Precautions for India

Health Precautions for India

The quality of health services is amongst the best in India in New Delhi which has plenty of good hospitals, 24-hour chemists, highly competent doctors and top of the line medical services. Medicines are fairly cheap in India and chemist shops in Delhi are well stocked but it is always a good idea to take along prescription drugs.

Here are some health precautions for India you should follow if traveling to this country:

• Don’t drink water from tap or roadside vends. Drink only boiled or bottled water. Also, buy water from respectable and decent looking outlets. Check the seal before buying the water to make sure that it is intact.
• Never eat cut fruits sold by the roadside vendors. Always eat fruits you can peel. Wash the fruits properly with water well before eating them.
• It is advisable to keep a mosquito repellent ointment with you always.
• Always carry a kit of the basic emergency medicines you might need. Especially medicines for upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, etc. Also, keep some band-aids, antiseptic ointments, etc with you.
• Avoid fountain drinks and ice cubes.
• Avoid eating food from the roadside vends. If, by chance, you are forced to eat from there, make sure that the food is well cooked and is served hot.
• Try to avoid spicy dishes, especially in the initial stages of your travel.
• For the first few days it might be advisable to clean your teeth in bottled water.
• Avoid eating salads, especially at small restaurants and small hotels.
• If you are visiting India in summer time, drink lots of water, cover your head with scarves or caps or hats, wear sunglasses and use sunscreen lotion. Try to stay indoors in the afternoon.
• If you fall very sick, it is better to visit a doctor. However, ask the hotel authorities or the people at whose house you are staying to refer a good doctor to you.
• Always carry sunscreen with minimum SPF 20 to escape sunburn.

Food Precautions for India

The food you eat, how it's cooked, stored and served is very important. Make it a rule to stick to freshly cooked food, made in clean and hygienic place. Here are some food precautions for India that need to be taken by you:

• The safest thing to eat is freshly cooked food. Food left sitting may attract flies and cause major health hazards.
• Always drink only bottled water.
• Salads and cut fresh fruits should be strictly avoided. Eat only unpeeled fruits.
• Avoid fresh fruit juice. If you want to have juice, go in for branded ones being sold in tetra packs.
• If you are a non-vegetarian, buy from decent shops. It is better not to eat from lower end restaurants or station platforms.
• Beef is not served in many parts of India. Pork is also not easily available.
• Never ever eat anything from the roadside vendors. There are high chances of the food being contaminated.

Diseases and Vaccinations for India’s Travelers:-

Vaccinations for Indian Travel:
Malaria: For Malaria, vaccination is recommended for all areas, except for areas at altitudes more than 2,000 m (6,561 ft).
Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for all travelers to India.
Typhoid: All travelers are recommended to take Typhoid vaccination.

Polio: In case of Polio, one-time booster is recommended for any adult traveler who completed the childhood series but never had polio vaccine as an adult.
Yellow Fever: Vaccination for yellow fever is required only for travelers arriving from or transiting through any yellow-fever-infected area like Africa.
Japanese Encephalitis: This vaccine is recommended for travelers staying for more than 1 month and traveling to rural areas or travelers engaging in extensive unprotected outdoor activities in rural areas, especially after dusk.
Hepatitis B: Travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents should take this vaccination, especially if their period of stay is more than 6 months.
Rabies: Any traveler who may have direct contact with animals should take this vaccination.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR): If any person born after 1956 has not previously taken this vaccination, he/she should take two doses of the same.
Tetanus-Diphtheria: You need to take this revaccination every 10 years.

Plan your trip:

What to plan:

If you want your Indian trip to be a memorable one, always make your plan in advance. Did I say in advance? I should have said way in advance. Never come to India without a proper plan or you might end up your journey spending almost double of what could have been a cheaper and good one.

Check list –
-How many days do you have in your hand for traveling in India?
-List of the places you are willing to see.
-Always book your hotel in advances in advance.
-Always carry your documents {passport, visa etc.} with you and never left them in your hotel room.
-Always carry local currency with you and if possible change as well.
-Always carry proper basic medicines with you in case you end yourself in an emergency.
-Always book your journeys in advance with some agencies, in this way you will not only travel and see India but also save a good amount.
-Always carry your embassy and local emergency phone no. with you.
-You can use the local available cell phone connections instead of using your own costlier international roaming connection.
-Always take care of your drinking water if you want to save yourself from bacterial deceases.
-Never walk alone during night and lonely places.
-If possible learn a few words of local language that is Hindi in case of India.
{ You can always contact me in case you need my help in this :-) }


{In next few posts I will explain you some good places to visit in India.}

Indian Visa Guidelines:

To get a visa for India, you need to submit a number of documents. Following is a list of important documents for Indian visa:

- Visa application form.
-Passport, having a minimum validity of six months on the date of application.
-Two identical passport sized photographs, black and white or colored.
-Supporting documents, depending upon the type of visa.
-Visa fee.

There are a number of Indian visa types, suitable for different purposes of travel. Given below are the different types of Indian visas:

-Tourist Visa: If you are coming to India on a holiday to explore the country, then, tourist visa is for you.
-Business Visa: For a business related trip, you need to apply for the business visa.
-Student Visa: For study purpose in India is the student visa.
-Transit Visa: It is meant for transit passengers only, to enable them to travel through India to reach the ultimate destination.
-Missionaries Visa: This visa is for people coming to India to act as missionaries.
-Employment Visa: Meant for skilled professionals or those people who have been appointed by Indian companies, organizations, firms, etc.
-Journalist Visa: Professional journalists and photographers visiting India should apply for the Journalist visa.
-Conference Visa: It is issued for attending conferences/seminars/meetings in India.
-Research Visa: For research purposes, a research visa is issued.
-Entry Visa: It is given only to persons of Indian origin or the family members of a person employed in India.