Taste of India Sept 09

Hi Vicks

Thanks for your post. You will be pleased to know that there are 6 of you booked on this tour. Hopefully others booked are reading the forums and will contact you.

Have a great time

sue

Mosquito Repellent /Malaria Tablets

Can anybody give advice on a good mosquito repellent to use? I generally get bitten to death and would prefer to try and avoid this happening whilst in India.

Should I be getting malaria tablets, for the taste of india tour in Sept, my doctor said it was optional.

Vicks

Hi Vicks

In terms of prevention of mosquito bites medical authorities usually suggest that you get a repellent that is DEET based. They suggest that this provides the strongest protection for the longest time. It is a strong chemical so you may want to ensure you are not allergic to it, although this does not seem to be a problem for most users. Also wearing protective clothing like long cotton tops and trousers is a good idea at night time when mosquitos can be around more. Another tip is to stay away from wearing perfumes (ladies), aftershaves (men) as they are drawn to the scent. Your local Pharmacy will be able to give you further advice on suitable repellents.

In regard to anti-malarial medication we do advise that you consult with your medical practitioner so you can make an informed decision. If you would like more information to assist you with this decision the following websites are a good source.

http://www.thetraveldoctor.com/
http://www.nathnac.org/travel/index.htm
http://www.malariahotspots.co.uk/mapInteractive.asp

We hope you thoroughly enjoy Taste of India and thank you for travelling with Imaginative Traveller.

Best regards

Hannah

Luggage

Can you suggest the type of luggage I should take on the tast of India tour in Sept? Would a rucksack or a suitcase on wheels be best?

Vicks

Regarding mosquito repellent, in addition to the standard DEET stuff available in the UK, you could supplement that with a repellent called ODOMOSS which you can buy in any pharmacy in India. It's available as a fairly pleasant-smelling cream and seems to work well against the local mosquitos in my experience. Regarding luggage, I would highly recommend a rucksack and to avoid anything with wheels, simply because there are many uneven roads and messy streets. You can hire porters at the train stations - where you tend to encounter stairs in crossing over numerous platforms - but best not to rely on this.

Hi Vicks

In response to your luggage question, suitcases would be little awkward when getting on and off the trains. I agree with Neens that rucksacks are a good option.

However there are lots of good bags around with wheels which seem to suite a lot of our travellers. The main thing is that you are able to pick your bag up when do encounter stairs etc.

Best wishes
David