colern

Hello -- My husband & I are planning a trip from the US to India in Feb. 07 - I am a little nervous about travel to India - specifically --- any negativity towards Americans....also, at that time of year should we be concerned with Malaria and do the treatment (malarone or docyocline) while there...Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

lcuy

Lucky you! I dan't answer of the malarial question; that is best to discuss with a travel doctor. If you will be in Malaria risk areas, you should do the drugs. there is another thread running at the moment on this same subject..if you haven't seen it yet, type in malaria in the search box and you should find it. (It pertains to Cambodia and Thailand, but goes into depth about some of the issues)

As far as Indian feelings towards Americans? We had absolutely no problems. The people there are very nice (with the exception of the aggressive shop people!) and we loved them!

You might want to read some trip reports of others. Here are links to one of mine :
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34708806

and this excellent one by Craig:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34578710

and another by Wayne:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34838942

There are many other fabulous reports as well, but I'll let you (or their authors find them).

Don't be nervous! What are your plans so far?

Kathie

do read the cdc website before your consultation with a travel med doc.
www.cdc.gov/travel

cram

India is a wonderful country to visit, but you have to accept things as they are. Car movement from city to city is slow, but shows you a lot of land and village life. Be open to a different environment, just go along with the waves of day to day life, enjoy the kitchen and the genuine welcome of the people, and you'll love the place. Start with a mind that is too scared to immerse itself in the environment, and it is going to be hell. India is a country where you do not come away neutrally. It's there for you, and it's wonderful. Enjoy. I've been there three times in two years and I'd hop into that plane again tomorrow morning.

colern

Thanks for your replies. I guess I am just a somewhat of a worrywart...with all of the political turmoil lately.

lcuy -- I read your travel accounts of your 2 trips to India yesterday and throughly enjoyed them. It sounds as if you and your daughter had the trip of a lifetime. (I only wish I could write as descriptively as you do...I really felt like I could visualize your trip)

We are somewhat planning a similar route - Direct flight from Chicago to Dehli - arrive in Dehli as most flights do in the late evening hours.
We are staying in Dehli for a couple of days at the Imperial Hotel then on to Agra (Amarvilas) via the train as you had suggested in your post. From Agra on to Ranthambore (Vanyavilas) also via train. From Ranthambore to Jaipur for 1 night only - I am torn between Taj property or the Oberoi Rajvilas...then flying on to Udaipur and staying at the Udaivilas for 2 nights.

We planned this trip through Enchanting India whom received the highest of references when I checked on them so they pretty much will make sure all is taken care of as far as drivers/trains etc. along the trip. Has anyone used them?

Then we will fly on to the Maldives for 5 nights of R&R with a 1 night stay in Trivandum.

Did you take anti-malarial meds on your 2 trips lcuy? I am going to take the advise and speak with a travel doc prior to my departure and have already been on the cdc website.

Again, thanks to all who have replied to my post. I am very excited about our trip.

lcuy

I took the antimalarials on the second trip only. First time I used the deet stuff carefully, plus I was taking a heavy dose of a different antibiotic, so didn't want to disrupt that thing. with both Varanasi and Ranthambore the second time, I was at a lot more risk, so did the drugs.

Don't know anything about Enchanting India, but they've got you in all the best places. Nice trip you have planned!

I just love the Oberoi properties. Might be interesting (for us!) if you compared one TAJ property, but then Rajvilas gets nice reviews. Is the Taj property closer to town? That might be worth the switch.

Remember that tipping is discouraged in Oberoi properties. You can leave one en masse at check out, but other than that, it's nice not to have to deal with that.

And Maldives at the end...Can't wait to read your report.

banerg

Colern,

It might serve you well to read and get acquainted with India’s political situation before you set foot in that aircraft. India is the only country after USA which has a favorable opinion of USA. You will see this in everyday life on the streets, the way youngsters dress and talk, etc.; it is quite amusing. Having said this, Indians are fiercely proud people and they only accommodate ignorance only so much. Nothing ire them more than typecasting them with Pakistan or middle-eastern countries where there is a political turmoil. Do your homework well because Indians simply can not tolerate ignorant Americans. Don’t take this in a negative way, but you will do much better if you know that India has the world’s biggest democracy & fourth strongest military, not to mention nuclear deterrence capabilities too.

