Visiting from the UK

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dragonfly
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Visiting from the UK

Post by dragonfly »

I'm currently planning a visit from the UK with a friend with a view to staying longer in the near future. The current plan is to fly into Phnom Penh and travel down to Sihanoukville where we plan to rent an apartment to use as a base while we stay for approx 1 month. While we are there we intend to explore the coast with a view to find somewhere we'd like to settle for longer on our next visit. Call it our pre-expat visit if you like.

However before we arrive we have a few questions....

Firstly Vaccinations - Both myself and my friend have had different advice from our doctors, I've been advised to only have basic travel vaccinations, and I can only have them 4-6weeks before a confirmed flight, then worry about the others when we return for a longer stay. My friend has been advised to have the basic travel vaccinations plus Rabbies and Japanese Encephalitis, which to me makes more sense, she was also told that she can have her vaccinations any-time in preparation, I've been told I can't have mine until I book a flight which is bonkers!! Can anybody advise which is right, and which vaccinations to have??

Secondly Money - we are planning to pay for the apartment and initial taxis transfer in advance and have made some contacts for this, however we are both unsure how much cash to bring with us, I'm aware that small denomination USD is the way to go, however for 2 of us to live eating out most evening, but breakfast\lunch at home, plus exploring the coast etc. We don't want to bring stacks of notes that are a risk, but on the hand we don't want to feel after the first week, we need to watch the pennies, we want to live comfortably, what sort of budget should we be looking at?

Thanks

Dave
TheGrinchSR
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Re: Visiting from the UK

Post by TheGrinchSR »

Given that you pay for vaccinations... you choose. You should get Hep B at a minimum and if I remember right that takes about 8 weeks to complete the course. Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis are important if you're going camping in the woods... not so much in the major cities.

Cambodia has an amazing invention called the ATM... withdraw money as you need it. Assuming you're living cheaply $10 per person per day excluding accommodation is fine for food and ordinary drink... a bit more if you intend to get rat arsed or smoke ganja like a chimney.
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dragonfly
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Re: Visiting from the UK

Post by dragonfly »

Do you mean Hep A or Hep B, Hep A is from water etc, which is part of the basic travel vaccinations, Hep B is blood and shagging about. Neither of us are planning on shagging about, but obviously the Hep A from water makes a lot of sense?? Not planning on camping out or anything, but potential to travel through such areas.


Okay I'm obviously reading out of date books, I read that ATMs are in the major cities, but not so much if you are out and about along the coast.
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Re: Visiting from the UK

Post by TheGrinchSR »

dragonfly wrote:Do you mean Hep A or Hep B, Hep A is from water etc, which is part of the basic travel vaccinations, Hep B is blood and shagging about. Neither of us are planning on shagging about, but obviously the Hep A from water makes a lot of sense?? Not planning on camping out or anything, but potential to travel through such areas.


Okay I'm obviously reading out of date books, I read that ATMs are in the major cities, but not so much if you are out and about along the coast.
I mean Hep B too... if you're going to move here, it's not just "shagging about" you can catch it from, the most common transmission is actually via saliva through contaminated eating utensils (yum, yum, eh?). Plus there's always the risk that someone gets stabbed and bleeds all over you, or falls off their motorbike and bleeds all over you... and so on.

ATMs are pretty much everywhere now in any settlement bigger than the "tiniest of villages". Though they're probably best used in major cities - like Sihanoukville where you're planing to stay for a month....
"If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever." - George Orwell
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phuketrichard
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Re: Visiting from the UK

Post by phuketrichard »

haven't had any shots since 1981 when i left the Peace corps ( except Morphine when i needed it ) LOL

leave ur money in ur bank, inform them your going to Cambodia and carry ur atm card.
figure MIN $10/day/person for food - 2 meals/day and some drinks/fruit

the thing u might get is Dengue and no vaccs for it
so forget them all, why load ur body up with poison?
Last edited by phuketrichard on Mon Apr 04, 2016 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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cptrelentless
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Re: Visiting from the UK

Post by cptrelentless »

dragonfly wrote:Do you mean Hep A or Hep B, Hep A is from water etc, which is part of the basic travel vaccinations, Hep B is blood and shagging about. Neither of us are planning on shagging about, but obviously the Hep A from water makes a lot of sense?? Not planning on camping out or anything, but potential to travel through such areas.


Okay I'm obviously reading out of date books, I read that ATMs are in the major cities, but not so much if you are out and about along the coast.

Hep A is a must, as few people wash their hands after taking a shit here. Although the bum hose minimises the issue. Two doses six months apart gets you 20 years protection. Typhoid vaccine only lasts three years on a decreasing scale, and you get it here, so make sure that's up to date. Like hot knives in your guts, apparently. JE is probably not necessary unless you're going to the boonies, and then dengue or malaria will probably get you first.
dragonfly
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Re: Visiting from the UK

Post by dragonfly »

Thanks Guys, Looks like get the standard travel vacs making sure to include Hep A and Hep B, and I was advised to take malaria tablets for atleast our first 30day trip, incase we're travelling in areas we get bitten etc. So all goo there.

And 10$ a day per person for food sounds good, and I guess if we plan on the same again for travel and staying other places along the coast as an average we won't be far wrong. Bear in mind that we plan to stay at the apartment and venture out for a few days, then return the the apartment for a few days, then venture off again etc.
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frank lee bent
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Re: Visiting from the UK

Post by frank lee bent »

it's not just "shagging about" you can catch it from, the most common transmission is actually via saliva through contaminated eating utensils

correct!
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Duncan
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Re: Visiting from the UK

Post by Duncan »

Question,[ 1 ] Do people still believe everything they are told by a doctor ? rather than what they have searched for on the internet.

Question [ 2 ] Are you getting these vaccinations for free, or is your doctor selling something to make a profit.

Question, [ 3 ] Of the 16 million people in Cambodia, how many have had the vaccinations you are expecting to have. If you want to expand on that,,, how many in Vietnam, Thailand ?

OK , fire away, I was only asking.
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
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bolueeleh
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Re: Visiting from the UK

Post by bolueeleh »

i suggest tinnitus (sorry about the spelling, too lazy to google) shot, at some point in your travels in cambodia you will be surely to cut by something rusty
Money is not the problem, the problem is no money
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