Hi Marion!
To be on the safe side, I'd say bring two cans of DEET spray 50%. I put it on pretty much every day on the Vietnam/Cambodia holiday - some people only put it on when we were in country areas and some didn't use it at all! I only saw mosquitoes at Hoi An and in Siem Reap, I got one bite in Hoi An. But the areas we went to were not high risk malaria areas so I wasn't too concerned. You'll have a different itinerary so the situation might be different for you and also I went during the dry season and I think you'll be in the southern monsoon season so that might have a bearing on the mosquito/malaria situation.
The only advice I can really give you is to check with your GP/nurse regarding the time of year and the areas you'll be going to and follow their advice. Hopefully it'll be similar to when I went and won't be a problem.
When I was in South Africa/Zambia, I stayed in some high risk malaria zones where the mossies were very active, so I have some experience of dealing with this type of situation too - and don't worry, it's not as bad as you might think! I used to put my sun cream on after my morning shower, wait about 15-20 minutes till it had fully dried in and then apply the DEET. I have very sensitive skin and didn't have any reactions, which was a relief. I do get pricky heat from the sun, but I take Piriton three or four times a day in hot/humid temperatures and that stops the rash from appearing! Always apply sun cream first, then DEET. You can repeat the sun cream later in the day if needed and I used to have a spray of DEET before going out to dinner in the evenings as well. Keep the air-con on in your room, and if you're being troubled by mossies, keep it on when you are out of the room as well. They are most active at dawn and particularly at dusk. You might see them throughout the day but I think they are most likely to bite at these times. Ignore the advice about wearing long sleeves - they can bite through clothes anyway! They particularly like the soft parts of your arms and ankles for some reasons. Just DEET up well if you are in a high risk/mossie activity area. Avoid perfume/after shave (if there are any men reading this!) as this will undermine the effect of the spray. The spray can catch you in the throat, so I used to do the DEET dance - spray a bit, rub it in, hop/run around the room and spray another part of me!! You can also use roll-on, wrist bands etc but I have the feeling that they are not as effective as the spray.
For long haul tours I usually bring around $1000 with me, but if most of the meals are included you should need a lot less than that. I always let my credit card company know where I'm going and on most tours I usually end up using it a couple of times, also saves on using the cash. I think I probably spent around $500 on the Vietnam/Cambodia tour, possibly less than that. Book the excursions before you leave, so you won't have to bring too much cash with you. As a rule of thumb, I do all the excursions unless I really, really don't want to do any particular one. I don't think I've ever regretted doing an optional excursion on a JY tour yet (done six to date, with seventh booked!). Drinks, especially wine, can be expensive in these countries, so check the price first! Also service can be slow (esp. in Cambodia) so ask for your bill 10-15 mins before you want to leave.
I think that covers the main things - but THE main thing is not to worry too much about the mossies, DEET etc. Take reasonable precautions, and have a great holiday!!
Any more info I can give you, just ask!
Cheers,
Bob
