Survival tips for traveling to India or Asia that Google will never tell you

Ravjot Singh
Sep 6, 2018 · 13 min read

As an Indian born and raised in the safety and convenience of America, I always underestimate the difficulty of traveling to my own “homeland”. Although Indian blood courses through my veins, Hindi and Punjabi are always on my tongue, and the culture is ever present in my home, nothing compares to the chaotic experience that is living in India. I have worked and vacationed in India for many months, and along the way have learned valuable lessons that I try to pass on to as many travelers as possible. Not only is the material in this well curated list going to save your body from mass destruction, but it also contains information that you will never find anywhere else online because it stems from personal knowledge and firsthand experience. Now let’s begin.

  1. Culturelle (or any trusted brand of probiotics) will be your savior for as long as you are in India. Get your body used to probiotics before your trip by taking them daily for a week beforehand. Generally speaking, very few people have adverse side effects when taking probiotics. Please be aware that those who are immunocompromised should not be taking probiotics. Assure that you have enough probiotics for each member of your traveling party for the duration of your trip. My personal mistake for my most recent India trip was not bringing enough for all my family members (we had been using 2 daily for each person) and having to resort to local probiotic brands in India that I was not familiar with. It is much safer to use probiotics to halt the inevitable loose motions that will occur on your trip than using harsh antibiotics right away. Remember, you should always use probiotics when using antibiotics to assure that your gut flora is not completely stripped away.
  2. Swap out water for seltzer (sparkling) water whenever you get the chance. Whether you’re eating out at a local restaurant or even ordering room service at your hotel, try as often as possible to assure that your drink is being made with sparkling water because it is less likely to be contaminated with waterborne viruses, fungi, and bacteria. For example, fresh lime sodas are very popular in India and throughout Asia. Even if you are ordering from a roadside shack, as long as you order a drink based off of sparkling water, it will be safe to drink. That being said, please do not visit a roadside shack for food or drink purposes…ever.
  3. NO ICE. I cannot stress this enough, never order a drink with ice. Never accept a drink with ice. If your drink has ice, send it back to the kitchen to be remade. If you want a cold drink, ask for it to be chilled instead and just take the loss of not having nice icy drinks in the heat like we are used to in the US. The ice is rarely ever filtered to a level that our weak first world immune systems can handle. Some food establishments do not filter their ice at all, so you are basically getting a cube of 7 days worth of severe diarrhea at best and hospitalization at worst. There is never any confirmation that filtration systems are working to their best ability. No ice pops either! Unfortunately I learned this lesson the hard way many, many times.
  4. The no ice thing being said, there ARE a few (VERY FEW) select places that do have a reasonable ice filtration system and those places include: your hotel and Starbucks. I can personally attest that I have never gotten sick from an Indian Starbucks or from my hotel’s ice. That’s it. No iced drinks from anywhere else.

5. Filtered water is NOT good enough for a traveler coming from a first world country. Do not skimp on the cost of a high end bottle of mineral water whenever you go out to eat (yes, even if the restaurant looks trustworthy). As mentioned in #3, there is no confirmation that the filtration system will be working for your particular glass of water or that ALL the harmful bacteria will be removed. Mineral water does cost a decent amount when you are forced to buy it every time you eat or drink anywhere for each person in your party, but there is simply no other option. Unless you enjoy foreign hospitals taking up the duration of your trip!

6. DO NOT OPEN YOUR MOUTH IN THE SHOWER OR BRUSH YOUR TEETH WITH TAP WATER! This is the biggest and most important rule that anyone traveling to Asia should follow. Even true Indians like my mother and father who grew up in Delhi have to abide by this rule as if it is a law of the land. When brushing your teeth, use bottled water. Hotels always provide extra bottles in bathrooms for this exact reason. Before your trip, practice closing your mouth in the shower and truly keeping it shut. It sounds funny, but most of us are so used to not fearing water in the USA that we do end up talking/singing/brushing teeth/swallowing water in the shower. If you do happen to have any water from the tower or other tap sources enter your mouth, rinse your mouth immediately with mouthwash for at least one minute.

7. Do NOT use an auto. You might be very intrigued by the tiny automated rickshaw but unless you are equally intrigued by being mugged, do not set foot in an auto. Not only are there no doors to protect you from thieves, there is no protection from the pollution either. Your nose will in fact turn black if you ride an auto for long enough because of the pollution. If you insist on getting the true Indian experience and going in an auto, do so when you have no valuable belongings. Leave your phone and wallet in the hotel and take a quick 10 minute ride and come back to the hotel. Many auto drivers are connected with local thieves and take a “cut” from the thieves’ earnings for setting you up to be robbed.