As Cram has mentioned that you will either love India or completely hate her. If you try to compare traditions, & cultures with one fixed set of mind, then it will become very difficult for you to be acceptable of other cultures – and enjoying your trip; and India is a place where you cannot escape culture & tradition. Keep an open mind and enjoy the experiences. And don’t use your experiences with shop-keepers, or an occasional cab driver, who will try to fleece you to define how Indians truly are; because you will face these kinds of experiences where ever you go in the world.

I have been to India a couple of times too. The trick is to keep a low profile, as in not to flaunt that you have too much money, aka, stupid foreigner, and you should be fine. Obviously staying out late and in not so good neighborhood is also not advisable. But I am sure you are aware of these common sense things already, so I will skip. But one quick advice: Take a PRE-PAID cab from the airport. Also find out how far is the hotel from the airport. Or better still have the hotel send you a cab.

Have a nice trip.

rhkkmk

for our november trip we will be taking malerone as advised and prescribed by out travel clinic in boston....its the easiest to take and we have used it before but it is not cheap and the side effects for us were zero....we will only be in delhi, agra and jaipur...

Cicerone

I travel to India about twice a month, and am leaving again on Sunday for a week there. I don't know where you got the impression that Indians do not like Americans which is completely unfounded in my experience, both work and personal. As with most people I have encountered living and traveling outside the US for the last 20 years, Indians are fully capable of understanding the difference between the actions of a government which they may not like, and the American people, which they do. It is very unlikely you will even have political discussions or encounters with anyone, as Indians are polite in the extreme and would not want to bring up uncomfortable subjects or criticize people they view as their guests. (They will however, ask you if you are married, how many children you have, why you don't have children, your religion, and how much you paid for something, including your home, none of which are viewed as being intrusive questions.) If anything, the bombings in Mumbai a few months ago gave Indians a closer affinity with Americans. I really would not have any concerns on this point.

As for Malaria, despite what the cdc says, in Rajasthan in the winter I would not take it, it is too cold and too dry for mosquitoes for the benefit to outweigh the risks of the meds. Also, the hotels you are staying at spray at night for mosquitoes in any event if any could survive into February. For one night in Kerala IMO the risks and side effects are simply not worth taking the meds, just wear repellent at night and in the morning. As for the Maldives, I don't believe they are a risk area. I do not take malaria meds at all, I don't think they are worth the side effects and risks, and in any event they are not 100% effective even if you took them exactly as directed, which most people don't (they stop taking them as soon s they get home, thereby defeating the whole purpose).

It is much more important, IMO to have updated tetanus and Hepatitis A and B shots. You can get Hep A anywhere, including the US.

vp_singh

a. Your nervousness is not misplaced. Anyone coming to a developing Asiatic country from the west, would feel nervous, especially in times when parts of west asia / middle-east is experiencing a negative sort of emotive resurgence. However, having said that, I may add, very emphatically, that India is by far the safest in the region. It is a Hindu dominant country & Hindus are by & large gentlemen, very tolerant of all. There is no anti-Americanism in India. You are very safe & you will, without a shadow of doubt, enjoy your holiday in India. You will carry back home some great memories of people whom you come in contact with, during your stay.
b. February is excellent time to travel this side of the world, for the weather is pleasant, days a little longer than in winters & about springtime, when every thing has a spring in it’s feet!!
c. You may not worry about malaria for the bitterly cold months of December & January have killed the mosquitoes. You may take the advise of your family doctor on this account.
Very best for your plans!

