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Her Spa Shangri-La in
the Himalayas
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| India
-- Know Before You Go...
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Stay Healthy
Make an appointment with your travel doctor. Be sure
your shots are up to date and get a prescription for
anti-Malaria medication.
 The
most up-to-date medical information for travellers can
be found online at such sites as:
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/travel
Health Canada's Laboratory Centre for Disease Control
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/osh/tmp_e.html
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Stay Safe
Although street hawkers can be unbelievably persistent
and in your face, they generally aren't dangerous. Keep
your eyes averted if you don't want to buy their wares.
In cities like Delhi I took walks by myself downtown during
the day and it was fine since there were other people
out on the busy streets. I wouldn't recommend women go
out alone at night and generally it is better to do your
sightseeing with a government-approved guide (this way
other would-be guides won't harass you). For more information
on government approved guides, e-mail the India Tourist
Office at: ny@itonyc.com
(US) or india@istar.ca
(Canada).
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Food and drink
Hopefully you like curry. Indians eat it for breakfast,
lunch and dinner. Take some power bars and other transportable
foodstuffs just in case your stomach rebels. Stick to
hotels and higher end establishments to dine and never
eat from the street vendors since sanitary conditions
are less than perfect and flies are abundant. Drink only
bottled water and always make sure that the cap has been
sealed. Dishonest vendors have been know to refill bottles
with ordinary tap water.
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Climate
Agra and Delhi in the north are dry, dusty, hot and polluted.
Beware if you have respiratory problems. Temperatures
average around 70�F in January, rising to over 100�F in
the summer. The south, around Cochin and Trivandrum, tends
to be very humid and temperatures remain in the 80s throughout
the year. In the mountains, it's definitely cooler.
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Toilets
Try to go in your hotel as conditions outside are poor
to say the least. Always carry toilet paper with you.
Expect that public bathrooms will be very dirty and smelly
and more often than not they're the hole in the ground
variety. A little trick -- to combat the odors carry a
mentholated Chapstick and dab some under your nose to
make breathing bearable.
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Clothing for women
For women, loose fitting pants and a light-weight, long-sleeved
shirt will go a long way, as will a long skirt and a shawl
for over-air conditioned interiors. Indian women dress
very conservatively in saris and salwars (a dress and
pants combination) and usually cover their shoulders and
ankles, so it's best to follow suit. Leave your shorts,
halter tops, clingy sundresses and other provocative outfits
at home. Sturdy walking shoes are a must. To enter holy
areas such as temples and mosques you must take off your
shoes. As the ground isn't clean, I carried an extra pair
of socks that I slipped on for these occasions. |
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For lots more information about India, click here. |
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