Did you buy malaria pills along the way or stock them before your trip? Do you have any advice about daily medications and how to bring them or get them in various countries when travelling for almost a year?

--Priti (Tucson, Arizona, USA); Jan 19, 2007

We did bring Malaria pills, specifically for Uganda, Tanzania and the less urban parts of Vietnam. In the end, we didn't use them in Vietnam. We didn't have any trouble getting the malaria pills (along with piles of vitamins and other normal medicine) in or out of any country. We carried a medicine pouch with all our stuff carefully labeled and were only asked about it a few times (in Africa), but it was never a problem.

--Susan & Grace; Feb 27, 2007

I have a silly question - I noticed the mosquito netting over the person in the hotel in Vietnam. Are mosquitos so prevalent that the hotels give them out to use? Did you need to take malaria pills prior to going? Thanks for answering.

--Edie (Michigan, USA); Sep 1, 2006

That is not a silly question at all! Susan is very allergic to mosquitoes (if she is bitten, it often swells up to several inches across and is very painful). So we're overly cautious about those little buggers and we often put up a mosquito net even where people say there are none about. In Vietnam in particular, we were advised to take malaria pills if we went to the more rural areas. In the end, we didn't, so we decided to skip the pills, especially since we had been on them for a while already in Uganda and Tanzania.

--Susan & Grace; Nov 4, 2006

This is a question for Susan. Did you bring any makeup on the trip? Is it a foregone conclusion that it will probably be ruined somwhere in the jungle heat? (I will be leaving on a rtw next year)

--Maribelle (outside Chicago, IL, USA); Aug 3, 2005

Yes, I did bring makeup and no, it's not ruined! I don't wear it most days because it's too hot or I'm too lazy but I'm still glad I brought it. I have a great compact from Trish McEvoy that holds all my makeup. You can buy it empty and fill it with whatever you need. It's dual layer so you can keep their foundation separate from the colors. I also brought along her eyeliner pencil and although it's soft it still hasn't melted. It looks similar to this one although this one comes pre-stocked.

Hope that helps and good luck planning your rtw!

--Susan; Aug 8, 2005

[Update: Some of these comments/questions were sent before we added the clothes section.]

--Grace & Susan; Jul 13, 2005

Hi there. So I am very interested in what clothes you brought on your trip and how you went about deciding. My husband and I are talking about taking a year around the world w/ our Pug dog (bit of a challenge, but we're determined to make it work). Anyway, I'd be interested to know what clothing item you couldn't live without, what you brought but didn't need (for example, I've heard that jeans are too bulky to be suggested for such a trip, but is that really true? I can't imagine.) Also- shoes... what kind of shoes do you live in?

Thank you for documenting your trip so that the rest of us may learn and see that it is possible to do this!

--Stephanie W. (Los Angeles, CA, USA); Jul 1, 2005

Thanks so much for writing and we're so glad you're enjoying the site!

Several people have asked for our packing list now so we'll be posting it on the next update. On your specific questions: the clothing items that we both couldn't live without are 1) quick-drying, light-weight pants and 2) our pajama/lounge pants. We both love to lounge around in comfort and having our favorite pair of lounge pants makes a big difference to us. You can pretty much buy other clothing (t-shirts, hats etc) on the road. Lots of people say don't bring jeans but on an extended travel trip I've found them to be invaluable. They keep me warm when it’s freezing outside and can also be worn in more cosmopolitan cities and out to bars/clubs at night. Besides my lounge pants, I only have my jeans and pair of light-weight pants. To be fair, I'm not carrying a big pack on my back like a lot of backpackers so I don't mind the extra weight of the jeans. Of course a jacket is also essential. Things we didn't need after Uganda/Tanzania were specialized bug-repellant clothing, a small pack towel, binoculars, and rain gear.

I have just three pairs of shoes: a pair of New Balance All-Terrains, a pair of black Born leather walking shoes and a pair of Chaco flip-flops. I spend most of my time in the NB and flip-flops but the black leather shoes are essential for going out at night, in some religious temples, and in more formal cities.

Traveling around with your pug will certainly be an adventure (and fun)! We miss our cat and can't wait to see her when we return home. Be sure to check out the quarantine requirements for the places you're thinking of going since for some places it can be up to 6 months!

Good luck and happy planning!

--Susan; Jul 6, 2005

Love your website - it's extremely well done. But how on earth could you think we don't want your packing list (of clothes)? Of COURSE we do! Many of us agonize every trip over what to pack. It would be great fun to compare our own packing experiences with what you two have taken along for an around the world trip! (It might even be inspirational - as in inspiring us to pack still lighter!) :-)

--Karen B. (Columbia, Maryland, USA); Jun 27, 2005

Okay, several people have asked for our packing list now so we'll try to include it on the next update. We're still trying to pack lighter (we hate carrying the bags), but I think we're at the minimum now! :)

--Susan; Jul 5, 2005