My son got food poisoning on Amtrak last week. He also got sick in India, but he didn’t eat only in Western hotels.
He found India much smoggier and dirtier than Pakistan.
My brother is a major traveler. He has been all over the world, to places I would have no interest in visiting. He did a big trip to India, working his way around for several months.
He says he will never, ever, ever go back there.
I remembered that Mr. B traveled to India when he was in college… When I asked him what he thought about “Mike’s” idea of taking his elderly inlaws to India, Mr. B joked, “Is this a thinly veiled plan to get rid of them?”
I have not traveled to India but DS13 and I have been to Honduras for a mission trip. One thing we were told by our doctor was to take a pepto-bismal tabs with each meal as a prevention. WebMd says to take them 4 times a day.
I just would like to say that India is a top destination for medical tourism by Americans. To claim that hospitals there are bacteria death traps is a huge exaggeration, and doesn’t take into account that an American who gets sick there is likely to be taken to a top-of-the-line facility that’s more like a luxury resort than a medical center.
I’ve been to India more than once. I happen to really like India, warts and all. I have not gotten sick in India, and neither has my husband who goes there about every 18 months.
That said, given how strongly people feel about India, I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, certainly not to 80 year olds with health issues. It’s not a place for folks with mobility issues. It’s incredibly hot. Ironically at my last visit (in late October) my issue wasn’t the heat so much - but the overuse of AC at popular restaurants and hotels. I had to carry a wool pashmina with me to keep warm while eating.
Pepto-Bismol may work in protecting you from a stomach ailment – for DH and me, what always works is eating lots of yogurt for about a week before you go to India (or Mexico! Nepal! etc.) then taking over-the-counter acidophilus pills (found in vitamin isles) during the trip. This regimen has kept us healthy everywhere we’ve gone, from India to Africa and Mongolia.
My sister and BIL went to India and neither got sick, AFAIK, but my BIL had a heart attack! Had to be taken to a top modern hospital in Delhi or Bombay, I can’t recall which, via ambulance, a 5 hour drive, IIRC. But he received excellent care. A friend in grad school went to India studying dance and got dysentery. She lost about 20+ lbs, and she was tiny to begin with. On the other hand, friends went to a wedding there a few years ago and didn’t report any issues.
When I went to Guatemala with my S and a friend, I bought probiotic capsules and we each took one per day as a precaution. I did fine, but both of the boys became violently ill after eating macadamia nuts at a plantation outside Antigua. One must be very careful, and even then…I can’t imagine taking elderly people with health issues there.
Given the threads of “how often do you wash your hands / do you wash your fruits before eating them” all I have to say is - India would be a real challenge to most posting on those threads.
Even in the cities, you see people urinating and defecating in public. You see cow droppings that get tracked all over. The countryside is worse - people defecate in open fields and it gets into the water system. The cows literally live with the villagers. There is no real culture of picking up trash or trash collection. It is sobering to think how many people live this way. I was scrupulous about only eating food / drink brought from my western hotel and still got sick.
I have no desire to experience India. Ever. I see/hear nothing attractive to me. That said, I absolutely love Indians I have known. They are so nice and kind.
I hate India the country (not the people), and I’ve never even made it out of the airport.
S1, as a little kid, had the wrong type of visa put into his passport by incompetent Indian Embassy grunts, so they would not let him enter the country. I ended up staying 26 hours w him in Mumbai Airport (and eating our hotel booking) until we could get the next flight out. Customs officials took me down into the bowels of the airport to identify our checked bags. There were rats bigger than my dog down there.
