Using the Toilet in a Different Country

Different Toilets Work Differently in Different Countries

It’s not the most pleasant topic, but having a discussion on the toilets and washroom facilities you may encounter in another country can prove very beneficial.

If you’re an American, or you’re from a country that’s culturally similar to the United States, you may not realize that cultures around the world have pretty different toilet facilities and washrooms.

When you look up the most popular traveling topics, searching for information for your international itinerary, you don’t commonly find information about toilets. Let’s face it, not everyone wants to talk about toilets! But it’s a good idea.

One of the most important things to remember when traveling, particularly to remote locations where the sewers and water utilities aren’t robust like they are in a big city, is that the toilet is often only used for waste, and nothing else, even in motels and hotels.

If you’re used to camping and staying in remote areas where facilities aren’t always the standard kind you might see in a major metropolitan area, some of these differences might not come as a surprise to you.

However, it’s essential to take a look at the way other cultures use their toilets and related facilities, so you don’t accidentally break something while you’re traveling. Don’t be that traveler who forgets to put your toilet paper in the waste basket.

Waste basket, you might ask? Yes, let’s talk about toilets where you don’t actually put toilet paper in the toilet. See that picture above? That was one of our beautiful hotel rooms in Vietnam. Everything looks quite modern – and it was – but we quickly learned that not everything was the same as an run-of-the-mill American hotel room.

(note: some of the links here are to websites with which I am an affiliate, and your purchases help fund my website!)

Using a Waste Bucket or Basket for Toilet Paper

It’s common to see a waste basket in a bathroom that you’ll use for dirty tissues and various pieces of trash, but in some countries and various regions, those baskets are actually meant to hold used toilet paper.

If you’ve ever lived on a farm or in a rural area with a septic tank for waste and well water for water, you probably know that toilets in such areas are a little sensitive when it comes to toilet paper. Septic tanks don’t take kindly to triple-ply big roll Charmin.

If you’ve ever lived or stayed where a septic tank is in use rather than a city sewer system, you’ve probably had to use special toilet paper meant for delicate septic systems. If you’ve ever spent time in an RV, you’ve probably seen the same “RV friendly” toilet paper. Good for delicate septic systems.

In some countries, virtually all of the sewer systems are sensitive. When I traveled to Vietnam, almost all of the toilets had signs, telling you to avoid putting toilet paper down the toilet. If you’re not used to the process, don’t worry. You’ll get quite used to it pretty quickly. You won’t even think about it after your first day.

And fortunately, you usually don’t need to speak the language to realize that you shouldn’t put toilet paper in the toilet. Even if you’re a single lingual, you’ll see descriptive signs or notices in multiple languages, asking you to place your toilet paper in the basket rather than the toilet.

The sewer systems in some areas – even in large cities in some countries – just aren’t big enough to accommodate all the toilet paper that everyone might otherwise send down the chute.

Given the incredible expensive of upgrading an entire city’s sewer system, it’s no wonder that some cities have updated everything above ground but have not yet had a chance to upgrade the sewers below ground.

Carrying Your Own Toilet Paper

Sometimes, you’ll visit places that don’t even offer toilet paper, even if their septic systems are solid enough to accept toilet paper. I’ve found that it’s incredibly helpful to carry around a pack of tissues or some travel wipes when traveling, even to modern countries.

It’s not just that you might be visiting a toilet where you’re not supposed to flush toilet paper. You might simply be visiting a super popular tourist site where the cleaning crew hasn’t yet replaced the toilet paper.

I did run into this issue a few times in Vietnam, and I was really thankful I had a plastic sandwich bag in my pocket with wipes and toilet paper.

I often try to go on my tours and adventures carrying as little as possible, but fortunately, it’s easy to stick some tissues in your pocket, even if you’re wearing tights (these are the actual tights I travel in – assuming I’m not in a country where it’s culturally insensitive to wear tights).

I’ll usually have a small stack of regular tissues and a few additional wet wipe style things, just in case the day is a hot and sweaty one, and I want to wipe off. When you’re traveling internationally for the first time to a particular country, it’s helpful to take a look at the average temperatures you’ll encounter, and to look at the relative humidity, too.

Remember that you can use those moist wipes for your neck and face, too, which can make things a little less sticky when you’re in a hot and humid country, or you’re traveling during the summer.

Taking a Trash Bag With You Each Day

In addition to taking toilet paper, wipes, and maybe tissues, you may find it helpful to have a small plastic bag with you, too. Something that seals is great, but you can also tie up small trash bags after you fill them with dirtied toilet paper.

Sometimes, it’s not just a matter of knowing how to use the toilet but finding a toilet at all. In virtually every (no, in every country actually) that I’ve traveled to – and every American state, too – I’ve had to use nature’s toilet outside somewhere.

And one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing giant, dirty piles of used toilet paper in the middle of nowhere because people have been cognizant enough to bring toilet paper but not self-aware enough to employ something other than the ground when they’re done using the great outdoors for their toilet.

If you’re worried about smelly leavings after you use the toilet outside, consider doubling up on the plastic bags. Just take them with you and toss them in a trash can when you come upon one. Dirtying the great outdoors in your own backyard is pretty insensitive, but doing so in another country that has welcomed you as a tourist is even worse.

Don’t be that person. Take care of your toilet paper, wipes, and all the other items you might use when a trash can or toilet isn’t nearby. You may find yourself a little more relaxed, too, when you have your toilet paper and bags on you, when you’re far away from a regular bathroom.

Everyone Should Have Japanese Toilets

Now, I’ve never been lucky enough to use a Japanese toilet in Japan, but from everything I’ve heard about them, they’re so good that they’re a lifechanging experience, even if they’re a public pay toilet.

Hygiene is an important part of Japanese culture, and you’ll reap the benefits of this cultural norm if you’re lucky enough to visit the country.

Not only are seats usually heated for your comfort, but you’ll always have access to a bidet, and the toilets even have different settings for the bidet.

In addition to treating your rear end like royalty, the Japanese even include extras for their toilet experience like music you can play, so people outside the bathroom can’t hear you.

You may encounter mood lighting, automated night lights, dryers for your various parts, soft-close lids, lids that shut automatically, and (no joke) remote controls!

I’m of the opinion that if everyone around the planet had access to Japanese-style toilets that there would probably be no war or conflicts. Humanity would live in peace and harmony. We can hope, right? I look forward to traveling to Japan one day to experience their amazing culture, incredible architecture, and awesome toilet facilities.

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