someone told dh if we take dd's (5 & 7) to Kerala they'll come back parasitic and ill ill ill. Scaremongering,or morsel of truth? Please enlighten before we book/rethink?

[jaynehater]

Is this for real? He was told that amazing as it is, all the care in the world won't prevent the girls picking up something virulent in the tummy-bug line and that 5 is just too young to risk it. The lady giving the advice travels frequently, but is quite elderly, and childless, so I wouldn't mind some first-hand mummyvision input, thanks?

I think it'd really depend on your lunch-stop and hotel choices. I was there last summer - admittedly without children - and had no tummy upsets at all. My DH had one bout of upset tum, having eaten a breakfast item that looked and tasted weird (I did try telling him not to eat it but he didn't listen...)

Saw a few western families staying in the posher hotels and all seemed to be having a lovely time. Anywhere reasonably "posh" also had a varied menu so if your kids aren't keen on spicy foods and curries, there are lots of western alternatives. I admit to having caved in and gone for fish and chips a couple of times, much to DH's amusement. And teh great thing about the posh hotels in july / Aug is that their rates are MUCH cheaper because it's out of season and they are desperate for your business. That was our experience anyway.

Sorry not been to Kerala since children, but went to many places in the South of India inc Kerala pre.

TBH, I can remember all the jabs (Typhoid, Hep A etc)and malaria pills I had to take, I would not take my DCs to a country where this was nec. Sorry if is not the response you were looking for.

Kerala is a beautiful place and will still be in 8-10 yrs time when it is a more (imho) appropriate to expose children to either the vaccinations/pills or risk of illness if these are not given.

There are many other beautiful places to go in the world that do not require such measures. Having said that my DD caught Gairdia in Corsica.

This is helping. Keep going!

I hadn't considered the innoculation factor, actually. (Last long-haul was 12 years ago, honeymoon!) Don't think I'm keen on putting dd's through that - where can you go (bar Europe and Florida - this is a holiday of a life-time we're trying for) without dd's looking like pincushions?

Australia and NZ

This is a good site that gives lots of info on vaccinations etc required for traveling. Its an NHS site and they have a page for travelling with children.

www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/

No idea about Kerala but my ds went to India for 3 weeks (with ex dh, who is Indian) when he was 4 and was fine, completely. Had to take malaria tablets and have injections but was fine there. so in your position I wouldn't worry. I checked with MASTA etc etc at the time too (ages ago, he's 9 now) and they said fine, follow usual precautions re water/food/jabs.

I wouldn't worry about them having jabs etc, don't let that stop you. and think about all the children who are taken there, LOADS of people (western) take children to India and don't remotely worry about it. Ex dh and his sister were taken as children in the 70s, all fine/

Sorry, I'm going to vote against India. You may be lucky, but I wouldn't want to spend my holiday of a lifetime trying to get rehydration salts into a sick child. It just takes one ice cube or dodgy snack!

The squeamish should look away, but the last person I know who went to Kerala spent their holiday lying in the bottom shower recess of their hotel room with the water running to wash away the constant stream of diarrhea. She was too weak even to sit on the loo.

Check the Thailand thread, but I am a huge fan of Khao Lak. It's probably not a place that would immediately spring to mind if you're thinking of a beach holiday, but I also think that Singapore is one of the best destinations for young children. There are beach resorts on Sentosa Island (which you can get to by cable car from Singapore proper) and it's immaculate and completely safe in every respect. It has a lot to keep kids occupied - I've never done the Night Safari at the zoo but all my friends with children rave about it.

I would also look into going somewhere else. The vaccinations required are not worth putting your children through. And you'll need to take malaria tablets at least six weeks before you go AND four weeks after you return.

Also malaria from mosquitoes is not your only threat as well in that regard (they also carry other viruses for which vaccination is not available). Many diseases are endemic to India and you're going to have to be extremely careful with food preparation and hygiene. For a start no ice cubes in drinks, all fruit will need to be washed before eating (same with salad), no tap water and no eating of ice cream.

ninedragons - sounds like your friend unfortunately contracted dysentary.

Following on from what else mossies can carry:-

According to the World Health Organisation, Chickungunya fever is a viral illness that is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The disease resembles dengue fever, and is characterised by severe, sometime persistent joint pain, as well as fever and rash. It is rarely life-threatening.

There has been a recent outbreak of this virus in Kerala.

I wouldn't take small children to Kerala

I would.
My kids have been everywhere-all over SE Asia,Russia,Europe,wilds of Turkey and have been since they were about 10 weeks old.

Gimme a Keralan curry over a Pot Noodle or a Lunchable anyday.

Obviously Keralans don't have children......

I've never bothered with injections either.
Load of toss.

Thanks for the insights everyone, on top of the illness factor the innoculations really swung it, wouldn't do it to them.

And the shower story.......

Nice to get honest info you feel you can trust, tho - guidebooks don't really cut it.

Ta

have you checked the foreign office advice? that's normally pretty up to date

These sorts of places are fine as long as you are vigilant normally. Re mosquitos, it's just avoiding going out when they are at their peak, wearing long sleeves etc. etc.

but moondog, the point is that people coming in from outside are more likely to get il because they are not immune and their systems react.

Message withdrawn

but jayne, you could honestly say that about any country outside of northern Europe. You could get scare stories from any place!

Message withdrawn

I'm dying to take my two to India and only haven;t because we can't afford it atm, the health aspect wouldn't stop me. Dd is 3, ds is 9. The 3 children who live opposite ex mil are there now for most of the summer (London born and bred Indian)

Well Harpsi,I was coming in from 'outside'.
Darkest North Wales in fact.

lol at lunchables.

(lots of people from outside India visit and don't get ill)

yes I understand that moondog but I was respnding to your comment that Keralan's dont' have children

There's always going to be a risk, but Kerala has lovely vegatarian food, and with some basic care, it could be fine. We didn't have any stomach problems there at all.

I dont know about the latest mosquito-related situation, but Thailand is just as susceptible to similar.

I wasn't after scare stories as such, but on honeymoon I was seriously ill, and don't want to see dd's go through that if it's avoidable. I am a grade 1 headless chicken at the best of times, and could do with a holiday with the minimum of flapping potential....

the injections are advised for the sake of caution

I also never had any of them, despite going all over Africa etc.

Even if you live there, you're not born immune to stuff like Hep B e.g. and I think that's one of the jabs they ask people to get.