Comfort Items to Bring to India & Cambodia??
 

We have 12 days in India (Delhi, Rajasthan and Varanasi) then 4 days at Angkor Wat temples and a few days after in Bangkok. We have gotten all the shots and the meds for malaria. Can anyone give me recommendations on other things they brought (or wish they brought) on their trips to either place to make the trip more comfortable, relaxing and/or illness free?

Thanks!

I always bring tons of little individually wrapped hand wipes. Also packets of laundry soap, miniature flashlight, earplugs, and a very lightweight cotton sarong...

I use the sarong to sleep in, cover up my head in windy weather, cover dirty seats, or to wrap laundry. It washes and dries in no time, so it's easy to keep clean.

Yes, those individually wrapped moist wipes are quite handy. Flashlight also, just in case. We also bring dried fruit and granola bars for when we get hungry. (We often skip lunch.) Plastic bags for laundry are a good idea - we just save the hotel bags that we get here in the US and sometimes overseas. Little packets of tissues and/or toilet paper can be useful at times.

sun tan lotion if you prefer a certain type....a loose fitting cotton hat...a long sleeved white cotton loose fitting shirt for when you are in the sun---like on a boat with no escape...
snickers...
sleeping pills for the trans pacific flight--prescription
advil type pills...

most important is not something you bring with you other than in your mind:

drink only bottled (sealed) water
never never eat from the street or from "local restaurants" whose hygiene is suspect...we do not do lunch or dinner buffets either---breakfast yes....follow all the food rules: peel it, cook it, etc...

Some of the items you may consider bringing along are:
• Toiletries
• Water Bottle
• Torch
• Sports shoes
• Sunscreen Lotion
• Lip Guard
• Warm vest (one pair)
• Heavy woollens (Jacket, Cardigan, Gloves, woollen face covering cap, incase you take early morning jungle safari in coldest months)
• Cotton socks
• Woollen socks
• Under clothing
• Jeans (two pairs)
• Full Sleeve Shirts
• Track Suit (one)
• Towel & Wipes
• Sun glasses (optional)
• Cap/Sunshade

Wet wipes, liquid hand disinfectant, a good cap, Bob's suggestion of a full sleeve, light coloured shirt is good as is Lcuy's of a sarong, your preferred tried tested brand of sunscreen, aspirin or other headache medicine, Imodium or other stomach upset medicine, a good, strong brand of your preferred mouth freshener/mints for post Indian meals which you may not be used to. A swimsuit -if you carry only one it may be better to make it a one piece rather than a bikini for a lady and swim shorts rather than Speedos for a guy simply to minimize sun related issues.

Never travel in Asia without:

a water bottle and a loo roll!!

Hat, small (refillable) bottle of sunscreen - or, better still, a high factor sunscreen in a roll-on that you can trust not to leak.

Munchies - for sure.

If travelling on a budget and staying cheap and cheerful - then, torch, swiss army knife. A small towel or face cloth for wiping the hands or damping the brow on train and bus journeys. A length of twine that is light and can be used as a washing line and for lots of other things. And a couple of clothes pegs. And Imodium, just in case.

Never eat unpeeled fruit, or take ice in a drink. But enjoy freshly cooked street food - shame to miss it.

Vegemite.

street food: never unless you want to risk the rest of your vacation!!! simple logic, not fuzzy

rhkkmk, I never got ill in 9 mths from eating sensibly chosen street food.

How about you?

i never will because i would not chance eating it (street food)....there is too many other "clean" options to choose from including ones that do not cost tons of $$

Hi Paulo,

I'm about to head off for India as well. I found this "traveler's checklist" to be excellent. It is found on the Oanda currency site. Have fun.

http://www.oanda.com/channels/traveler/checklist.shtml

Street food is tempting but I think you are taking a bigger risk. Why? Well its open to air, not enclosed or refrigerated and thus can be landed on by flies, bugs, etc. not to mention whatever may be blowing in the air that could land on it. Also have you ever seen a food inspector doing QC on a street vendor vs. say a fine hotel restaurant? Eat from them if you wish but if you are coming from say the US or Europe I think you are taking a big risk of putting bugs in your system that you have no immunities for as well as cleanliness issues. Have I ever gotten ill? Yes. In India I once got typhoid. All it takes is once folks. After that I have been far more careful and have had "Delhi belly" but, thank God no worse. Now as for what to bring: Delhi is a bustling, 24 hr. city. If your hotel is near a main road how about ear plugs. At night its still pretty noisy unless you will be in a secluded area or a 5 * hotel and you will need a good nights sleep. Also consider sleeping meds if jet lag is a concern. Cheers, Larry

Tex:
I'll trade you a can of spam for the vegamite

For jet lag, have you tried ' No Jet Lag? Purchased in a natural foods store or homeopathy shop; originated in Australia. I used the pill according to directions going to India, and believe it helped to regulate the body to adjust to time zone differences, as designed to do. If you can sleep on a plane, you've got your own built in adjustment. I can't. Check their website for explanation.

Is there anyway one can purchase Xanax over the counter in India? I have found them helpful in the past for long plane rides.

Xanax OTC? I think you need a script for that in India these days. I am womdering if you could find someone to just look the other way however. Maybe.