just live tourist spots for extracting money. Yes, there are many needy people everywhere in Southeast Asia but if you want to give something look for a registered charity along the way.
Personal Security:
Each student is expected to carry their own neck wallet with a copy of their passport. We will provide emergency phone numbers, contact information as well as cards printed in the local languages asking for help, information, assistance, etc. to also be carried in neck wallets.
DA chaperones will carry all tickets, passports (and any money, ATM cards at parents request).
It is wise to take precautions and always be alert. Small amounts of money can be carried in a “wallet” or shoulder purse. This ensures you do not need to pull out a pile of notes for a small purchase. It is important to not show the public how much money you are carrying. All hotels rooms have secure locks and some people prefer to leave their suitcase locked inside the room. Many top-end hotels have room safes also.
Taking care of your health on the road:
Parents will provide chaperones with all medical information, medications and health concerns. Chaperones can and will distribute all meds as requested by parents and doctors.
One of the main misconceptions people have about visiting India is they will ingest a terrible bug and “get sick”. This in fact rarely happens if you follow a few basic guidelines and listen carefully to your body. Always drink bottled water and clean your teeth in it at least for the first few days until your system gets used to the local area. Eat fruit you can peel or wash fruit such as grapes in bottled water. Wash your hands frequently. We constantly touch things in shops, at the market, children who greet us enthusiastically or locals who want to shake our hands. We come into contact with organisms our body is not used to but can adapt to very quickly. There is no need to become an obsessive hand washer, just be aware of it as most tourist areas are very clean. Their business depends on it.
So, what if you spend an uncomfortable, sleepless night on the toilet? Don’t panic, it is very unlikely you have a serious bacteria in your gut. Please do not take “Lomotil” or “Imodium” which slows down the bowel and may have been given to you by a well-meaning Dr. If by chance you have a minor or major bug you want to, in fact, expel it, these drugs slow the bowel and thus retain the nasty things. Drink plenty of bottled water and add electrolyte powder (e.g. “Pedia-lyte” - sugar and salt replacement liquid) if diarrhea lasts for a couple of days. Have some plain rice but avoid the temptation to eat lots even if you are a little hungry. Coconut water is also an excellent remedy and easy to find fresh along the way.
Please consider that your gut reflects much of our emotional condition. You may be experiencing some new and challenging things, which cause us to have an emotional reaction, or we feel the need to let go of much unwanted, long-held emotional junk. We often do this, it is said, on the toilet! Go with it and explore the change that in fact you are doing something very useful and it will settle of its own accord in 24 hours or so. Just keep drinking.
If the problem persists for 3 days or more, there may be something to treat internally. Antibiotics can also be harmful to the gut and should only be taken if absolutely necessary.
All our hotels will be able to call a local doctor (who speaks English) if required. The consultation fee is very small and they are able to prescribe the right treatment on the spot.
Mosquitoes are a nuisance but not a danger. Wear light-colored clothing in the evenings. Apply repellent as the most effective deterrent. Lemongrass oil is also effective. You can also buy insect repellent “Odomos” cream locally.
Telephones, Fax, and Email:
Parents will be provided with all contact information including phone numbers of hotels and tour agencies. Chaperones will also have a direct cell line for parents to call direct in case of an emergency.
Many hotels also now have internet connections (WiFi) in the room – please check the connection charges carefully as they can be very expensive.
Visiting Temples and Sacred Places:
You will notice many different forms of respect shown when people visit a Temple or sacred place. They will cover their arms and legs, and remove their shoes. We should do likewise. They will also remain silent. In Buddhist and Hindu shrines it is offensive to sit with your feet pointed at the Buddha, the Deity or towards other people, especially the soles of your feet, as they are considered unclean.
Please dress modestly on the days you visit temples or shrines, uncovered upper arms and legs can cause offense. Observe how the locals dress and follow their example.
Often we are requested to be silent. Sometimes we find this difficult to do as there are many things we wish to comment on or point out to someone, please be restrained and discuss whatever is required afterward.
By maintaining silence we also become aware of the power of silence, this has been taught by many sages. Even a brief experience can be very powerful.
