India Travel
Health is the Very Aware
A lot of visitors get ill in India, and some of them get very ill. However, if you are careful, you should be able to get through the country with nothing worse than a mild dose of “Delhi belly", an almost obligatory introduction to the country. The important thing is to keep your resistance high and to be very aware of health risks such as poor hygiene, untreated water, mosquito bites and undressed open cuts.
What you eat and drink is crucial: a poor diet lowers your resistance. Ensure you eat a balance of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals. Meat and fish are obvious sources of protein for non-vegetarians in the West, but not necessarily in India: eggs, pulses (lentils, peas and beans), rice and curd are all protein sources, as are nuts. Overcooked vegetables lose a lot of their vitamin content; eating plenty of peeled fresh fruit helps keep up your vitamin and mineral intake. With all that sweating, too, make sure you get enough salt (put extra on your food) and drink enough water. It’s also worth taking daily multi-vitamin and mineral tablets with you. Above all, make sure you eat enough - an unfamiliar diet may reduce the amount you eat - and get enough sleep and rest: it’s easy to get run down if you’re on the move a lot, especially in a hot climate.
It’s worth knowing, if you are ill and can’t get to a doctor that almost any medicine can be bought over the counter without a prescription.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Health Museum Hyderabad
Travellers’ Medical and Vaccination Centre
Australia; Level 7,428 George St, Sydney 02/9221 7133; Level 2,393 Little Bourke St, Melbourne 03/9603 5788; Level 6,29 Gilbert Place, Adelaide 08/8212 7522; Level 6,247 Adelaide St, Brisbane 07/3221 9066; 5 Mill St, Perth 08/9321 1977. New Zealand: 1/170 Oueen St 09/373 3531; 6 Washington Way, Christchurch 03/379 4000. General info/health line: it 1902/261 560 (Australia). Inoculations/medications, area-specific advice, list of English-speaking doctors in India, first-aid/medical kits and post-travel examinations. A full rundown of their branches, along with general travellers' health advice.
Health in Leh: altitude sickness and dirty water in Ladakh
As Leh is 3505m above sea level, some travellers, and especially those who arrive by plane from Delhi, experience mild altitude sickness- If you develop any of the symptoms - persistent headaches, dizziness, insomnia, nausea, loss of appetite or shortness of breath - your body has not yet acclimatized to the comparative lack of oxygen in the thin Ladakhi air; don't worry, it will, probably in as little as 24 hours, though it can take longer. In the meantime, take it easy and drink plenty of fluids -3-4 litres of water a day is recommended. In addition, lay off alcohol,
Little Mount Caves in Tamil Nadu
St Thomas is said to have sought refuge from persecution in the Little Mount Caves, 8km south of the city centre (bus #18A, #18B, or #52C from Anna Salai), now 200m off the road between the Maraimalai Adigal Bridge and the residence of the governor of Tamil Nadu. Entrance to the caves is beside steps leading to a statue of Our Lady of Good Health. Inside, next to a small natural window in the rock, are impressions of what are believed to be St Thomas' handprints, created when he made his escape through this tiny opening. Behind the new circular church
Medical resources for travelers
For up-to-the-minute information, make an appointment at a travel clinic. These clinics also sell travel accessories, including mosquito nets and first-aid kits. Information about specific diseases and conditions, drugs and herbal remedies is provided as well as advice from health experts. You could also consult the Rough Guide to Travel Health by Dr Nick Jones. UK British Airways Travel Clinics Operates several clinics located in London including 156 Regent St, London W1 020/7439 9584 (Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.15pm, Sat10am-4pm; no appointment necessary). There are appointment-only branches at 101 Cheapside, London EC2 020/7606 2977, and at the BA terminal in London's Victoria Station 020/7233 6661.
