Tips And Tidbits For River Cruising In India

Wash your hands, OFTEN! Use hand sanitizer OFTEN!

Several others in our group of Ganges river cruisers also experienced what many have called the “Delhi belly”. While we were done with ours by the time the cruise tour began, others had the problem a few days into our tour. Vishal, the tour manager, arranged a doctor for them and what they reported to us was that the problem was a bacterial infection not a virus and they were prescribed an antibiotic which helped them recover more quickly. By the way, the doctors in India are not expensive so don’t be hesitant if you need one.

The heat and humidity are all that you may have heard of and possibly more. We have been to Florida in the middle of the summer heat and it doesn’t compare at all to the heat of India. New Delhi was difficult because of the smog and very little breeze but as we moved on to Agra and Jaipur and eventually the river there were times when a breeze would promise a little relief.

What I did was to take something called Water Wipes with us. They were terrific. I would take out a half dozen sheets or so and put them in a Ziploc bag. They stayed surprisingly moist and provided a good refreshing wipe when needed. They are just water with a bit of citrus added. Others had some cool rags like those you can use when exercising or running. I should have brought mine. You can wet them down with water and they will help to keep you a bit more refreshed. If you don’t have any of that, take a washcloth and wet it down, put it in a Ziploc bag, pop it in the refrigerator in the room overnight and then take it with you. The crew greets you with cool washcloths on your return but it’s nice to have one handy when you’re out.

Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer often. Yes, I’m repeating but it’s important. The staff that come with you on the excursions will have a bottle of sanitizer with them don’t refuse the offer. You might regret it if you do.

Drink lots of water! Uniworld kept water readily available even on excursions. I don’t know how those guys managed to carry so many bottles with them but they were always available if your bottle ran dry. You might enjoy bringing your own insulated water bottle to fill with cool water from your room. Another tip: we had tablets that dissolved in water and enriched the water with electrolytes. The brand we use is Nuun but there are others by Gatorade and other sports drink companies. I think it made a difference for us.

Flip Flops are provided in your room for you to put in the cubicle with your room number on it when you leave the boat. When you return from an excursion, you exchange your shoes for the flip flops and the crew then cleans the bottoms of your shoes. There were some who wore sandals on tour but I was happy to have my covered toe Skecher’s. There was too much dust and dirt and other things that were too easy to step in if you weren’t paying attention. Bob and I both wore socks with our shoes so when we returned we just went to our room in our stocking feet. We’re not good with flip flops.

You might want to take some Pepto Bismol with you. They have it in tablets now. I remember the days of gagging on the pink liquid as a kid. It helps with several nasty symptoms and if you have breathing problems, asthma for example, you might want to ask your doctor about what precautions to take in New Delhi especially with the pollution.

While the water in the hotels and the river boat is not recommended for drinking from the faucets, it is safe for bathing. We were encouraged to use bottled water for brushing our teeth. You do get used to it after a while.

I say all of this not to frighten anyone but to help you prepare. It is quite a journey. For us at our age (we are both late 70s) it was a strenuous journey mainly because of the heat. It is a busy 12 days all packed with many wonders to see. Uniworld was always there for us with anything we needed. I highly recommend that cruise line for trips like this one. They take good care of you. You won’t be disappointed.