Local Guides:
We pre-book licensed guides in all the main monuments and historical places that we take you. Should you go off on your own to other sites, you can also find a guide directly but we cannot always guarantee their level of knowledge or language ability.
Food:
You can find a wide range of food in this part of the world, from Multi cuisine in the hotels to all types of local dishes in the smaller restaurants along the way. If you would like to sample some of the dishes of the area ask your guides and they will select a good restaurant for you.
Shopping:
It is expected in this part of the world that you will bargain. Many of us find that difficult to do as we feel even the highest prices are quite reasonable compared to prices at home. Please be aware the shopkeepers will know immediately how many days you have been here and how much they can get out of you. Research carefully and bargain hard, you can overspend unnecessarily in the first few days until you get used to what the going rate is for the things you wish to buy.
There is free time in your tour program to go off with your chaperones exploring markets and bazaars, wonderful places to visit even if you are not buying. Asia's selection of jewelry, silk and other fabrics, bronze statues, silk paintings, and other exquisite gifts is very wide. Sometimes you will go into large emporium where the prices are particularly high, the quality of these goods can also be higher too so look carefully. Just seeing beautiful carpets and “traditional” trinkets and how they are made is as much of an experience as anything else you may do that day.
When you leave:
Leaving India can cause a curious mix of emotions. On one hand, you may be longing for order and quiet, some particular food you haven’t been able to get here and yet you really don’t want to leave. This feeling is common. Southeast Asia has a strange way of getting under your skin even though you weren’t expecting it.
Your experiences will stay with you for a long time and your understanding of theme will grow deeper probably as time passes. Your time abroad is very difficult to explain to family and friends when you get home. Your experiences are intensely personal and many aspects of this part of the world defy verbal description.
You may find it more difficult than you imagine settling back into your normal life back home. Your perspectives and priorities may have been challenged and changed. Go easy on yourself and don’t make any radical decisions, you are in a process of integration that could take some time. Stay close to the fire that burns in the cave of your heart that has been fanned by the spiritual winds of Asia. This is the deep power of this part of the world, underneath the dust and the chaos you will have been touched by this power that invades all aspects of life here and it has now touched yours. It will continue to show itself to you if you take time to listen.
I trust your journey will have brought more depth and understanding to your life and allowed you to see more clearly your own divine purpose.
Ramsey Brookhart,
Cayla Warneke
Shelby Soto
ssoto@denveracademy.org
(303) 625-3115
PRE-DEPARTURE GENERAL INFORMATION
Vietnam and Cambodia
Denver Academy
Preparing for your visit:
Traveling abroad can give you a new understanding of life; it can test you on many levels and also reward you in many ways. In order to get the most from your experience, it always helps to be prepared both mentally and physically for the journey. This document will give you many answers to the questions you have and give you good tips for traveling safely and with good health.
You will get the most out of your time here if you come with an open heart and an open mind.
We will do our best to ensure your time abroad goes smoothly and gives you lasting memories that will sustain you for many years.
Vaccinations:
Being vaccinated is a very personal decision. Some people prefer to be covered for everything that might happen and others prefer not to have anything more than is absolutely necessary.
I strongly recommend you be covered for Tetanus. One injection should cover you for 10 years. India is not as clean as we are used to and often we need to remove our shoes in sacred places such as Temples, so we need to take care in this area.
Hepatitis A is carried through food and water and there is some risk to come into contact with this. Vaccination involves 2 injections one month apart. This would be a sensible vaccination to have before traveling anywhere in Asia.
Hepatitis B is carried through blood so we are at very low risk of being in contact with this. Injections are costly and are given over 6 months without any guarantee of absolute protection. This would not be necessary to have. Cholera vaccination is no longer totally effective.
Typhoid vaccination comes in the form of tablets and is taken usually a week before traveling. It can have very nasty side effects. It is very unlikely you would come into contact with this on your travels.
Malaria tablets. Malaria is only common in the depths of the more isolated areas after the monsoon. Malaria tablets are very difficult for the body to process and can have some very severe side effects. You will certainly see mosquitoes and may well be bitten by them, but there is a very low risk of catching any type of disease.
