General travel-health information. A qualified clinician should advise on your own health needs, medicines and treatment.
Plan for your travel-health needs
Ask a travel-health clinician about your itinerary, vaccines, existing conditions and what to do if you become ill. This guide provides general precautions; your own health needs may require a different plan.
Carry your insurer's assistance details and identify where you could obtain medical care at each overnight stop.
Tap water, bottled water and ice in India
Use unopened, factory-sealed bottled water or water treated by an appropriate method. Clear-looking water is not proof that it is safe.
Use safe water for brushing teeth, preparing drinks and washing food. Avoid ice when its water source is uncertain. Inspect seals rather than assuming every refill or bottle is safe.
Safer food choices: hot meals, fruit and dairy
Choose food that is thoroughly cooked and served hot. Avoid food held lukewarm, raw seafood and unpasteurised dairy. Peel fruit yourself or wash it with safe water.
Wash hands with soap and water before eating. When that is unavailable, use hand sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol. A busy restaurant or a good review does not establish how food was stored or prepared.
Street food in India: understand the risks
CDC advises avoiding street-vendor food. If you choose to eat it, freshly cooked food served steaming hot is a more cautious choice than raw garnishes, cut fruit or food that has been sitting out. These precautions reduce risk; they do not eliminate it.
What to carry for a day out
- Carry drinking water from a source you trust.
- Pack hand sanitiser for times when washing facilities are unavailable.
- Keep your accommodation address and medical assistance contact offline.
- Allow time in your schedule to rest if you feel unwell.
Travellers’ diarrhoea: when to get medical help
Take small, frequent sips of safe fluids. Mix oral rehydration salts with the amount of safe water stated on the packet. Get medical help promptly for blood in your stool, an inability to keep fluids down or dehydration that persists despite rehydration.
Seek medical advice for reduced or dark urine, vomiting lasting more than two days, or diarrhoea lasting more than seven days. Get help sooner if symptoms are severe or you are at higher risk; do not wait for these time limits if warning signs develop.
Vomiting blood, sudden severe abdominal pain or confusion needs emergency care. In India, call 112 for a medical emergency. Seek advice earlier for babies, older travellers or people at greater risk of dehydration. Ask a clinician about medicines and doses; do not self-prescribe antibiotics.
BEFORE YOU GO
Common questions
Find helpful answers and plan your next journey with confidence.
Do not assume tap water is safe because it looks clear. Use unopened, factory-sealed bottled water or water treated by an appropriate method. Apply the same precautions when brushing your teeth and preparing drinks.
CDC advises avoiding street-vendor food. If you choose to eat it, food cooked thoroughly and served steaming hot is a more cautious choice than raw garnishes or food left sitting out. No choice eliminates the risk of illness.
Avoid ice when you cannot establish the water source. Ice can introduce unsafe water into an otherwise sealed or freshly prepared drink.
No. Reviews and queues do not establish safe storage, cooking temperatures, water quality or hand hygiene. Choose thoroughly cooked food served hot and avoid unpasteurised dairy.
Get help promptly for bloody stools, an inability to keep fluids down or dehydration that persists despite rehydration. Vomiting blood, confusion or sudden severe abdominal pain needs emergency care: call 112 in India. Seek advice earlier for babies, older people and other travellers at higher risk.
Do not self-prescribe antibiotics. Ask a travel-health clinician about an illness plan suited to your health and itinerary, including whether any medicines are appropriate and when to use them.