To travel safely in India , an extremely fascinating and poor country, it is important to take into consideration the health situation and some rules, such as current regulations and cultural habits . All this without neglecting one fundamental thing: the documents necessary for entry into the country. According to Tiziano Terzani, India changes you deeply and every traveler who overcomes the initial impact ends up falling in love with this country. Before leaving for your tour, discover our tips to avoid inconvenient inconveniences and to travel peacefully .
To enter India, you must bring your passport with a residual validity of at least six months upon arrival. It is also essential to obtain an entry visa and use the eVisa for short-term stays (up to 60 days). The application form can be completed online on this government website . The visa will be issued on your arrival at one of the airports of entry. At customs, you will need to demonstrate that you have a return ticket and sufficient financial resources for the duration of your visit. For longer stays you must make an online request and go to the Italian embassy before traveling.
Finally, if you land in India only for a stopover to travel to Nepal, Sri Lanka or the Maldives, you will need a transit visa: without this document, the Indian authorities will not allow you to leave the airport area.
Unfortunately, due to widespread poverty and lower sanitation standards than Italian ones, endemic diseases are present in India.
There is a high risk of contracting gastroenteritis (e.g. salmonellosis), while outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and meningitis may develop in some areas .
Therefore, it is highly recommended to take simple precautions: wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, bring amuchina (hand vial) with you and drink water only from sealed bottles.
When traveling in India, avoid risky behavior in order not to contract AIDS, through contagion or blood transfusion.
Therefore, consider a health insurance that includes coverage of medical expenses and a possible medical repatriation.
To avoid malaria transmitted by mosquitoes, you can resort to prophylaxis or the intense use of anti - mosquitoes . We recommend Autan, your ally during the day and night, and the mosquito repellent diffuser to be connected to the current. If you leave with a backpack, rest assured: you can find everything you need in the best-supplied pharmacies and supermarkets directly in India.
Vaccinations
An Italian traveler who wants to tour India is not obliged to carry out any type of vaccination, except for that of yellow fever if you have recently been in a country at risk (Africa, Latin America, Papua and New Guinea). Despite this, if you do not want the trip to India to give you bad surprises, we advise you to make a careful assessment of the dangers that can be incurred. Therefore, we advise you to go to the reference ASL to check that you are already under vaccination coverage or if a recall is necessary.
On the advice of your doctor, some vaccinations may be indicated before going to India against the following diseases:
As for meningitis , the vaccine is recommended only for long stays to those who go to India during the monsoon and post-monsoon periods in the most at risk areas, with particular attention to rural areas.
For these choices, your doctor will evaluate the best solution for the type of trip you want to organize and for your body - based on your health condition.
If you intend to get vaccinated, we advise you to request an appointment with the local health authority about two months before departure. This is to ensure that you have all the time you need to carry out all the boosters and not to make all the vaccinations within a few days of departure.
Drink only packaged water , never running water to avoid the risk of contamination. Likewise, do not buy ice cream, smoothies, ice and fruit juices if you are not sure that they have been prepared with safe water.
In order not to risk gastroenteritis, it is good to consume only well-cooked foods , avoiding raw vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled.
Do not eat meat and fish, nor eggs in super cheap restaurants, in order not to risk contracting salmonella or Escherichia coli.
For this reason, many travelers decide to eat vegetarian when they are in India - and it's not a bad idea. In fact, many Indians are vegetarian, so the country offers a wide variety of traditional plant-based dishes. If, on the other hand, you want to eat meat, make sure it is well cooked and only look for stalls and restaurants frequented by Indians (the best barometer for hygiene standards).
If you want to buy street food, try to evaluate its hygiene standards first . Always ask yourself: are the owners cooking fresh food or not? Is the stall particularly crowded or does it attract hordes of flies instead of customers?
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure! L ' amuchina will be your best friend while Imodium , minerals and probiotics will idrateranno in the days of the disease and help to restore the balance of the bacterial flora.
But to avoid do it yourself, always consult your doctor, who will give you useful advice that best suits your health condition.
When traveling, we recommend that you observe the following precautionary measures:
As for clothing, it is recommended to wear comfortable and light clothes , shoes suitable for long walks, sunglasses and a hat.
A particularly important precaution for women is to cover themselves to avoid prying eyes - especially potential uncomfortable situations - and to respect the dress code of places of worship. For this, it is good to cover the shoulders and décolleté with a shawl .
Since the evening is rather cool, bring a light jacket or sweatshirts with you .
Do not forget at home the sunscreen and insect repellent and some medicines (or the name of the active substance).
Finally, we recommend cleaning wipes and disinfectant gels , to always be ready to wash your hands when the situation requires it.
TRAVEL SAFE: DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO ENTER THE COUNTRY
If you are about to travel outside Europe for the first time, you may have doubts about the mandatory documents to be presented at the airport. Don't worry, in this jungle of legislative rules, we would give you all the tips you need to leave safely!To enter India, you must bring your passport with a residual validity of at least six months upon arrival. It is also essential to obtain an entry visa and use the eVisa for short-term stays (up to 60 days). The application form can be completed online on this government website . The visa will be issued on your arrival at one of the airports of entry. At customs, you will need to demonstrate that you have a return ticket and sufficient financial resources for the duration of your visit. For longer stays you must make an online request and go to the Italian embassy before traveling.
Finally, if you land in India only for a stopover to travel to Nepal, Sri Lanka or the Maldives, you will need a transit visa: without this document, the Indian authorities will not allow you to leave the airport area.