Between that and GMTspouse’s account of entire families sleeping along streets, plus @Pizzagirl 's GI travails, you can keep India. Too many nice places in the world I haven’t visited yet
^^ you have really painted a bad picture of India. There are problems but you have people living there. There are those who are poor and those who are well to do. I really have a problem with some of your comments. You have focused on only the negative and not on any of the positive. You have those who have no education and then you have those who are very educated. Yes there are problems but there is also so much good. I agree going between May and September which is the hottest season is not the best idea for an elderly couple. When planning a trip one really has to research and learn about the culture of the place they are visiting and go with an open mind but take precautions so that they can make the most of their visit. India is a very popular tourist attraction and people from around the world visit. Like visiting any other country you have to be street smart and take precautions for safe travels. Any tourist can get sick visiting any country. For someone not familiar with the country it would be best to travel with a tour group. Just because a few people got sick visiting India does not mean no one should ever consider touring this country. At the same time you have to know your limits and what you are comfortable with. For those who have lived in the U.S. all their life it is a culture shock and it is a different environment but one has to keep an open mind and have interest in learning and experiencing different cultures. India has become very westernized. Many American companies have gone there because they see the potential in this country. Living in the U.S. we take certain things for granted and when we visit other countries and see how others live and what challenges they face it allows us to really appreciate what we have here. In todays world we are not safe anywhere especially when you have security issues in many countries these days. To say a place is overrated and smells like urine is really a sad comment to make. I would still recommend if one has the opportunity to visit the Taj Mahal and learn about the history of this place you would appreciate it more.
@raclut wrote
GMTspouse and I have lived in & enjoyed visiting a number of undeveloped countries. India really is an outlier in sanitation standards. What other culture ANYWHERE in the world expects its low SES citizens to scoop human waste out of the gutter with their bare hands?
A lot of Western companies have also exitted India because it’s a beaurocratic & corruption cesspool. Look it up in Transparency Intl’s annual Corruption Index ranking
My dad is in his 80s and has gone 2-3 times, but on guided tours. He has one knee replacement. He observed the basic precautions - bottled water only, no ice in drinks, no salads, hot food served hot. Didn’t have any health issues and he found his trips to be memorable and plans to go again. YMMV.
I wouldn’t recommend solo travel unless one was young and resilient.
Never been to H’s homeland over 30 years and Indian inlaws kept visiting here and H states many negatives- noise, crowds, dirty etc. Some Indians have one foot in each country and go back often- not my H. However I know plenty of Indians, especially physicians and they are very clean. One can make similar negative statements about public spaces in New York City. Crowded, dirty, noisy… We have different gut flora so bugs in other countries hit us.
The heat has been increasing. btw- India is as diverse as Europe and the various parts of the US.
Age per se is not a reason to travel- elderly mother in law has done it numerous times. It could be a cultural shock and more difficult when avoiding local food and water. I would definitely do a tour.
“One can make similar negative statements about public spaces in New York City. Crowded, dirty, noisy… We have different gut flora so bugs in other countries hit us.”
You’re being disingenuous. Look up diarrhea as a public health problem in India vs the US. Read about how the villagers are actually stunted because of the lack of nutrients. Read about how one of Modi’s platforms was bringing toilets into rural areas, and the resistance of the villagers.
Don’t even remotely compare NYC to the slums of Mumbai.
My experience was a long time ago and far away. However, I found my week in Delhi fascinating while on the way to Nepal years ago. I was alone, took a tour of old Delhi, ate in restaurants, though ordinary ones, not those associated with expensive hotels. In spartan travel style, I was there to save money by taking the train and bus to Kathmandu. After hearing stories, I booked a women’s compartment on the train where I was essentially alone aside from the family that came in after the conductor asked. Having been a hippie back in the day, it felt like 1970 northern CA all over again, between the clothing and eccentricity. No illness. FWIW, having traveled extensively, the place that has most memorably affected my GI system is Mexico, but some of that is luck, combined with a stout constitution and hand washing. That week made me want to return, someday as it is the most colorful place imaginable.
Friends in the know differentiate between north and south India, with less travel stress in the south, less societal insanity. Certain states, Kerala, and Rajastan for example, come highly recommended.
My S, an experienced Asian traveler was rather done in by the number of touts in Varanasi, and escaped to the relative peace of Nepal. But he found Calcutta fascinating and peaceful in comparison, if not for the faint of heart.