You will be given lots of advice about vaccination by Doctors who get lots of information from WHO about which diseases are present in a country. This does not mean there is a high risk of catching it unless you spend long periods of time in rural areas with very poor sanitation. This does not apply to the places you will be traveling to.
Please weigh up all the advice and make your own informed decision.
Travel Insurance:
Travel insurance is included in the price.
All our vehicles are properly licensed tourist vehicles with complete insurance coverage.
Money:
Changing money can be a very time-consuming task and not always easy to do as the banking hours are 10am-2pm Mon-Fri and 10-12 on Sat. Most hotels can change money and in some towns, there are private moneychangers with longer hours.
You can also access ATM machines using a Visa Card, these are now available in small and large cities. They’re everywhere!
Tipping:
Students should tip bag carries minimally when they deliver bags to the room.
Begging:
Please do not give pens, sweets, money, etc to children who will approach you along the way. This perpetuates the begging mentality which the countries themselves are trying to eradicate. The countries we are visiting are very resourceful where people take care of each other by feeding the poor and having many welfare programs run through Temples and Churches. If you have only one pen and 10 children wanting it you will only cause trouble by giving the single pen. This fascination with pens is a reflection of their obsession with foreign goods whereas excellent local made pens cost very little and are readily available. If you see someone genuinely in need, feel free to buy them a cup of tea or some fruit. If they turn it down and ask for cash they are probably not as genuine as they first appeared and may be working in a professional begging ring that just live tourist spots for extracting money. Yes, there are many needy people everywhere in Southeast Asia but if you want to give something look for a registered charity along the way.
Personal Security:
Each student is expected to carry their own neck wallet with a copy of their passport. We will provide emergency phone numbers, contact information as well as cards printed in the local languages asking for help, information, assistance, etc. to also be carried in neck wallets.
DA chaperones will carry all tickets, passports (and any money, ATM cards at parents request).
It is wise to take precautions and always be alert. Small amounts of money can be carried in a “wallet” or shoulder purse. This ensures you do not need to pull out a pile of notes for a small purchase. It is important to not show the public how much money you are carrying. All hotels rooms have secure locks and some people prefer to leave their suitcase locked inside the room. Many top-end hotels have room safes also.
Taking care of your health on the road:
Parents will provide chaperones with all medical information, medications and health concerns. Chaperones can and will distribute all meds as requested by parents and doctors.
One of the main misconceptions people have about visiting India is they will ingest a terrible bug and “get sick”. This in fact rarely happens if you follow a few basic guidelines and listen carefully to your body. Always drink bottled water and clean your teeth in it at least for the first few days until your system gets used to the local area. Eat fruit you can peel or wash fruit such as grapes in bottled water. Wash your hands frequently. We constantly touch things in shops, at the market, children who greet us enthusiastically or locals who want to shake our hands. We come into contact with organisms our body is not used to but can adapt to very quickly. There is no need to become an obsessive hand washer, just be aware of it as most tourist areas are very clean. Their business depends on it.
So, what if you spend an uncomfortable, sleepless night on the toilet? Don’t panic, it is very unlikely you have a serious bacteria in your gut. Please do not take “Lomotil” or “Imodium” which slows down the bowel and may have been given to you by a well-meaning Dr. If by chance you have a minor or major bug you want to, in fact, expel it, these drugs slow the bowel and thus retain the nasty things. Drink plenty of bottled water and add electrolyte powder (e.g. “Pedia-lyte” - sugar and salt replacement liquid) if diarrhea lasts for a couple of days. Have some plain rice but avoid the temptation to eat lots even if you are a little hungry. Coconut water is also an excellent remedy and easy to find fresh along the way.
Please consider that your gut reflects much of our emotional condition. You may be experiencing some new and challenging things, which cause us to have an emotional reaction, or we feel the need to let go of much unwanted, long-held emotional junk. We often do this, it is said, on the toilet! Go with it and explore the change that in fact you are doing something very useful and it will settle of its own accord in 24 hours or so. Just keep drinking.
