Taking Care Of Your Health While Travelling In India

India’s vibrant culture, tradition and heritage often attracts people from all over the world. Cities in India like Agra, Jaipur, Goa, Kashmir, Kerala, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mysore, Darjeeling, etc., are some of the popular tourist destinations in India.

India is a tropical country with diverse climate features and there are chances of foreign tourists being exposed to a variety of germs, bacteria and viruses. If you are planning to visit India, you need to take certain precautions, especially in terms of food, to stay healthy and safe.

Following are some tips that help you stay healthy and avoid falling sick while travelling in India.

Food – What to eat and what to avoid

Avoid eating street food: Many cities in India like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad are famous for street food. The Chandni Chowk area in Delhi is popularly called as ‘Street Food Capital of Delhi’. You will find a variety of snack items like Pani Puri, Pav Bhaji, Bhel Puri, Samosa, etc., in these areas. They look colourful and are tempting. Try them if the premises are clean and hygienic. But in most cases it’s better to avoid because we can’t guarantee the quality and hygiene. There are chances of the food being contaminated.

Avoid eating spicy food: India is the country of spices and the people here like to add spices in many of their dishes that make them hot and spicy. Especially some Indian cuisines like Hyderabadi cuisine that includes Biryani, Tandoori Chicken, Keema, Masala Tea, etc., Goan cuisine from Goa includes Murgh Malvani, Phanasachi Bhaji; Gujarati cuisine, Kerala cuisine are popular for their spicy dishes. People who are not used to them cannot handle them.

So, whenever you are ordering food at a restaurant or at a food stall ask the server to make the dish less spicy or else go for less spicy food like Fried rice, Idli, sweet dishes, Dokla, Daal Bhati, etc.

Avoid eating raw vegetables and fruits: Some restaurants and food stalls in India use tap water (supplied by local government) to wash vegetables and fruits (sometimes they may not wash). This water is more likely to get contaminated during its transit through various pipelines. Moreover, we are not sure whether the knives they use are sterile or not. So, it’s better to avoid raw fruits or vegetables that will be served as salads with most Indian dishes.

Eat freshly cooked food served steaming hot: In many countries, people are used to cold meals, but it is better to prefer steaming hot food in India, especially when you are having dishes that are boiled in water or steamed like Rice, Idli, Upma, etc. Make sure you ask the server to serve it fresh and hot. When the food is fresh and hot, it is less likely to carry food borne pathogens.

Avoid buffets: In many restaurants in India, morning’s unsold food will be served in the dinner buffets. Unless you have a good review for hygiene of a restaurant from travel guide like ‘Lonely Planet’, don’t take the risk. Stick to what is recommended because you will be sure on the hygienic conditions of the restaurants.

Avoid cold dairy products: In India, many restaurants prepare dishes with dairy products like yogurt, paneer, cheese, milk, etc. Yogurt is served as a side dish for many of the dishes like Indian Thali, Biryani, etc. As cold dairy products are prone to contamination, better to avoid them.

Eat at international food chains: The best thing to avoid all this is to eat at international food chains like KFC, McDonald’s, Subway, Domino’s Pizza, etc., that are available across India. Make sure you buy dishes that are customized to India like Rice Bowlz, Aloo Tikki Burger – after all, you are in India you need to try Indian dishes.

Beverages – What to drink and what to avoid

When travelling in India, you need to be very careful while choosing unpacked beverages, as they may be contaminated. Take a look at some of the beverages to avoid.

Avoid drinking tap water: As discussed earlier, water is supplied by local government and it may not be safe to consume.

Drink only bottled water: Go for reputed brands like Bisleri, Kinley, Aquafina, Himalayan or Bailey’s, and check if the cap is sealed.

Avoid ice cubes: While ordering cold beverages like cool drinks, fruit juices, sugarcane juice, etc., ask them to serve without adding ice cubes. Many restaurants use tap water to prepare ice cubes.

Avoid drinking at road-side juice stalls: Avoid drinking lassi (spiced and sweetened butter milk), fruit juices, sugarcane juice, cold yogurt, etc., on the street. Don’t get tempted by seeing the crowd at the stall. Better to go for branded and packaged juices or to the stalls that are hygienic.

