If you are planning a trip to India, there is one phrase that has likely crossed your mind with a slight significant sense of dread: Getting Delhi Belly.
Let’s be completely honest – when you travel to the subcontinent, getting a bit of an upset stomach is practically a rite of passage.
Across our seven visits to India, we have seen it all. My first trip was years ago as a young backpacker traveling with my sister. Later, while traveling entirely solo to Varanasi, I remember being absolutely terrified of catching it! To ease my anxiety, I actually booked a traditional home cooking class in a family home. Maybe that helped me feel more at ease? Or did it?
That Fear of Getting Delhi Belly is Normal
Getting to see the care that goes into Indian home cooking did put my mind at ease – and spoiler alert: I didn’t get sick!
Since those early days, Gavin and I have returned a further six times as a family with our two boys, Harry and Oscar. Their very first visit was when they were just 4 and 6 years old. If two young kids can navigate the Delhi Belly culinary landscapes of India, you can too!
While it is almost inevitable that your digestive system will experience a shift, it doesn’t have to ruin your trip. Here is our ultimate, practical guide on how to prevent getting Delhi Belly, how to treat it when it hits, and why you shouldn’t let fear hold you back. Ready for India? 🙂
Prevent Getting Delhi Belly in the First Place
You can drastically cut down your chances of getting sick by putting a few simple habits into place right from day one:
- Watch the Water: This is the number one culprit. Never drink tap water. But also watch for food rinsed or utensils with obvious water. Use sealed, bottled water for everything – including brushing your teeth – and keep your mouth firmly shut while showering.
- Lean on Packaged Snacks: Long travel days can test your stomach, especially on trains. We always make sure to pack plenty of sealed, packaged snacks (biscuits, nuts, or crisps) for long train journeys to avoid relying on platform food that might have been sitting out.
- Look for the Crowds: When eating out, choose busy local spots with high turnover. If a street food stall or neighbourhood dhaba is packed with local families, it means the ingredients are freshly cooked and moving fast.
- Stay at Recommended Hotels: Booking reputable, well-reviewed accommodations ensures that the kitchen staff understand international food hygiene standards and use purified ice and filtered water in their cooking.
What to Do When It Hits: Survival Step-by-Step
If the worst happens and you find yourself tethered to your hotel bathroom, do not panic. Your body is just reacting to the unfamiliar bacteria.
It is mostly manageable…
HOWEVER, ALWAYS SEEK PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE IF SYMPTOMS WORSEN OR IF YOU ARE UNSURE OR CONCERNED.
Step 1: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
The biggest danger with getting Delhi Belly isn’t the stomach pain – that’s bad – but it’s the dehydration that is the biggest risk. The moment your stomach turns, stop drinking plain water alone, as your body won’t absorb it well without essential salts.
Step 2: Go to the Chemist Immediately
One of our best travel secrets for India is this: Do not bring a mountain of expensive rehydration sachets from home. The moment you land in India, walk into a local chemist (pharmacy) and buy local electrolyte packets (like Electral).
Indian pharmacies are incredibly accessible. They are on every street in the city, and these sachets are specifically made to combat the local strains of dehydration. Plus, they cost a tiny fraction of what you would pay at home!
Step 3: Rest and Rest Your Stomach
Do not try to power through a sightseeing day if your body is protesting. Give yourself permission to stay in bed for 24 hours.
I hadn’t heard of this acronym before. But it makes sense. When you feel a tiny bit hungry, stick to the BRAT diet:
- Bananas (great for potassium)
- Rice (plain, boiled white rice)
- Apple sauce (or stewed apples)
- Toast (plain, dry bread)
When to Seek Medical Help
Most cases of getting Delhi Belly clear up naturally within 24 to 48 hours once your system flushes out the bug. However, you should see a doctor or ask your hotel to call a local doctor if you experience any of the following “red flag” symptoms:
- A high, persistent fever
- Severe, unbearable abdominal cramping
- Signs of severe dehydration (dark urine, dizziness, inability to keep liquids down for more than 12 hours)
- Blood in your stool
Indian doctors are fantastic – we know that not from getting Delhi Belly but from the time Gavin got Dengue Fever in India!
Doctors are often linked to a hotel for the larger, tourist chains. So they are highly accessible, and far tooexceptionally well-versed in treating stomach bugs. They can prescribe a quick course of local antibiotics if it turns out to be a bacterial infection rather than a standard viral change.
Read about that time Gavin Got Dengue Fever in India.
The Ultimate Secret: Don’t Be Scared!
It is incredibly easy to let the fear of getting sick cloud your anticipation of visiting India. But the truth is, you have to fully embrace India to truly enjoy it!
Don’t Worry About Getting Delhi Belly
If you spend your entire trip obsessing over every single bite, wiping down every surface in a panic, and avoiding street food altogether, you will miss out on the rich culinary soul of the country.
Pack your hand sanitiser, load up on local electrolytes the moment you arrive, follow the basic rules of water safety, and then let go of the worry. If a stomach bug happens, treat it as a temporary pause, rest up, and get right back out there to explore this magical country! 🙂
Accommodation: Where to Stay in India
Pigeons aside (Ajmer) there are some great places to stay in India.
Where We Stay in Delhi
- New Delhi Airport – Mid-Range: Taurus Sarovar Portico
Beautiful hotel only a few km’s from Delhi International Airport. A great first stop arriving in India with buffet breakfast included and a restaurant onsite. - Delhi – Budget: Hotel Hari Piorko
Good location in the heart of the Main Bazaar, Delhi. Close to restaurants and train station. No view from rooms. - Delhi – Budget: Smyle Inn
Extremely basic hotel in small back alley. Very friendly, helpful staff and simple breakfast included. Just off Main Bazaar.
Travel Planning for India & Beyond
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Tailored travel insurance (including for those who have already left home) – MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GOOD TRAVEL INSURANCE BEFORE TRAVELING TO INDIA!
Hi! I’m Sarah. I am the self-confessed dreamer, travel-schemer and the main editor behind this blog. I love to write, and it is a dream come true to share so many experiences together and inspire others in our stories.