If the problem persists for 3 days or more, there may be something to treat internally. Antibiotics can also be harmful to the gut and should only be taken if absolutely necessary.
All our hotels will be able to call a local doctor (who speaks English) if required. The consultation fee is very small and they are able to prescribe the right treatment on the spot.
Mosquitoes are a nuisance but not a danger. Wear light-colored clothing in the evenings. Apply repellent as the most effective deterrent. Lemongrass oil is also effective. You can also buy insect repellent “Odomos” cream locally.
Telephones, Fax, and Email:
Parents will be provided with all contact information including phone numbers of hotels and tour agencies. Chaperones will also have a direct cell line for parents to call direct in case of an emergency.
Many hotels also now have internet connections (WiFi) in the room – please check the connection charges carefully as they can be very expensive.
Visiting Temples and Sacred Places:
You will notice many different forms of respect shown when people visit a Temple or sacred place. They will cover their arms and legs, and remove their shoes. We should do likewise. They will also remain silent. In Buddhist and Hindu shrines it is offensive to sit with your feet pointed at the Buddha, the Deity or towards other people, especially the soles of your feet, as they are considered unclean.
Please dress modestly on the days you visit temples or shrines, uncovered upper arms and legs can cause offense. Observe how the locals dress and follow their example.
Often we are requested to be silent. Sometimes we find this difficult to do as there are many things we wish to comment on or point out to someone, please be restrained and discuss whatever is required afterward.
By maintaining silence we also become aware of the power of silence, this has been taught by many sages. Even a brief experience can be very powerful.
Local Guides:
We pre-book licensed guides in all the main monuments and historical places that we take you. Should you go off on your own to other sites, you can also find a guide directly but we cannot always guarantee their level of knowledge or language ability.
Food:
You can find a wide range of food in this part of the world, from Multi cuisine in the hotels to all types of local dishes in the smaller restaurants along the way. If you would like to sample some of the dishes of the area ask your guides and they will select a good restaurant for you.
Shopping:
It is expected in this part of the world that you will bargain. Many of us find that difficult to do as we feel even the highest prices are quite reasonable compared to prices at home. Please be aware the shopkeepers will know immediately how many days you have been here and how much they can get out of you. Research carefully and bargain hard, you can overspend unnecessarily in the first few days until you get used to what the going rate is for the things you wish to buy.
There is free time in your tour program to go off with your chaperones exploring markets and bazaars, wonderful places to visit even if you are not buying. Asia's selection of jewelry, silk and other fabrics, bronze statues, silk paintings, and other exquisite gifts is very wide. Sometimes you will go into large emporium where the prices are particularly high, the quality of these goods can also be higher too so look carefully. Just seeing beautiful carpets and “traditional” trinkets and how they are made is as much of an experience as anything else you may do that day.
When you leave:
Leaving India can cause a curious mix of emotions. On one hand, you may be longing for order and quiet, some particular food you haven’t been able to get here and yet you really don’t want to leave. This feeling is common. Southeast Asia has a strange way of getting under your skin even though you weren’t expecting it.
Your experiences will stay with you for a long time and your understanding of theme will grow deeper probably as time passes. Your time abroad is very difficult to explain to family and friends when you get home. Your experiences are intensely personal and many aspects of this part of the world defy verbal description.
You may find it more difficult than you imagine settling back into your normal life back home. Your perspectives and priorities may have been challenged and changed. Go easy on yourself and don’t make any radical decisions, you are in a process of integration that could take some time. Stay close to the fire that burns in the cave of your heart that has been fanned by the spiritual winds of Asia. This is the deep power of this part of the world, underneath the dust and the chaos you will have been touched by this power that invades all aspects of life here and it has now touched yours. It will continue to show itself to you if you take time to listen.
I trust your journey will have brought more depth and understanding to your life and allowed you to see more clearly your own divine purpose.
Ramsey Brookhart,
(303) 947-2295
Cayla Warneke
cwarneke@denveracademy.org
(303) 916-3337
Shelby Soto
ssoto@denveracademy.org
(303) 625-3115
ssoto@denveracademy.org
(303) 625-3115
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