How to dress for the bathroom in Nepal...
Whether it be in the city of Katmandu or trekking in the mountains, skirts are the best item of clothing to have. You can wear pants, but skirts are more culturally acceptable and they work better while using the toilet. I brought four skirts (ended up loaning one out to a friend) and one pair of pants with me for 22 days in Nepal. I wore a skirt everyday finding it more comfortable then wearing pants. The only time I recommend wearing pants is when you are trekking, to avoid getting it caught on branches and such. If you stay in villages, I recommend changing back into a skirt. Also if you have a favorite skirt style, bring it and you can get one tailored just like it in Katmandu for about $5. And, if you are going to be spending quite a few days in Katmandu or any of the other cities, I suggest you purchase one or two scarves to cover your nose and mouth, as the pollution is quite bad. I purchased two wonderful scarves for around $8.
(Jane, Littleton, Colorado)

The National Public Toilet Map of Australia...
This is a perfect tip for the female traveller who's always on the lookout for the nearest loo. Worry no more. Before heading out for a day of sightseeing, simply log onto the Aussie toilet map site (http://www.toiletmap.gov.au) and follow the instructions to locate the nearest lavatory to where you plan to be. Just point, click, print and... you're prepared 'to go'.
(Teena, Sydney, Australia)

Create travel toilet paper...
On an ongoing basis I replace rolls of toilet paper when there are about five uses left. I flatten each nearly used-up roll and save it. When going on a trip, I pack these flattened rolls in a zip lock bag. They take little space, weigh next to nothing, cost a minimal amount, create very little waste, and are always there if I need them. In Third World countries where toilet paper is often non-existent I bless my little stash.
(Eliza, Baltimore, USA)

Consult your iPhone for best toilets...
Do you have an iPhone? I downloaded an helpful iPhone application called, 'Sit or Squat.' It shows you the nearest bathrooms with photos plus ratings. It's perfect not only for mummy but for when you're on an outing with the kiddies and they 'gotta go'.
(Carrie Ann, Toronto, Canada)

Hurray for Disney...
We don't know how they do it but the washrooms in Disneys' parks are always spotless. How spotless? You could set up a food stand in one and I'd still be OK with it. You know I'm kidding, of course but that is just my way of showing how clean their loos really are.
(Lisa, Kitchener, Canada)

Protect your belongings in bathrooms...
What do you do when you have to watch your bag, your purse and a computer and you need to use the washroom in a train station or airport? My advice is never to leave things outside your stall for even a few minutes even if the bathroom seems empty. Instead, I head for the handicapped washroom. Most often they are empty, there are no lineups and they are large enough to bring all your belongings in with you.
(Robin Brown, New Zealand)

Editor's Note: Never hang your coat over the top of the stall door. Never leave your parcels too close to the door as well. Someone can reach in and be gone before you even have the time to flush.

Breastfeeding in Hong Kong washrooms...
Please be culturally correct. Chinese women, if and when they do breastfeed, would never consider feeding their child in public (i.e. restaurants or hotel lobbies). I suggest breastfeeding moms seek out the washrooms of the upscale hotels and restaurants. Many of them have lovely lounge type areas with comfortable chairs, etc. One extraordinary facility that comes to mind is the Mandarin Oriental at 5 Connaught Road in Central.
(Jeannie Hau, Hong Kong Guide, Hong Kong)

Public washrooms in Hong Kong...
Public washrooms, if you can find them in Hong Kong -- are appalling! "Wot duk!" -- disgusting, as we say in Cantonese. A smart Journeywoman always keeps change on hand, a HK$5 coin (60 US cents, 90 Canadian cents), or a couple of HK$2 coins so you can duck into a top hotel or restaurant and use the loo there. Just walk in looking like you belong. If you're a foreigner, no one is likely to question you. Chances are high, though, that there will be a cleaning lady waiting inside the loo -- and she expects a "tip". Given the fact that she keeps those loos clean enough to use, it's well worth it.
(Cathy Hilborn Feng, Hong Kong)

Look for the pink flower in Hong Kong...
Most public loos in Hong Kong do not supply toilet paper so be prepared. Know how to identify a public washroom in this part of the world? Look for a sign on a facility that has a pink flower engraved on a metal background.

Posh hotel washrooms...
Just because you are backpacking doesn't mean you have to look dishevelled. The smarter you look the easier it will be to gain access to posh hotel washrooms. I like to use them to freshen up at the end of the day before heading off to dinner or a night at the theatre. Comb your hair, put a dimestore barette in, add some lipstick to the mix and you are good to go.
(Evelyn Hannon, JW Editor)

A website all about award-winning washrooms in America...
Who knew? There is a website called Best Restroom that showcases the best of the best in American washrooms. They award five winners each year. Number one in 2009 is Shoji Tabuchi Theatre in Branson, Missouri. It features marble fireplaces, hand-carved mahogany pool table, antiques, lion's head sinks, leather chairs, stained glass and chandeliers. Click here to learn about the rest.

In Indonesia only westerners carry toilet paper...

I was in a panic. The site of my hard-learned lesson was Lake Toba, in northern Sumatra, in Indonesia. My friend and I were staying on Samosir Island in a village called Tuk Tuk. The island was beautiful. At that time, there was no electricity, the accommodations were spartan, the food delicious and the tourists tended toward the bohemian. More...