Cicerone

Also I saw your other post on the weather. I would bring gloves and hats for Ranthambore, that will help a lot on the morning drives as they are quite cold, and those things don't take up room in a suitcase. Sometimes the hotel will give you blankets if you ask. A shawl is extremely helpful also (bring one for your husband too), and you will see many beautiful wool ones on sale in Delhi and Jaipur, including Kasmiri crewel-work ones, so they are a good thing to buy and a nice memento of the trip. They are good in the evenings as well in other parts of Rajasthan.

banares

Like my doctor-friend, who is from Bangalore, says the only real protection from malaria is the use of bug repellant.

Murray_Jones

You have a fine itinerary. In Jaipur I suggest Rajvilas as the Rambagh Palace is often crowded. Near Trivandrum, there are some splendid hotels that can be used as stop-overs. Your timing is at the lowest point of malaria, so anti-bug oil and covering up in the evenings chould do.

jacketwatch

No worries for anit-Americanism, not at all. I'm American and have been there 5 times with my Indian wife. I've never felt anything of the sort. As fro medical precautions check the CDC web site or a travel clinic/MD. Usually anti-malarial meds ae recommended. There could be other precautions as well so check first and of course use common sense. That is no food from street vendors, no local water, etc. BTW if you wish get a suit or some clothes made for your husband. There are many good tailors in India who can whip up tailor made clothes for a fraction of the cost here in the US. If you are in delhi try Vedi tailors in Connaught place. Cheers, Larry

jrandall

bookmarked...thank you

Bethwhitwa

I was in India in January and had no problems as an American. In most parts of the world, the locals can generally distinguish between the American government and the American people (especially when you are giving them money for their services .

As for malaria, I don't like to take medication myself and went without during my month there. Instead, I wore clothes with built-in bug repellent, used a anti-mosquito plug-in that I purchased in India, wore repellent and used a mosquito net. It was risky but for me it was better than taking drugs.

Here are links to a couple of articles that I wrote about my travels:

http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/wan...ling-to-india/

http://www.perceptivetravel.com/issu...7/whitman.html

julia1

bookmarking

indianapearl

colern: I just got back (on 12/8) from my first trip to India and like you experienced pre-trip anxiety that involved sleepless nights worrying about what might go wrong. While India is not for the faint of heart, it was a wonderful experience. My husband, who was going on the trip mostly for my sake, loved it as well and we plan to go back. Here is a link to my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...a-to-india.cfm

The so-called Golden Triangle would not be my first choice of destinations, although everyone goes there. The other places we visited were far more satisfying. I especially loved the off-the-beaten-path spots. Our guide in Amritsar said we were the first Americans she's seen in more than a year. That's too bad because it was an exciting place to see.

As a retired health care worker, I tend to be more careful than some travelers, as I have seen really smart people do dumb things. We did take doxycycline as an anti-malarial prophylaxis. Larium and malarone have some unpleasant side effects. We read in the Delhi paper that there were over 800 cases of dengue in Delhi in 2009 and, of course, there is no vaccine or prophylaxis for that disease. Best to use lots of repellent! I got bitten a couple of times even with repellent (washed my hands, but forgot to reapply).

Have a wonderful trip!

Kathie

Indiana, you have great info, but given that the OP's trip was scheduled for Feb 07, I expect the OP is no longer checking this thread. I don't know why Julia1 brought this thread up to the top by bookmarking it.

Jaya

They will not know you are American by sight. Most often Indians will assume you're European. I will concur with the previous posters that you don't have any discrimination to worry about by being "American".

Marlaria prophylaxis in winter months is generally not necessary. I haven't taken Malaria pills in over 20 years of visiting India. Do expect to get a few bites. The mosquitos are tiny and you don't feel them bite. Keep your legs and ankles covered, especially in the early morning and evening hours when they are awake and looking for their meal.

Further, Dengue Fever occurs in late summer (August/September)when the mosquitoe population is at its post-monsoon high. Mosquito repellant and staying away from mosquito infested open sewage etc is the trick.

You should expect to enjoy India.