SAFE TRAVEL IN INDIA: HEALTH SITUATION
Is India a country at risk of disease?Unfortunately, due to widespread poverty and lower sanitation standards than Italian ones, endemic diseases are present in India.
There is a high risk of contracting gastroenteritis (e.g. salmonellosis), while outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and meningitis may develop in some areas .
Therefore, it is highly recommended to take simple precautions: wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, bring amuchina (hand vial) with you and drink water only from sealed bottles.
When traveling in India, avoid risky behavior in order not to contract AIDS, through contagion or blood transfusion.
Therefore, consider a health insurance that includes coverage of medical expenses and a possible medical repatriation.
To avoid malaria transmitted by mosquitoes, you can resort to prophylaxis or the intense use of anti - mosquitoes . We recommend Autan, your ally during the day and night, and the mosquito repellent diffuser to be connected to the current. If you leave with a backpack, rest assured: you can find everything you need in the best-supplied pharmacies and supermarkets directly in India.
Vaccinations
An Italian traveler who wants to tour India is not obliged to carry out any type of vaccination, except for that of yellow fever if you have recently been in a country at risk (Africa, Latin America, Papua and New Guinea). Despite this, if you do not want the trip to India to give you bad surprises, we advise you to make a careful assessment of the dangers that can be incurred. Therefore, we advise you to go to the reference ASL to check that you are already under vaccination coverage or if a recall is necessary.
On the advice of your doctor, some vaccinations may be indicated before going to India against the following diseases:
- hepatitis A and B
- cheering
- polyomerite
- anger (due to the abundant presence of stray dogs)
- Japanese encephalitis
- meningitis
- tetanus
- cholera
As for meningitis , the vaccine is recommended only for long stays to those who go to India during the monsoon and post-monsoon periods in the most at risk areas, with particular attention to rural areas.
For these choices, your doctor will evaluate the best solution for the type of trip you want to organize and for your body - based on your health condition.
If you intend to get vaccinated, we advise you to request an appointment with the local health authority about two months before departure. This is to ensure that you have all the time you need to carry out all the boosters and not to make all the vaccinations within a few days of departure.
The food
Advice and safety of Indian foodNobody wants to get sick, especially if you are in India for a short visit, so it is better to pay attention to what you eat and drink. It is known that in this country gastro-intestinal disorders represent the most common health problem among travelers, due to very different health standards compared to Italian ones.Drink only packaged water , never running water to avoid the risk of contamination. Likewise, do not buy ice cream, smoothies, ice and fruit juices if you are not sure that they have been prepared with safe water.
In order not to risk gastroenteritis, it is good to consume only well-cooked foods , avoiding raw vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled.
Do not eat meat and fish, nor eggs in super cheap restaurants, in order not to risk contracting salmonella or Escherichia coli.
For this reason, many travelers decide to eat vegetarian when they are in India - and it's not a bad idea. In fact, many Indians are vegetarian, so the country offers a wide variety of traditional plant-based dishes. If, on the other hand, you want to eat meat, make sure it is well cooked and only look for stalls and restaurants frequented by Indians (the best barometer for hygiene standards).
If you want to buy street food, try to evaluate its hygiene standards first . Always ask yourself: are the owners cooking fresh food or not? Is the stall particularly crowded or does it attract hordes of flies instead of customers?
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure! L ' amuchina will be your best friend while Imodium , minerals and probiotics will idrateranno in the days of the disease and help to restore the balance of the bacterial flora.
But to avoid do it yourself, always consult your doctor, who will give you useful advice that best suits your health condition.
PRECAUTIONS AND USEFUL TIPS FOR TRAVELING SAFE IN INDIA
Safety in India - childrenWhen traveling, we recommend that you observe the following precautionary measures:
- do not bring valuables (e.g. watches, jewelery, necklaces, etc.) with you and avoid large quantities of cash;
- dress appropriately , especially in places of worship: avoid wearing clothes that reveal too much skin. For women it is good to wear long pants and a shawl to cover the shoulders.
- Especially for women, it is recommended to be vigilant and to travel accompanied by a man who helps to be less annoyed. If someone stares at you, avoid prying eyes at all costs so as not to give rise to misunderstandings.
- Bring antibiotics and lactic ferments with you or, alternatively, have your doctor prescribe the most useful drugs. In fact, indicating the name of the active substance, it will serve to communicate to the Indian pharmacist what you need.
- Always keep your body 's hydration under control , remembering to drink frequently to avoid serious episodes of dehydration, especially when temperatures and humidity are very high.
- Be cautious and pay attention to your backpacks or bags in areas of high urban concentration and in markets, to avoid pickpockets and harassment.
- get sunscreen creams before departure, or in large Indian cities as their availability may be difficult in less touristy areas.
WHAT TO PUT IN THE BACKPACK?
As for clothing, it is recommended to wear comfortable and light clothes , shoes suitable for long walks, sunglasses and a hat.
A particularly important precaution for women is to cover themselves to avoid prying eyes - especially potential uncomfortable situations - and to respect the dress code of places of worship. For this, it is good to cover the shoulders and décolleté with a shawl .
Since the evening is rather cool, bring a light jacket or sweatshirts with you .
Do not forget at home the sunscreen and insect repellent and some medicines (or the name of the active substance).
Finally, we recommend cleaning wipes and disinfectant gels , to always be ready to wash your hands when the situation requires it.