Raclut, who said there were no positives? The people are warm and friendly, the various cultures are fascinating, I loved the touring and learning about the different parts of the country from Mumbai to Hyderabad to Varanasi. I am the kind who reads up on history and culture and really immerses myself. The work I do is ethnographic in nature, so please don’t assume I am a “typical Anerican tourist” who wants to see McDonalds and the GAP. The food was delicious. My tour guides were great. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a major public sanitation problem, especially as you get away from the cities. The govt knows it and is working on it, but there’s a lot of corruption and a lot of resistance. The role of women is still evolving. I talked with women who were given in arranged marriages in their young teens and are in essence “bossed” by their mothers-in-law. The teen girls in rural areas can’t go to school when they have their periods since there are no facilities for them to throw away pads - and education is the only way out. I see no reason not to be frank about it. American culture has good and bad things too. It’s just that public sanitation isn’t one of our nation’s weaknesses. (the Flint water crisis is a notable exception, not the norm)
I would encourage them to consult with a travel medicine specialist and/or an infectious disease specialist who could provide real information based on their actual circumstances.
I am actually born in India but brought up in the U.S. and went through the American education system.
My father who is 80 and mother who is in her 70’s just came back from a trip to India this past week. They were careful about what they ate and having gone there at least 25 times since they came here in the 70’s knew what precautions to take… They both have their health issues due to their age. Mother has knee problems.
My father is a physician who came here in the 70’s and my siblings were born here. I have visited India every two years of my life. I go to Delhi. I have not seen all of India or been to rural areas as we always go to the big cities.
My BIL who is American travels all over the world and has been to India many times for business.
I would recommend someone going for the first time to go between October and March. Even I avoid going between May and September because the heat is unbearable and the chances of illness is more. I did live there in our own home for a summer and we had food we had brought from the U.S. We did eat out but only in established restaurants and hotels known for preparing food in proper hygienic conditions. We didn’t eat at peoples homes. We purchased fresh fruits and vegetables and prepared our own meals at home. We kept bottled water with us at all times. We stayed away from street food.
Going on a business trip, or going on a volunteer trip to help the needy is a lot different than going as a tourist.
I wouldn’t recommend women to travel alone on buses or trains. Go with a group. (organized group tour)
Keep your medicines with you and just be practical and make sure to take care of your personal belongings when sight seeing or shopping. You don’t have to go to rural areas. Stick to big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, and Bangalore.
Rent a vehicle and driver for the day to take you everywhere. Go with a tour guide or hire a translator. They will advise you to help you make the most of your trip. The trip can be tiring and if you are not used to big cities with big populations it will take some getting used to.
A lot of people speak English there so it is not necessary to learn the language. If certain precautions are taken and you go with a group tour you should be ok. If you have health concerns and don’t think you can handle the long distance air travel then don’t consider this trip. If you feel the flight is too long I know people who take a break in travel and spend a few days in Europe or visit Dubai before continuing their flight to India. You have to know your limits and what risks you are willing to take. There are risks whenever you travel abroad. My family was visiting Paris last summer and left the city two days before the attacks that took place. Wherever you travel you have to be alert and aware of your surroundings.
“We did eat out but only in established restaurants and hotels known for preparing food in proper hygienic conditions. We didn’t eat at peoples homes. We purchased fresh fruits and vegetables and prepared our own meals at home. We kept bottled water with us at all times. We stayed away from street food.”
I think that’s the whole point - you have to take sanitary precautions in India that you don’t have to in, say, Western Europe. I wouldn’t have to refuse an invitation to someone’s home in Western Europe for fear I’d get sick. I wouldn’t hesitate to eat street food in most places.
Raclut, India has many good points but by god, in the better areas of Mumbai they paint gods on the outside of homes so men wandering by will think twice about urinating on the side of someone’s house. I am very UN-germaphobic (per my comments on the hand/fruit washing threads) but this is just a public health fact of life that trash collection and contamination of water supply are major societal issues. Even for those of us who traditionally have cast-iron stomachs.
Oh - carry the WHO rehydration salts (kind of like powdered Gatorade).
My H and I first traveled to India in 1976 after touring SE Asian countries. We were fine until the end of our trip in India. My husband became violently ill on our flight to Hong Kong and had to be hospitalised for 2 days. Was given lots of IV fluids and antibiotic. We saw most of the historical sites including a trip to Srinigar and the Dal Lake in Kashmir. India is a beautiful country, but once is enough for me. I would not advise people in their 80s to go there.
My H went back to Nepal for a second time to climb Everest’s base camp several years ago and said Nepal looked worse in infrastructure and sanitation since we were there in 1976. All those money from hikers have gone into others’ pockets.