8. Fanny packs will save you from being robbed! At least on most occasions unless a thief is feeling extra brave that day. I swapped all my purses out for fanny packs and even had my dad and brother do the same. It is nearly impossible to truly keep tabs on your purse even if you have your arm around it when you are in huge crowds of people in a market or while you are out sight seeing. The second your purse is out of your direct line of sight, it is likely that someone could pickpocket it. Fanny packs are not only in style right now, but they are also very reliable in terms of being safe. A thief would have to physically attack you to reach a fanny pack, which is not an easy task especially if you are in a well populated area. Everything from a phone to an Epipen to a water bottle can fit inside a fanny pack. It brings some level of assurance that you will be able to see or stop the crime from happening.

9. The only safe way to travel in India is either through the hotel’s cab service or apps such as Ola, Lyft, or Uber. Better than the Ola or Uber is the hotel cab service. Each cab and cab driver is fully accounted for, registered, and screened by the hotel. It is nearly 4 times the cost of an Ola, but only use apps for transportation if you are confident that the car and driver are trustworthy.

10. Now let’s talk hotels. American chain hotels overseas are given strict guidelines by the FDA to adhere to US level safety in food and drink preparation. If you are eager to keep that standard, an American chain is the way to go. However, there are many wonderful European chains and even some local Indian chains that also keep a high standard of cleanliness and food safety.

11. Get used to luxury, because as a general rule, you should only stay in a 4 star or higher hotel or resort. Whatever your expectation is of a hotel when you see its star rating online, drop it by 1 star and that is approximately the true nature of the hotel when you arrive there. It should be noted that the difference between a 4 star and 3 star is immense in India. 4 stars will sure a certain level of safety whereas 3 stars is essentially being out in the Wild West. Or should I say Wild East? Asian standards of hotels in many ways can be considered a slight bit lower than what we are used to in the US or Canada for example. A major part of this issue is just the environment. It is nearly impossible to truly combat mildew, dust, pollen, bugs, lizards, smells, and cleanliness in a harsh, tropical, wet environment. Because of this, even the best hotels with the highest ratings can have an issue with ants or spiders or dust. For example, the hotel I stayed in when I was in Chandigarh was the same hotel that a variety of top tier celebrities stayed at when filming in Chandigarh. That being said, we still had a problem in the best presidential suite with little ants/pests that seemed to be attracted to the food we left in the open. We can’t necessarily blame the hotel because in a place like India, bugs will enter even the most newly built and well maintained establishments.

12. When booking a room, request that it be a room with no carpeting. You can call ahead and request the carpeting to be removed. Many travelers do not know this unique trick, even I learned it during this India trip! The room shown to the right is exactly the same room I was given in Chandigarh, carpeting included. As per my request, the cleaning crew specifically removed the carpeting and did a formal cleanup of the wooden floors underneath. Not only does this reduce allergies for people with dust and mold sensitivity, it also generally increases the hygiene. There is no extra cost to request a room without carpeting. In a hot, moist environment like India, your sinuses and lungs will thank you endlessly for choosing a carpet-free room.

13. Unless you are going out for an activity where your passport is needed, leave it behind at your hotel. Staff at most 4 star or higher hotels are monitored heavily and are not likely to steal any of your belongings. As a general rule, you should keep a copy of your passport in your phone camera roll and email it to yourself in case your passport gets lost or stolen.

14. Similarly to keeping a copy of your passport, always be sure to keep your iCloud or other cloud services on for the duration of your trip. Your phone is pretty likely to get stolen at any time and place while you are outside of your hotel in any part of Asia. No place is safe for phones. Most of the time, it is the photos and videos that we miss the most and not the physical phone itself. So do yourself a huge favor and back up your phone every day, whether that be to a cloud service or to your laptop or hard drive.

15. When traveling anywhere outside of your hotel, keep your phone hidden unless you are sure that you are in a totally safe environment. For example, you can use your phone openly inside a mall or inside a shop. The moment you go outside, your phone should not be out. The likelihood that it will be stolen is very high. If you are keeping your phone in your pocket, keep your hand in the same pocket to assure a pickpocket cannot access it.

