Travel Health Tips for Tourists in India

Visitors to India may be apprehensive about the illnesses prevalent in the country, so here is a useful resource on travel health tips for tourists in India.

India is a tropical country and many tropical diseases such as cholera, dengue fever, amoebic dysentery, hepatitis and malaria are endemic. As these diseases pose a potential health hazard, it is worthwhile to get vaccinations and immunizations prior to traveling to India. Record all vaccinations in the International Health Certificate available with your local physician or health department.

If a tourist originates or is transiting from a country where yellow fever is endemic, they need to carry their Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate conforming to International Health Regulations. International travelers originating from the USA, UK and Canada do not require any mandatory vaccinations.

Here are some more travel health tips for tourists in India designed to enable you to have a comfortable vacation –

• Your first aid kit should include adhesive bandages, a thermometer, water-purification tablets, antibiotics, antiseptic creams and mosquito repellents.
• To avoid malaria and dengue fever, carrying mosquito repellents, nets, and using sprays against insects is usually sufficient.
• Stick to a vegetarian diet to prevent gastrointestinal diseases. If you eat meat, make sure that it is properly and completely cooked. Avoid eating pork products, fried food and food that is very oily. Food in reputed restaurants is usually safe, as they are required to maintain health standards.
• Drink only mineral / bottled or boiled water.
• Have plenty of liquids to keep dehydration at bay. One may take a salt-sugar solution of 1/2 tsp. salt and 4 tbsp. sugar in one litre of water to rehydrate.
• For the first few days it might be advisable to clean your teeth in bottled water.
• Always wash fruit well before eating or eat fruit you can peel such as bananas and oranges.
• Wash your hands before and after eating.
• If you do catch a stomach bug, do not panic. Try the following steps to keep it down: 

More Travel Health Tips for Tourists in India - Food and Drink

1. Drink lassi - a yoghurt drink. It will help tone down the bacteria.
2. Eat plain rice, or try a simple khichdi - an easily digestible mixture of rice and lentils.
3. Drink plenty of coconut water. It's cooling, and naturally sterilized!
4. Drink plenty of fluids and take some electrolyte salts like Electrol if the bug persists.

I hope you will find this list of travel health tips for tourists in India useful.