Staying Healthy in India
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Staying Healthy on Tour
Sevanti Adventures bases its itinerary on wellness, cultural, and spiritual immersion experiences, with wellness being first and foremost. There's no point in traveling to India if you're going to spend the entire time nursing on rice soup in bed. Your health and safety are everything. We also understand that people have varying sentiments about travel health and will make different decisions. We have no health requirements for the tour, and do not require physicals, nor do we provide medical advice to our retreat members. What we hope to do is manage your expectations so that your decisions are better informed. We can also share a few tips on staying healthy while on tour. After all, we've done this a few times. Keep in mind that during the first week we will be staying at one of the most well known Ayurvedic resorts in India. You will have two dozen trained Ayurvedic doctors at your disposal, 24 hours per day. Should you require western medicine, there is a very modern western hospital within 30 minutes drive from AyurSoma.2
To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?
Sevanti Adventures does not require proof of Covid-19 vaccination to attend this tour. As for other vaccines, we recommend that you consult with your doctor and understand the CDC and US State Department guidelines and recommendations for healthy and safe travel.3
Water Safety
While on retreat, the water offered at all of our places of stay is triple filtered - with commercial grade filters - and healthy to drink. Every effort is made to reduce the incidence of water borne illness. In addition to triple filtering all of its water for drinking and cooking, AyurSoma provides each guest with two liter bottles of filtered water delivered to your room daily. The hotels on the Post Retreat Tour also provide complimentary filtered water. Unlimited bottled water is offered complimentary on our luxury buses as well. There is plenty of clean water for all guests. For that reason, Sevanti Adventures does not recommend bringing a water purifier. That said, the water available outside our places of stay are not as predictable. Be extremely careful on our excursion trips or when leaving the property. When taking an excursion of your own, please take water bottles with you.4
Food Safety
While on retreat, the food offered at all of our places of stay is very clean, delicious, and healthy. Every effort is made to reduce the incidence of food borne illness. If you are concerned about food borne illness, or have a sensitive digestion, we recommend that you eat with the group and not venture to outside restaurants or street food. Stay away from all street foods and water of unknown origin that is not provided or recommended by AyurSoma or your north Indian hotels. We've also found that staying away from uncooked foods generally will keep you in better GI health, as there is always the possibility, as with anywhere, of picking up unwanted bacteria in raw foods. Most of the fruits and salads at AyurSoma's restaurants are washed with filtered water and safe to eat, but you will have to be your own judge of that, especially if you have a sensitive digestive system. It is worth noting that we've met many first time visitors to India who ate salads and raw fruit without a care and did very well. But we’re all different. As a general rule for the tour, the hot, cooked foods offered at AyurSoma and in the north Indian hotels are regarded as very safe. So enjoy!5
Supplements for Digestive Support
It would be wise to tone your digestive and immune systems prior to and continuing through the India tour. To do that, we recommend that you focus on prebiotics and probiotics daily for a couple weeks prior to the tour. We've had great success with two Ayurvedic herbal formulas as well and recommend them to all of our guests: "Para-Gard" by Integrative Therapeutics (https://integrativepro.com/products/para-gard) has been shown to be effective at parasite prevention, and "Bowel Mover" by CellCore (www.drjockers.com) will keep your bowels flowing if travel related constipation is your issue. It is best to start the products a few days before beginning travel, continue them throughout the tour, and continue them for a few days after returning. Oil of oregano is another helpful parasite deterrent. Use as directed.6
Should I bring antibiotics?
That is an excellent question for your doctor. Though we're not big fans of antibiotics, there is a time and a place for them. It wouldn't hurt to bring a few as backup. A case of Delhi Belly can ruin several days of your trip. To be honest, we haven't seen many cases of intestinal infection like Delhi Belly, and the few cases we have seen occurred during our August tours just after the monsoon rains. That is one of the primary reasons why we now schedule the tour in October. From October to May, the weather is dryer, which kills off almost all mosquitos, and the bacterial load in water is at an all time annual low. That said, we wouldn't judge you if you brought a small bottle of antibiotics as a backup. Better safe than sorry. Check with your doctor for the best brand for this trip. If you choose not to bring antibiotics, rest assured that major brands of antibiotics are available over the counter in India without a prescription. They can be acquired within an hour's notice.7
Should I worry about malaria?
Malaria is certainly an issue in some areas of India, particularly in the northeast hill states, but not in the areas where we are traveling. We have never seen it in Kerala or the northern cities of this tour. We have to remember that India is a huge country and includes the jungles of the northeast, the Himalayas of the north, the deserts to the west, and the tropical equatorial south. Each region is different. We can not advise you on how to address your concerns about malaria, but Kerala is considered a very low risk area for malaria. Especially in March which is a dry season for Kerala. That said, to address people's concerns, all rooms at AyurSoma in Kerala include mosquito netting over all beds, so there's no need to bring your own net. The hotels on the post-tour are 4-5 star Radisson Hotels, so no need for nets there either.8
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