#1 Travel Tip: NEVER Leave Home Without Wet Wipes

I was in the middle of a night market in Taiwan when it hit.

Not inspiration. Not culture shock. The street food.

My stomach made a decision before my brain could weigh in. I found the nearest public bathroom, pushed open the door, and saw it. A hole in the ground. No toilet paper. No bum gun. No nothing.

Just me and a squat toilet in a crowded night market with zero negotiating power.

I had wet wipes which I had left back at the hotel, because we weren't going to be gone long.

I went home immediately and showered.

Then there was Thailand. Different country, different surprise. I walked into the bathroom and found two buckets of water with plastic scoops sitting next to the toilet. No flush handle. No paper. No instructions.

I stood there like I was solving a puzzle with no picture on the box.

Bali? Another hole in the ground. At this point I wasn't even surprised. Just disappointed in myself for still not having wet wipes in my bag.

Three countries. Three bathrooms. Three versions of "figure it out." And in every single one, a pack of wet wipes would have changed my life.

Then I Saw This Sign

Do not stand on toilet. In English and Mandarin. With diagrams.

That is when it hit me. I was confused by their bathrooms. They are confused by ours. The squat toilet is the default for most of the world. The Western toilet is the foreign one. Nobody teaches any of us how the other side works.

So here is what I wish someone had told me before I stood there clueless.

The Bum Gun

That small sprayer mounted on the wall next to the toilet. It looks like a kitchen sink sprayer and it works the same way. Stay seated. Point it where it needs to go. Squeeze the handle gently. The pressure is stronger than you expect, so start light. Pat dry with toilet paper or wet wipes if available. That is it. Once you get past the initial shock of cold water, it is actually cleaner than paper alone.

The Bucket and Scoop

This is the manual version of a flush. The bucket holds clean water. The small scoop or bowl is for two things. First, use it to pour water for personal cleaning, the same job as the bum gun but by hand. Second, when you are done, scoop water from the bucket and pour it directly into the toilet bowl to flush. Two or three scoops usually does it. Do not dump the entire bucket. Other people need it too.

The Squat Toilet

Face the hood or raised end of the toilet. Plant your feet on the textured footpads on either side. Squat all the way down. That is the position. If there is a bum gun, use it. If there is a bucket and scoop, use that. If there is neither, this is where your wet wipes save your life. Do not put them in the toilet. Most plumbing in Southeast Asia cannot handle it. Use the bin next to the toilet.

These systems are not broken. They are not primitive. You are just the visitor who never learned how they work.

So here it is. The number one travel tip nobody puts in the guidebook.

Never leave home without wet wipes. Not the hotel. Not the restaurant. Not the night market. Nowhere.

But also learn the local bathroom before you need it. Your stomach does not care about your plans. And neither does the plumbing.