In this section we give you some regionwide tips and information that will help you plan your trip.

Southeast Asia: Red-Alert Checklist

Are you carrying a current, government-issued ID, such as a driver's license or passport?

Are there any special requirements for your destination? Vaccinations? Special visas, passports, or IDs? Detailed road maps? Bug repellents? Appropriate attire?

If you purchased traveler's checks, have you recorded the check numbers and stored the documentation separately from the checks?

Did you stop the newspaper and mail delivery, and leave a set of keys with someone reliable?

Did you pack your camera and an extra set of camera batteries, and purchase enough film? If you packed film in your checked baggage, did you invest in protective pouches to shield film from airport X-rays? If going digital, do you have a strategy for saving files? Enough memory?

Do you have a safe, accessible place to store money, like a money belt?

Did you bring your ID cards that could entitle you to discounts, such as AAA and AARP cards, and student IDs?

Did you bring emergency drug prescriptions and extra glasses or contact lenses?

Did you find out your daily ATM withdrawal limit?

Do you have your credit card PINs? Is there a daily withdrawal limit on credit card cash advances?

To check in at a kiosk with an e-ticket, do you have the credit card you bought your ticket with or a frequent-flier card?

Did you leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home?

Do you have the measurements for people you plan to buy clothes for on your trip?

Did you check to see if any travel advisories have been issued by the U.S. State Department (http://travel.state.gov/) regarding your destination?

Do you have the address and phone number of your country's embassy with you?

Online Traveler's Toolbox

Veteran travelers usually carry some essential items to make their trips easier. Following is a selection of handy online tools to bookmark and use.

Airplane Seating and Food. Find out which seats to reserve and which to avoid (and more) on all major domestic airlines at www.seatguru.com. And check out the type of meal (with photos) you'll likely be served on airlines around the world at www.airlinemeals.com.

Foreign Languages for Travelers (www.travlang.com). Learn basic terms in more than 70 languages and click on any underlined phrase to hear what it sounds like.

Intellicast (www.intellicast.com) and Weather.com (www.weather.com). Gives weather forecasts for all 50 states and for cities around the world.

Time and Date (www.timeanddate.com). See what time (and day) it is anywhere in the world.

Travel Warnings (http://travel.state.gov, www.fco.gov.uk/travel, www.voyage.gc.ca, and www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice). These sites report on places where health concerns or unrest might threaten American, British, Canadian, and Australian travelers. Generally, U.S. warnings are the most paranoid; Australian warnings are the most relaxed.

Universal Currency Converter (www.xe.com/ucc). See what your dollar or pound is worth in more than 100 other countries.

Visa ATM Locator (www.visa.com), for locations of PLUS ATMs worldwide, or MasterCard ATM Locator (www.mastercard.com), for locations of Cirrus ATMs worldwide.

The CIA Factbook (www.cia.gov). Gives annotated statistics and information about countries worldwide.

Mekong Express (www.visit-mekong.com). A cross-referenced site for all of the countries in Indochina.

The Elephant Guide (www.elephantguide.com). A useful resource for current information in each country in the region, listing articles from international press and stories from individual travelers.