Coconut water: India is a land of coconuts. In cities like Kerala, Cochin, Goa, Hyderabad, etc., coconuts are available throughout the year. Though the coconut water is good for rehydrating the body, the sickle may not be sterile. So, better to avoid the water unless you see the sickle is clean.

Hope, this information helps you while travelling in India. Have a wonderful vacation!

How To Have An Unforgettable Holiday

Booking a holiday that you and your family will never forget isnt always an easy feat, and you may discover that finding a holiday that everyone will love isnt without its consequences. So if you want to book a holiday that not only caters to your wants and needs, but everyone else youre travelling with, then here are a few simple ways to do just that, without falling out with anybody.

Talk About it

Its easy to get lost in all the excitement of looking for a holiday, and this can sometimes lead to people just going ahead and booking something that they think is the best for everyone, when it turns out that they wanted to go somewhere else. So to avoid this, arrange an afternoon or an evening that you and your travelling companions, be it friends or family, can sit down and look through brochures or online, and find out whats available, and more importantly, where everyone wants to go.

Spoilt for Choice?

You may find that the choice of holidays is so great that you wont know where to go, and if this happens to you and your companions, then there is only one thing you can do, and that is vote for everyones favourite destination. Make a shortlist of all the destinations and types of holidays that have been suggested so far and then vote and see which one is the one everyone wants to travel to the most. Try to go for something none of you have ever done before, such as an adventure holiday or a relaxing Costa Cruise, and you could just find that your chosen holiday could be the most argument and drama free excursion youve ever been on.

Some Useful Tips About Travelling In Vietnam

We have here a list made of all facts and tips that may be when you go to Vietnam

There are shoes for a door in Vietnam, it is intended that you also pulled out. Inside, the floor is spotless because no dirt along to walk in and clean them much.

Vietnam is one of the few Asian countries where you can get bread. Thanks to the French baguette they sell here now. But not really toppings. Furthermore, the salt-free bread that is a little crazy for us. If toppings they often do sell a french cheese grease that we know as “la vache qui rite”. further his avacado and bananas dirt cheap and this also doing fine on bread.

You can be fantastic street food stalls! Or go to the very small “restaurants” in people’s homes. Everything is fresh so you do not have too much to worry about. Look where many locals! Since the food is good and it is not too long!

Hotels and tourist restaurants often put an extra 5% on the account so a Tipping is not necessary. This does not mean that the staff here get something so you can consider to still give a tip.

In ordinary restaurants is very appreciated if you leave a tip. Also, drivers and guides expect a tip and it is polite to leave. Behind a small donation after visiting a pagoda.

Bargaining is very common but do not overdo it to the extreme. Negotiate with a smile!

The Tet New Year festival is something to be reckoned with. It takes place in late January or early February and everything is closed. Least a week

Wandering Souls Day is held on the fifteenth day of the seventh moon (August). During this festival gifts and food offered for the dead forgotten.

The trash you see lying on the street gets cleaned the same day. It’s more of a temporary gathering place without pockets around it than it is a permanent waste.

Vietnamese are very physical set. Both men and women will touch you, for example your hand or forearm to grasp when they talk to you. Also in stores this is quite normal. Only when you really drawn somewhere inside it is not so free

Anyone touch each other they do not understand well why we are struggling. There is indeed nothing behind!

In small shops and guesthouses can happen that the staff on the ground is sleeping when you

Always speak well wonder whether the price is in USD or Dong. Usually they say it is in USD and they charge a lot to high price if you want to pay in Dong.

Beware of Vietnamese who speak English well, generally in the biggest cheaters. “My friend …” are usually not your best friends.

It’s not like in the West, that if you are not satisfied with something you can negotiate. Possibly a discount or compensation They understand there just that you do not want to pay the possible (aggressive) effects.

If you arrange transport must clearly agree when they pick you up, what no you can call if they have absentia, to where you brought … and then you have no guarantees.

Paying more does not always mean that you get a better tour …
If you care about fairness and justice, then put these principles to one side during your trip in Vietnam.