A Traveler's Guide to Toilets in India

Howdy all. I wasn't going to blog today, I was thinking it was a good day to rest from blogging. But I was working on 'Short Journeys: India' and decided to write a small section in it about toilets, and well, I thought it was interesting and a little amusing, so I thought I would share it with you.

Have you seen that strange backwards episode of Seinfeld? No? Well I’m going to press on with the analogy nonetheless. George goes with Jerry to India where they stay for a few days at least, and refuses to use the toilet. Now, it’s unclear whether that’s because he believes all toilets in India to be terrible, or whether he just can’t face using a squat toilet, but he’s not the first person who has headed to Asia with a little trepidation about the lavorital situation.

So I guess we need to talk. Firstly, the toilets didn’t prevent me from returning to India. Twice. So they aren’t all that bad as I love travel and there are a lot of countries out there. Are all toilets in India squat toilets? No. Not at all. If you’re in a mid-range sort of hotel you’ll have Western sit down almost for sure. If you go cheap, well, there’s still a higher chance it will be sit down. It doesn’t mean though that you won’t encounter a squat toilet. Once you’re out and about and are in a situation where you need the loo, well, you’re chances of encountering the ‘squat’ increase dramatically.

There she is, the squat toilet. Good luck!

The argument is that because your arse doesn’t touch where other arses have been, a squat is more hygienic. I’m not so sure but I can’t deny that you have less chance of picking up some sort of butt-wart infection by using a squat. They appear to have far fewer plumbing issues too. Western toilets always seem to be leaking in India, usually from the hose that connects the cistern to the water supply.

Rule One, western or not, if there is a waste basket in the toilet THAT is where your toilet paper goes. And it’s a good idea to always have a roll with you as most people in India wash their bum with a hose and as far as I know, they walk around with wet bottoms afterwards. The sewerage system doesn’t deal well with paper waste, and yes that does mean anything else is for the basket too such as tampons. Just your excrement in the toilet!

When using the squat, rule two for men only, pee first standing up. Otherwise you need to completely remove your trousers, unless you can squat in the right position and point IT downwards. Which believe you me to the man with untrained squatting legs is no easy feat. So most people have been camping in the wild with no toilets, and you’ve probably squatted before, but not that it’s an actual toilet you need to aim carefully and be aware of where your arse is. In India and most of the world, face away from the toilet, usually towards the door. In Japan for some reason it is the opposite, although most toilets in Japan are western and have an electrically warmed seat, a bidet function and a button that makes the sound of flushing so others can’t hear what you’re up to. Hell some have a sensor that lifts the lid when you approach!

Be careful with your trousers, it’s tricky because there is often a fair bit of water on the floor of the toilet. So you don’t want your trousers touching the ground. That could spell disaster and needless to say some embarrassment. Once your done use the hose to wash it all down. Some squat toilets smell pretty bad because you are not that far away for the actual sewerage pipe, so wash away generously. That is why I am sceptical on the whole ‘more hygienic’ thing.

When things go bad. This is in (shock) Japan. Facing towards the back.

Wipe your bum with toilet paper and then it goes into the basket and leave remembering to leave the toilet the way you would like to find it, even if that isn’t the way YOU found it. And pray your gut holds out for the rest of the day!

Some toilets are spotless and well maintained. Others are not. Don’t forget squat toilets are a part of everyday life for people living in India. That’s over a billion people. You can laugh about it, but it’s a good idea to never be too precious about it.

Thus endeth the lesson.

'Short Journeys: India' will be out in April (around the middle of the month). Meanwhile here are my experiences of travelling through India in 2004 as part of my 'Dhaka to Dakar' adventure :

Dhaka to Dakar: Chapter 3 - India

And the latest 'Short Journeys' is Japan, and it is here:

'Short Journeys: Japan'.

Top Ten Countries - Number Six: Japan [Part ONE]

Miyajima, near Hiroshima.

Well I wouldn’t still be living here if I didn’t like the place, would I?

My visit to Japan was in 2011, in April not so long after the March 11^th tsunami and earthquake which had caused so much devastation. However, this first time I didn’t head north of Tokyo. I flew into Kansai Airport and enjoyed an amazing week in Kyoto. Tourists at the time were scarce in Japan, only natural I guess, so accommodation wasn’t so hard to find.