Accommodation of Kanpur in Central UP
Several of Kanpur's better hotels can be found in and around the Mall, while cheaper accommodation is concentrated near the Central railway station -which itself has reasonable retiring rooms. Ganges, 51/50 Nayaganj. Cheap and basic, not far from the station, with a mediocre restaurant attached. Gaurav, 18/54 the Mall. Central hotel, four doors down from the better-known Geet, but not as loud, a little newer, and a lot more pleasant. The Landmark, 10 the Mall. Behind Som Dutt Plaza; the closest Kanpur comes to luxury. Features include currency exchange, coffee shop, health suite and travel centre. Meghdoot the Mall, Popular business-class
Dakshina Chitra in Tamil Nadu
Occupying a patch of sand dunes midway between Chennai and Mamallapuram, Dakshina Chitra (daily except Tues 10am-6pm; Rs5), literally "Vision of the South", is one of India's best-conceived folk museums, devoted to the rich architectural and artistic heritage of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The museum, set up by the Chennai Craft Foundation, exposes visitors to many disappearing traditions of the region which you might otherwise not be aware of, from tribal fertility cults and Ayyannar field deities to pottery and leather shadow puppets. A selection of traditional buildings from across peninsular India has been painstakingly reconstructed using original
Park in Delhi
Park, 15 Sansad Marg. Comfortable but soulless and overpriced carpeted rooms, with bathtubs, fridges, TV and room service, and views over Jantar Mantar from the front. A swimming pool, health club and disco spice the place up, though overall it's not one of the best in this category. Prices start at $275 for a double but it's cheaper through the TCI.
Australia and New Zealand
Auckland Hospital, Park Road, Grafton 09/797440. General traveller health advice. Travel-Bug Medical and Vaccination Centre, 161 Ward St, North Adelaide 08/8267 3544.Consultations, inoculations, first-aid/medical kits, post-travel examinations. Travellers' Immunization Service, 303 Pacific Hwy, Lind field, Sydney 02/9416 1348. Offers inoculations and general advice.
Some history of Diu in Gujarat
The earliest records of Diu date from 1298, when it was controlled by the Chudasana dynasty. Soon after, like most of Gujarat, it fell into the hands of invading Muslims and by 1349 was ruled by Mohammed bin Tughluq who successfully boosted the shipbuilding industry. Diu prospered as a Gujarati harbour, and in 1510 came under the government of the Ottoman Malik Ayaz, who repelled besieging Portuguese forces in 1520 and 1521. Well aware of Diu's strategic position for trade with Arabia and the Persian Gulf, and having already gained a toehold in Daman on the eastern edge of the
South Delhi
Most of the accommodation south of Connaught Place lies firmly in the luxury category, although there are a few guesthouses in Sundernagar, the odd mid-range hotel tucked away in a residential area and a modern youth hostel near the exclusive diplomatic enclave. The five-star hotels provide Delhi's best restaurants, bars, health centres, nightclubs and most exclusive discos. As a result, the city's high society uses them to entertain, be seen in and hold lavish weddings, cocooned from the outside world. Prices here are some of the highest m India; those in this section encompass a range from $16 to over
The beach resorts in Coastal Bengal
The popular seaside resort of DIGHA. 175km southwest of Calcutta and almost halfway to Pun in Orissa, with its immense silted hard beach, was originally conceived as a health sanatorium. Direct buses run from the Esplanade terminus in Calcutta; trains from Howrah station run to Kharagpur from where you can take a bus. Alternatively you can get here on a WB tourist bureau bus. If anything, the casuarina-lined beach at BAKKHALI, 80km south of Diamond Harbour on the east side of the Hooghly, is even harder than the one at Digha. However, it's much less developed and far more attractive, and
Some history East of Udaipur in Rajasthan
The uncompromising policy of death before submission followed by Chittors Sisodia overlords ensured that its history is replete with tales of loyalty and terrible sacrifice. In 1303, during the reign of Rana Ratan Singh, a devastating attack was launched by Ala-ud-din-Khalji, the fiercest of the Delhi sultans. Having besieged the city, he offered to withdraw on condition that he be permitted to glimpse Ratan's legendarily beautiful queen. Padmini. After being admitted alone into the palace to view the queens reflection in a lotus lake,however, the sultan contrived to have Ratan ambushed just as he was showing him out. But Padmini
