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Health
& Vaccinations
One of the most
common concerns we hear about from people considering a visit to Nepal and Borneo
is whether they might get sick. YES, you might get sick and you might also get
sick if you stay at home.
Since I first visited
Nepal in 1981 the standard of food has improved considerably and while we were
establishing our tour operations in Nepal and Borneo we visited most of the upmarket
accommodation in each village. We looked at a range of issues including meals,
showers, toilets, beds and the host families before we made any decisions. As
the host families depend on Tourism and our return visits, competition was strong
and many of the cooks are western trained.
As a comparison
since visiting Nepal from 1981, I have had Gastrointeritis once and more than
a dozen times here in Australia. Only a small percentage of our 600 plus participants
in Nepal have had brief bouts of Gastrointeritis for which they carried medication
and not one of our group has been unable to walk on a daily basis. A change of
food or water can cause Gastrointeritis like symptoms in any country.
While Giardia is
common in most countries including Australia and Europe we have had only one confirmed
case from our Tours. While influenza is of major concern in all western countries
we have not had one confirmed case from our tours. As in Western countries it
is possible to get a cold or a chest infection and we advise our customers to
carry medications for the latter.
We recommend vaccinations
for hepatitis A and Typhoid but other vaccinations should be discussed
with your Doctor or local Travel Medical Advisor. One of the most
common remarks from our Nepal Travellers is, “How can anyone justify
missing out on such a fantastic experience because they might get
sick”. In Borneo Vaccinations are recommended.
Although we do
not see many mosquitoes in the season we visit Borneo we recommend you consult
your Doctor regarding Malaria medications and others. We have not experienced
any food related illnesses to date, in fact the food in both Sabah and Sarawak
is generally of Western standards.
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