Let me start that I don’t think I like a place better in Japan than Kyoto. Kyoto is just brilliant, another city up there with the best cities in the world (oh I think I can feel another top ten coming on). It’s a friendly place – I stayed out K’s House in Kyoto, and I have to say it is possibly the best hostel I have ever stayed in in my life. This is where I first encountered the special toilet seats and just how clean people like places to be hear.

Kinkankuji.

The toilets at the hostel, like many in Japan, have the special heated seats for cold bums, and bidee functions too. As if that wasn’t enough the staff at K’s House Japan kept the place incredibly clean, absolutely spotless. There were free tours to the Geisha district, I saw a Geisha performance at a theatre, I met so many people at that hostel too, it was really a magic week. I knew straight away that it was not a mistake to come here when I got to Kyoto.

There’s even a train museum in Kyoto, not to mention wonderful temples, with the crowning glory being Kinkakuji, the golden temple in a lake, almost like the Japanese answer to Amritsar’s Golden temple in India. Everywhere people wanted me to be in pictures, it was a strange ol’ experience, one I will never forget. It’s got a wonderful culture Kyoto, a great soul. There was the Manga Museum as well, that was really special with lots of cosplayers and exhibition on this artform, so very very popular in Japan. The Arashiyama Bamboo forest was also a highlight, a delight to explore and walk around for a few hours on paths weaving their way through the tall bamboo.

Cosplay at the Manga Museum.

Then there were day trips. One to Nara to visit the amazing Nara-Park, and the impressive Todaji, where in sits a giant Buddha. Takarazuka was another day trip from Kyoto, where I visited the Osamu Tezuka museum one cold, rainy April’s day. Tezuka created ‘Astroboy’, known originally as Atomu, and is a national treasure. His museum was a lot of fun and very interesting. He created many more comics than Astroboy – Black Jack and a comic/animation version of Hitler in the 1980s.

Temple in Takayama.

But I couldn’t stay in Kyoto forever. Well maybe I could have but that ship has sailed now! I went across to a place called Takayama in the Hida district. With a wonderful, old-world feel and beautiful streets, Takayama lights up a couple of times a year for a festival. At other times of the year, like when I was there, there is a museum which showcases the floats of the festival amongst other things. Actually I had only just missed the festival, which is held around the middle of April each year. There’s also something of a curiosity museum showcasing things from principally 1955-1965 and the Takayama Showa-kan. It’s full of movie posters, houses set up from that time period, and some amazing nostalgia as well. Well, hard for me to be nostalgic about it I guess, I hadn’t been born, but I did enjoy the place.

It’s pretty quiet at times, and one of the best things was the accommodation. I stayed at the Hida Takayama Temple Inn Zenko-ji, part of a temple. It was really cheap and I had my own room. There is an impressive prayer room as well and it’s a unique and special place to stay.

The A-Bomb Dome.

Hiroshima was a fair hike southwards, in fact it’s near the very south of Honshu. It’s another place that will take your heart. There’s the A-Bomb Dome, the only building (or maybe there is one more) remaining after the nuclear bomb was dropped. Not so far away, over the river, is the humbling Peace Memorial Museum, which visitors to Hiroshima should not miss. You’ll find out just what the people of Hiroshima went through that fateful day in 1945.

There are a lot of beautiful parks in Hiroshima, and April is just about the perfect time to visit the city. I went to

Baseball in Hiroshima.

a baseball game there too. Sadly the Hiroshima Sparrows (yes, really) didn't do so well, but it was a great atmosphere. Not to mention the cherry blossoms are out in full force too! It’s really beautiful, so why not take a short boat ride to Miyajima and see the temples and pagodas there, and take a wonderful walk around the island. Several interesting shops can be found as well, but this is a most beautiful island, with a big red gate standing out in the ocean which can be walked to when the tide is out. It’s justly famous as a place of great beauty.

Hiroshima

I headed up to Tokyo from there, but I had an afternoon in Osaka. There I only visited the Aquarium, not too far from a big Ferris wheel. The Aquarium is outstanding, full of fun and oh so many fish. A little different from the places I usually visit, but well worth it.

And then it was time to head to the big smoke! To Tokyo, the Daddy of all cities…

But you know what? I think that’s best saved for the next blog! The next blog will feature Iwate-ken, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagano and a couple of other places. Seems I have a bit to write about when it comes to Japan… see you then!

Night-time in Kyoto.

Please Note – I am yet to release anything on Kindle about Japan, you can expect that sometime next year. If you are interested in my travel writings, please visit my webpage –

dhakatodakar.webs.com