Travel Advice on How to Stay Healthy on Your Trip to Kyrgyzstan

Traveling around the world has its obstacles, not the least of which is health problems.  To combat these problems, most people focus on which vaccinations they need before visiting a certain country.  Of course, consulting a healthcare professional and getting the necessary vaccinations for the countries you’re traveling to is a must, but some subtle problems can sneak up on you and steal some of the fun out of your vacation if you’re not careful, so let me give you some travel tips for Kyrgyzstan regarding medicine you’ll want to tote along with you and what precautions to take.

TRAVEL ADVICE FOR KYRGYZSTAN

When you are looking up facts about traveling in Kyrgyzstan, you’ll notice that things like malaria aren’t really an issue, but don’t forget to prepare for everyday ailments you may encounter.

1. ANTIDIARRHETICS

Any country you travel to will subject your stomach to a new set of bacteria.  To stay in good travel health in Kyrgyzstan, make sure to bring some antidiarrhetics along with you.  Even if you haven’t had many problems with this in the past, I still recommend coming prepared, especially if you want to visit some authentic nomadic yurt camps in Kyrgyzstan.  Almost every foreigner who sits down with a family of nomads in their yurt is given a bowl of fermented mare’s milk as a sign of hospitality and respect.  To not drink at least some of it might cause offense.  You certainly don’t want to pass up the experience (or the chance to earn bragging rights), but know that almost every foreigner experiences slight stomach problems after drinking kymyz for the first time.  Just come prepared with antidiarrhetics and you’ll be fine.

2. ANTIHISTAMINES

Another piece of travel advice for Kyrgyzstan is to come equipped with antihistamines in case you struggle with allergies or have an allergic reaction to something.  Pharmacies can be found on practically every corner of Bishkek, but if you’re not familiar with Russian, the proper antihistamines might be hard to procure.  If you are comfortable purchasing medicine from a pharmacy in Russian, make sure you get everything you might need before leaving the city.  Some of the most stunning and worthwhile places to visit in Kyrgyzstan are a long way away from a pharmacy and you don’t want to be caught unprepared should you find yourself having a reaction to something.

3. BASIC PAIN RELIEVERS

Especially if you’re planning on a more strenuous vacation (e.g. ice climbing, trekking, cycling, etc.), don’t forget some basic pain relievers.  Again, you can’t count on the person working the pharmacy counter to speak anything besides Russian or Kyrgyz, so make your life a little easier and bring them with you.

4. ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENT

Cuts and scrapes are bound to happen if you’re planning an active vacation.  The most practical medical travel insurance you can have for Kyrgyzstan is some antibiotic ointment and some basic first aid items like gauze or band aids.

 5. PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS

It goes without saying that you’ll bring any prescription medications you might take with you as you travel around Kyrgyzstan, but don’t forget to bring their documentation with you also.  Not only is the documentation importation, but keep all your medications in their original packaging.  We all know how strict airports are and you don’t want to end up traveling without your prescription meds.

A FEW FREEBIE TRAVEL TIPS FOR KYRGYZSTAN

The last couple bits of travel advice I’d like to give you are about water and medical travel insurance in Kyrgyzstan.  As far as drinking the water in Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek’s water is safe to drink.  However, if you’re traveling in the villages and remote areas in Kyrgyzstan, don’t drink water that isn’t bottled or boiled to avoid getting sick.  Heeding this piece of health advice while you travel around Kyrgyzstan will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

Secondly, it’s a good idea to get medical travel insurance for your trip to Kyrgyzstan, particularly if you’re doing things like high alpine skiing, heli-skiing, paragliding, white water rafting, etc.  Should anything happen, it’s nice to know you’ve got access to an emergency medical evacuation or emergency medical care.  However, make sure to read through all the details of your travel insurance closely.  Some policies only cover accidents that happen below 2,000 meters, for example, claiming that any activity taking place above that elevation is too much of a risk.

TO SUM UP

At the end of the day, taking a few precautionary measures and coming equipped with helpful medication will save you a lot of time and headache.  Not to mention, it’ll give you peace of mind!  And let’s face it, on vacation peace of mind is worth having.  So don’t forget to bring your homemade first aid kit with you to Kyrgyzstan: antidiarrhetics, antihistamines, basic pain relievers, antibiotic ointment, and prescription medications and start your vacation worry free!

Pictures from the Internet