Travel insurance
In the light of the potential health risks involved in a trip to India - see opposite - travel insurance is too important to ignore. In addition to covering medical expenses and emergency flights, it also insures your money and belongings against loss or theft. A typical travel insurance policy usually provides cover for the loss of baggage, tickets and - up to a certain limit - cash or cheques, as well as cancellation or curtailment of your journey. Most of them exclude so-called dangerous sports unless an extra premium is paid: in India this can mean trekking, mountaineering, skiing,
Important Telephone Numbers : Hyderabad
Cycles Bicycles can be rented for Rs 20 per day at a friendly stall on the right as you approach Hyderabad station from Nampally High Road. Hospitals : The government-run Gandhi Hospital is in Secunderabad; the private CDR Hospital is in Himayataagari and there's a Tropical Diseases Hospital in Nallakunta. Internet access : The most convenient internet access is available from Satyam Online at Modern Xerox (daily 9am-10pm: s 040/460 3894, near the Ek-minar mosque, behind Nampally station, for Rs 35 per hour. Other outlets are to be found in the Abids area. Library : The British Library at Secretariat Road (Tues-Sat 11
Accommodation price codes in Delhi
All accommodation prices in this book have been categorized using the price codes below. Prices given are for a double room, and all taxes are included. For more details, see p.52. OuptoRs100 O Rs300-400 O Rs900-1500 Rs100-200 RS400-600 Rs1500-2500 Rs200-300 Rs600-900
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa, Calcutta's most famous citizen (1910-97), was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents, and grew up in Skopje in the former Yugoslavia. After joining the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish order, she was sent as a teacher to Darjeeling. Where she took her vows in May 1931 and became Teresa. In her work at St Mary's School in Calcutta, she became aware of the incredible poverty around her; in 1948, with permission from Rome, she put aside her nuns habit to clothe herself in the simple blue-bordered white sari that became the uniform of the Missionaries of Charity. The
Trekking in Ladakh and Zanskar
The ancient footpaths that crisscross Ladakh and Zanskar provide some of the most inspiring trekking in the Himalayas. Threading together remote Buddhist villages and monasteries, cut off in winter behind high passes whose rocky tops bristle with windswept thickets of prayer flags, nearly all are long, hard and high - but rarely dull The best time to trek is from June to September. New areas where restrictions have recently been lifted such as the Nubra Valley and Rupshu (Tso Moriri) are gradually being developed, and Leh- and Manali-based trekking agents are busy exploring new itineraries. Whether you make all the necessary
Away from the centre Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala
The Chachu Nehru Children's Museum (Tues-Sun 10am—5pm), Thycaud in the east of the city, serves as a rather dusty testament to the enth siasm of some anonymous donor, presumably back in the 1960s. One room contains ritual masks, probably from Bengal, Rajasthan and Orissa, but the rest of the place is taken up with stamps, health education displays, and more then 2000 dolls featuring figures in Indian costume, American presidents. Disney characters and British Beefeaters. Also on the eastern side of town, visitors can by arrangement watch classes at the PS Balachandran Nair Kalari martial arts gymnasium. Kalariyil TC 15/854. Cotton
Nalagarh Fort Shimla in Himachal Pradesh
If you can afford it, the eighteenth-century fort of Nalagarh converted into probably the finest hotel in Himachal Pradesh, is an excellent place to break the journey between Delhi and Kullu. Overlooking the Punjab plains, the fort lies 60km from Chandigarh and 12km off the main Chandigarh-Mandi road. Towering above the town with the Himachal foothills rising steeply behind, the fort played a key role in the Gurkha wars of the early nineteenth century, and is today filled with memorabilia evoking its military past. An Ayurvedic clinic offering massage and a shop selling various health potions add to the luxury.