India Travel

Medical resources for travelers

Related Properties from Gurgaon

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.

Reaching Nepal from Bihar

Travelers heading from Patna towards Nepal have to cross the border at Raxaul, six hours away by bus. If you want to break the journey at Muzaffarpur you'll find limited accommodation near the bus stand and in the town centre near the railway station. You can then continue to Raxaul by bus or train. RAXAUL itself is an unattractive, grubby town with limited amenities, infested with mosquitoes and flies, so you're better off staying at Birganj across the Nepal border. If you have to stay, the clean retiring rooms are the best bet, but guests have to have a rail ticket

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.

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,

From Calcutta to Andaman Islands in Calcutta

Alliance Air (Indian Airlines) fly to Port Blair five times a week but if you want to take a ship (leaving every two weeks) you'll need to book through the Shipping Corporation of India. 13 Strand Rd. Although theoretically you need a permit before buying your ticket, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office at 237 AJC Bose Rd has informed travellers to get their permits on arrival in Fort Blair; check in advance. There are four classes starting with bunk beds (from around Rs1000) to a/c dorms and cabins; the journey takes three to four days, so bring plenty to read

Rough Guide travel insurance

Rough Guides now offers its own travel insurance customized for our readers by a leading UK broker and backed by a Lloyd’s underwriter. It's available for anyone, of any nationality or age, travelling anywhere in the world. There are two main Rough Guide insurance plans: Essential for basic, no-frills cover (£23.03 worldwide) for two weeks; and Premier- with more generous and extensive benefits (£28.79 worldwide). Alternatively, you can take out annual multi-trip insurance which covers you for any number of trips throughout the year (with a maximum of 60 days for any one trip) at £83.99 (worldwide). Unlike many policies, the

Voluntary organizations in Ladakh

With limited resources at their disposal, a handful of voluntary organizations, including LEDeG, battle to protect Ladakh's delicate environment and ancient culture against the sea of change. SECMOL (Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh), founded in 1988 by Ladakhi university students, strives to increase awareness of developmental issues and guide younger students through an educational system fraught with chrome inadequacies. In the hope of maintaining pride in Ladakh's traditions, SECMOL teaches local history and runs workshops on handicrafts, agriculture and technology. Volunteer help from TEFL-qualified visitors is especially appreciated at the summer schools run just outside Leh. If you'd

What about the water?

One of the chief concerns of many prospective visitors to India is whether the water is safe to drink. To put it simply, it's not, though your unfamiliarity with Indian micro-organisms is generally more of a problem rather than any great virulence in the water itself. As a rule, it is not a good idea to drink tap water, although in big cities it is usually chlorinated. However, you'll find it almost impossible to avoid untreated tap water completely: it is used to make ice, which may appear in drinks without being asked for, to wash utensils and so on. Bottled

India online

India has one of the highest levels of IT awareness on the planet and this has helped fuel the growth of home-grown resources on the internet. Today there are several excellent India-specific websites and portals, or gateway sites, covering a vast range of topics. We list relevant websites throughout the Guide; the recommendations below are more general, and are a good place to start your navigating. The internet has had a major impact, with sites like responsible for explosive stories such as the cricket scandal of 2000 that saw the downfall of several illustrious cricketers involved with bribes, including Hansie Cronjie

National Museum of Natural History in Central New Delhi

The galleries at the National Museum of Natural History, FICCI Building, Barakhamba Road (daily except Sat 10am-5pm; free), house exhibitions on natural resources and ecology projects from all over the world, with a particular focus on India. Along with models of dinosaurs, stuffed animals and birds and fossils, there are supervised activity rooms in which children learn to model animals and handle specimens. Such appreciation of ecological issues is all roorare in India, where forests and natural habitats are fast disappearing, and the list of endangered species is growing rapidly.

Shillong and around in the Northeast

With its rolling hills and tall elegant pines, SHILLONG was known to the British as "the Scotland of the East". The impression is first brought to mind by Barapani, the loch-like reservoir on its fringes, although the chilly nights may also seem reminiscent. At an altitude of around 1500m. Shillong became, popular hill station for the British, who built it on the site of a thousand-year-old Khasi settlement and made it the capital of Assam in 1874. Much of the original Victorian town is still evident - the large gardens around Ward Lake and the buildings surrounding ic conjure up

A traveler’s first-aid kit

Below are items you might want to take, especially if you're planning to go trekking -all are available in India itself, at a fraction of what you might pay at home: Antiseptic cream, Insect repellent and cream such as, Anthisan for soothing bits, Plasters/band aids ,A course of Flagyl antibiotics ,Water sterilization tablets or water purifier ,Lint and sealed bandages , Knee supports ,Imodium (Lomotil) for emergency diarrhea treatment ,A mild oral anesthetic such as Bonjela for soothing ulcers or mild tooth the, Paracetamol/aspirin ,Multi-vitamin and mineral tablets, Rehydration sachets ,Hypodermic needles and sterilized skin wipes. tion. Be fussier than usual about