16. Keep two sets of wet wipes for each person in your party. They will be your saving grace in many situations such as when you remove your shoes to enter temples. Easy access to a wet wipe will keep you from picking up fungi, bacteria, or viruses on your feet (though there is a risk of that happening anyway). It is also always a good idea to wipe down the airplane seat/handles/buttons/tray table/belt when traveling because most airplanes are not serviced to the level we imagine. Along with wet wipes, obviously also keep a hefty supply of sanitizer and use it after touching any public surface. Any. Public. Surface.

17. Whether you have known allergies or not, you should bring allergy medications with you when you travel. If you have insurance to cover getting an Epipen, you should get it. The rather quirky thing about allergies is that we never know what we are allergic to until we encounter the allergen. That mixed with traveling to a country with not so stellar healthcare is a recipe for disaster.

18. Make light windbreakers and anorak jackets the official look for your trip. They are immensely helpful in protecting you from bug bites as well as itchy allergens, rain, and bacteria that you might encounter on any surface you touch. The ones I found most helpful were by Eddie Bauer, though these light windbreakers can be found generally anywhere these days. The jacket should be light enough to not trap heat (as the environment will already be too hot to handle) while also shielding you from bug bites.

19. Saline nasal spray is everything! The simple salt water spray will help clear your sinuses of the high pollution content in the air. It may shock you at first to see black colored mucus coming from your nose or throat, but don’t be too alarmed, that is generally normal if you have stayed outside for too long in a city area. A couple puffs of saline spray in each nostril should help push some of the soot down.

20. If you have sensitive skin, be sure to buy products that create a veil between you and the pollution. This includes products like anti-pollution spray/anti-pollution cream or even something as simple as protective vaseline. My personal favorites are by REN Clean Skincare, but this is all up to your preference.

21. Leave your hair styling devices at home! They will not work with the Indian electricity even if you have a converter. Most American or Canadian products will overheat and give an error signal when you plug them in, even if you are using multiple converters. Learn to do heatless styles or visit a beauty shop in India to buy their local heat stylers.

22. Malls are incredibly safe and supremely awesome in India! The malls are literally so huge that it is nearly impossible to see all the stores in one trip. There is always security by each entrance where you must go through a metal detector and put your bags through a scanning device, thus leaving less room for thieves and shenanigans. When in India, you should absolutely go and visit malls, they will put every American or Canadian mall to shame and you will never want to leave.

23. American/International stores cost way more in India than they do in the US/Europe/Canada. Do not bother to shop at these stores because the rates for the same products online are far less. For example, Tommy Hilfiger in an Indian mall was nearly 1.5 times the price of a Tommy Hilfiger store in the US.

24. When visiting an Indian market, be sure to be on high alert. Markets are often filled to the brim with people, and in the mix are thieves and cons. If you are in a group of visitors, you are far less likely to be targeted.

25. Thieves will often try to create a “scene” to distract you. This includes loud yelling/pretending to fight. Their idea is to draw attention to the scene while someone from their group pickpockets you. Many sexual predators in India also scare groups of girls by faking a fight in front of the group of girls to get the girls to step in and break up the fight. Girls often get kidnapped/assaulted when they try to step in, as this is a rouse for attention. If you see a fight erupt, kindly walk the other direction and stay close to police.

26. In rural areas, it is common for men to crash their bikes/cars/autos into women that they target. The woman typically stops to argue/press charges and this gives the thieves/predators a chance to kidnap the woman. If you are ever bumped in traffic or rear ended for example, carry on. Especially if you are a group of females or traveling alone, do not stop and argue. The point of the thieves is to get you to stop and come out of your vehicle to argue with them.

27. Never eat raw fruit and raw vegetables! Unless you have been in India for months and you are used to the many types of bacteria/fungi/viruses on the fruits and veggies, avoid it all! The only safe food in India is cooked, fried, or boiled food.

Thanks all for reading this list of precautions and tips that you will likely only hear from someone’s personal experiences in India! Google never prepared me for the harsh environment, it was only something I learned from trial and error. I hope to pass this information along to other travelers to keep the amount of people getting hurt or sick to a minimum! Pass this article along to your friends and family who are eager to travel to India. Remember that each person’s experiences are unique. This list focuses on precautions, but it will not prepare you for the immense beauty and gorgeous traditional culture. Many of these cons are worth the pros of getting to see an entirely different world right here on earth. Travel safely and submit your personal tips below in the comments!

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