LostinChina

I've been reading quite a bit on China's bathrooms. I hear they are having a summit to talk about improving their bathrooms for the 2008 Olympics. I had previously thought that the bathrooms in the nicer hotels were westernized, also the ones in nice restaurants and touristy places. I was told that the squattie potties were only in the rural areas and off the beaten path. I'm getting the feeling this is definitely not true. It appears we will not be able to sightsee China without encountering them all over, is that true? I do like the hint that at the far ends of each restroom, there might be one with seats for handicapped purposes.
Thanks!

Cicerone

I don;t know where you are getting your information, but in my experinece traveling and working in China, it is not true. Hotels and restaurants frequented by tourists will have western style bathrooms, they may also have a sqaut toilet as well. In any event, even if you encounter a bathroom with only squat toilets, it is not a big deal and is in fact better for you.

KimJapan

Actually, if you think about it, the squat toilets are better in terms of cleanliness...you don't need to touch anything.

emd

Kim, are we going to encounter squat toilets in Japan in Tokyo or Kyoto and day trips (Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima, etc.)?

Cicerone

Almost without exceptiuon you will find the toilets in Japan to be astonishingly clean; it is kind of a little miracle. Can't speak to how common it is to find squatters, I did not encounter many in Tokyo or Kyoto, but have not ventured elsewhere.

lcuy

Emd- You'll often find both western and squat style in temples/museums in Japan. There is often just one western style so check all the stalls if it is important to you.

I actually prefer the squat style. I think it is cleaner. BTW, I've often found footprints on the western toilet seats! Old habits are hard to break, I guess.

JuneAnn

In Tokyo you will find both Western and Japanese toilets in even the newest facilities. In Kyoto many places, restaurants, etc. only had Japanese toilets. I agree that they were spotless, but squat toilets nonetheless.

LostinChina

Here is where I got some of my info:

http://www.thebathroomdiaries.com/china/index.html

Kinda dampened my enthusiasm for the visit to China.

Thanks!

lcuy

Of course people are only printing their horror stories about bathrooms, so I wouldn't decide whether to visit a country based on these.

Also, there seem to be horrible batrhrooms in every part of the world. Some of the worst I've ever been in were in the USA, despite their upright toilets.