Listings Airlines Indian Airlines Shimla in Himachal Pradesh

Airlines Indian Airlines, c/o Ambassador Travels, The Mall 0177/258014 and Jagson 0177/225188. Banks and exchange UCO Bank, close to the GPO, ANZ Srindlay's at Scandal Point and the State Bank of India, between Scandal Point and the railway station, each exchange currencies. Visa encashments can be made at the Bank of Baroda on Cart Road, five minutes' walk east of the bus stand. Authorized agencies, such as Span Tours near Scandal Point and Sindh Tours on the Mall keep longer hours, but only change dollars and sterling. Bookshops Maria Brother, an antiquarian bookshop on the Mall, sells old maps and etchings as

Arranging a trek or tour and hiring equipment for Leh Ladakh

Leh offers a bewildering number of operators for the large volume of tourists who come to Ladakh to trek. Most trek and tour operators offer much the same services sharing much the same resources. Although trekking rates are quite uniform, you can get some cheaper deais on items such as porterage and pony hire by shopping around. You can also rent equipment either through the chosen agency or through places like the Traveller Shop, White House, Fort Road (01982/53048). Expect to pay Rs100 a day for a tent, Rs70 for a sleeping bag, Rs30 for a gas stove and Rs40

Andhra Pradesh

Although ANDHRA PRADESH occupies a great swathe of eastern India, stretching for more than 1200 km along the coast from Orissa to Tamil Nadu and reaching far inland from the fertile deltas of the Godavari and Krishna rivers to the semi-arid Deccan Plateau, it's not a place that receives many tourists. Most foreign travelers pass through en route to its more attractive neighbors, which is understandable as places of interest are few and far between. However, the sights that Andhra Pradesh does have to offer are absorbing and well enough connected to warrant at least a few stops on a

Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Hmachal Pradesh

The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (Mon-Sat 9am—lpm, 2-5pm-closed 2nd & 4th Sat of month; (01892/22467, 23723) has one or the world's most extensive collections of original Tibetan manuscripts of sacred texts and prayers, books on all aspects of Tibet, copious information on Indian culture and architecture, and a rich archive of historical photos. Decorated on the exterior with bright Tibetan motifs, it is housed in the Tibetan Central Administration compound, below the southern end of McLeod Ganj. The library is not the sole attraction -Tibetan language and philosophy courses are held each weekday. On the first floor of the

The Bibi-Ka-Maqbara of Aurangabad in Maharashtra

Were it not so flagrantly an imitation of the Taj Mahal, Aurangabad's much-maligned Moghul tomb-garden would probably attract more admiration. In spite of being one of India's most impressive Islamic monuments, however, the Bibi-Ka-Maqbara (daily 8am-sunset: S5 [Rs5]) is widely regarded as the definitive "also ran". The mausoleum, completed in 1678, was dedicated by Prince Azam Shah to the memory of his mother Begurn Rabi'a Daurani. Aurangzeb's wife. Originally intended to rival the Taj Mahal, lack of resources dogged the 25-year project, and the end result fell far short of expectations. The entrance to the complex is through an enormous brass-inlaid

Travel, trek and tour operators in North Bengal

Clubside Tours and Travels jp Sharma Road. Established and reliable company dealing with airline tickets, tours and trekking. DGHC Tourism Silver Fir Building. Arranges transport, manages trekking huts and organizes white-water rafting on the River Teesta. Diamond Travels 37B Old Super Market, Trekking, transport to Kathmandu, Calcutta and Guwahati. Greenland Tours & Travels 21 Beechwood, Laden La Road. Low-key, friendly travel, tour and trek operator, with a book exchange, up the steps above the post office. Himalayan Adventures Das Studios, 15 Nehru Rd. Established Indo-Australian company which runs upmarket treks and tours. Himalayan Travels 18/1 Gandhi Rd. A major trek operator in

Tapovan and Nandanvan in Uttaranchal

The campsites of Tapovan and Nandanvan, 6km beyond Gomukh on slightly divergent glacier-side routes, are popular objectives for lightweight trekking and mountaineering, and as a rule best attempted using guides engaged from Gangotri or Bhojbasa. A difficult track leads past the last teashop at Gomukh to ascend the moraine on the left edge of the glacier, following it for 1km before crossing the glacier diagonally towards a high point in the middle, in line with Shivling. Depending on the season, this stage can be confusing and dangerous; heavy snow can conceal deep crevasses and the cairns that mark the way. From

Accommodation south of Kovalam in Kerala

Two of the most luxurious of Kovalam's resorts lie around 8km to the south by road, and they benefit from long stretches of golden beach, as opposed to the unattractive black sand of Kovalam. The German-run Surya Samudra at PULINKUDI (0471 /480413, 481124) consists of beautifully presented antique Keralan wood cottages (all non-a/c), which spread discreetly along a rocky hillside and look down onto two small beaches. There is an Ayurvedic centre and an extraordinary swimming pool cut into the rock that is open to nonresidents, but for a price (Rs400). Nearby, Somatheemm at CHOWERA (0471/481601, 462935) was formerly an