Holiday Village Red

[hol-queen]

RUNNING KAZ and HINIreland: Thank you so much for all your advice and for answering my questions. You know what its like when you worry about your kids, always best to get some advice from experienced travellers first. he`s made up that there is slides (This is his only request) I am so pleased about the food as I was quite worried. I will almost definately make a visit to H&B for any tablets I may need....what would you recommend....what should I take prior to our trip and what should I take when I`m there. Can you also tell me what vaccinations you had to have as travel agent told me you dont really need to have any???? (mmmhhh not sure about this) Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to put my mind at rest it really is appreciated. Sarah.

[Sekhmet]

Always cracks me up when travel agents say that jabs aren't needed. They may not be compulsory but they are recommended. I never ask my GP to arrange my hol, so never rely on my travel agent for jab advice.
Your son may well be covered for tetanus, dip & polio from his pre-school jabs, till he has a booster at 15'ish. There was a large dip outbreak in Russia in the 90's & it's spread by coughing, sneezing etc; as there are many Eastern Bloc people in Sharm & to be blunt, some may be carriers, I woudn't risk going w/out that jab being up to date.
Always cracks me up when folk say, "I've been 3 trillion times without jabs & i've been fine" (the implication being that everyone else will be then!). I know of someone who did that; she's now waiting on a liver transplant for damage from Hep A. I know someone else who did it too; he had a 2nd home in S. Africa & contracted Hep A. He lived, but wasn't a well man from then on. It's up to the individual but plz make an informed choice.
The Tips thread gives the up to date recommendations from several sites & our own GP:
RECOMMENDED VACCINATIONS: - None is compulsory but the following are advisable:
Triple vaccine for Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio, (boosters every 10yrs) Most schoolchildren have this when 5 (pre-school booster) & about 15.
Typhoid (boosters every 3yrs) – this can be contracted even in Spain, Italy, Greece, etc.
& Hep A; boosters last up to 25 yrs after initial course (info correct as at Dec ’07 when I last had mine)
Some people have Hep B. (Hepatitis B is transmitted via blood & other body fluids. Contaminated needles & hospital equipment can serve as routes for transmission. Cuts and & lesions can also provide a portal of entry. It is also spread through s*xual contact and drug abuse).
MALARIA – not an issue unless you travel to the El Fayoum Oasis region, about 70km southwest of Cairo. Quote from: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationEgypt.aspx : Malaria risk area in Egypt: “Very limited risk in El Faiyûm area only. No risk in tourist areas, including Nile River cruises. Risk is very limited; therefore, prophylaxis is not recommended.”

UPSET TUM:- This is an emotive subject as some people will say upset tummy is due to food-related problems, others will say it's dehydration & over indulgence of alcohol / food, while another group will say it's down to not being used to the climate. Some will also say that too cool air conditioning will send the body into a kind of thermal shock. Whatever reason you choose to prefer, it seems that a certain amount of luck also enters into the equation.
Swimming pools are often implicated in the manifestation of gastric ailments; particularly Cryptosporidium contamination; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... teria.html
There are some basic tips which may help prevent it & they will also apply to anyone who is suffering from it as, whatever the cause, one still needs to rehydrate, “flush the system” & also have relief from some of the symptoms:
Take wipes or antibacterial handwash & carry them with you as the money is truly filthy. Some bugs are picked up from things / food when others haven’t washed their hands (enough said!)
There are many chemists in Sharm. The ones we've used seem very knowledgeable & helpful. We've (4 of us) never had a touch of the Pharaoh’s Revenge during our 4 visits but advice strongly suggests that at the 1st sign of the Cairo Quickstep, Sharm Shuffle, Luxor Limbo, Aswan Sand-dance, or any type of tummy trouble, go straight to the chemist - UK products are often ineffective! (Local drugs for local bugs principle) Ask for Antinal (antibiotic) at about 90p a packet in Dec ‘07. Antinal suspension is available for kids. (Web info says it’s also known as Ambatrol (nifuroxazide)Bacifurane, Nifrozid, Endiex.& Ercefuryl, but it’s Antinal in Egypt).
Antinal’s not licensed in the UK but can be prescribed on a named patient basis.
The drug we use in the UK as a prophylactic and treatment is ciprofloxacin, available from some GPs on private prescription.
N.B. You need to haggle re: the price of anything bought in chemists. If they charge more than about 10LE for Antinal, it’s a rip off. All goods have the price on, but (in my experience) in Arabic, so it’s hard to tell what it should be. If whatever you’re trying to buy seems expensive, barter hard or walk away; there are enough chemists around to find one who will play fair.
Local peppermint tea also helps with the digestion.
One tip from our UK chemist was to take Motilium pills with us, as they aid digestion & prevent anything lying heavily in the gut. It’s not a laxative but if you have something dodgy, it helps it to go thru (without making you rush to the loo.)
Maybe take rehydration sachets with you like Dioralyte, available in fruity flavours from Tesco, Boots etc.
Further tip from my friend who regularly travels to places like Tibet, India & Paraguay is to take Citricidal (Grape fruit seed extract) It’s available in Health Shops & there are several websites explaining that conventional antibiotics only kill bacteria. The grapefruit seed extract has been shown to inactivate viruses, yeasts, fungi, parasites and worms, as well as bacteria. It is therefore antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial. Recommended 1-3 tablets a day, with or without meals & it’s ideal for travelling to places where food or drink may be contaminated.
Lactobacillus acidophilus pre-biotic tablets may also help line your stomach in preparation for unfamiliar bacteria potentially found in the food out there. You can buy ones that don’t have to be kept in the fridge. When taking acidophilus do not drink or eat anything really hot immediately after as heat kills the good bacteria. These are far stronger than the commercialized drinks like yakult & actimel, which are dairy-based & not ideal for upset tums!
Lactobacillus is also good to take after any course of antibiotics since antibiotics strip the gut of good bacteria, as well as the bad.
You can buy Buscopan, over the counter here, which is great for gripes.
Freshly squeezed lemon & lime juice, sugar to taste, topped up with still mineral water is a good kidney / system flush. If that’s not available, then just freshly squeezed lemon is still good.
Aloe Vera is also a good & natural soother, for our inside as well as being a good topical aid for sunburn.
Magi Cool will help children (google it). It’s good for itching (incl. insect bites), prickly heat, sunburn / minor burns, heat exhaustion, hot flushes, first aid. You can get magi cool in most chemists, Boots etc; it’s about £4.50 a can (July ’08) & you can now get one that instantly removes the heat out of too much sunburn.
There are also cooling patches, with a soothing gel, that relieve headaches & fevers, which may be useful for children.

MOSQUITOES:- Take Vit B1 pills just before going & during - you won't taste nice to the mozzies then. Thiamine, found in B1 is an irritant to them. Be aware that prolonged use may upset your mineral balance. Vit B1’s effectiveness is lessened thru alcohol.
Holland & Barrett sell timed-release ones; our body doesn’t store if for long so you can begin them the day before the hols. You can get chewable ones for kids & ones that don't have to be kept in the fridge.

[Sekhmet]

OOps! That last sentence about chewable one & fridges was meant to apply to Acidophillus!, not Vit B1.

[welshcornishbird]

Well, we're all packed, kids excited and ready to get up early to drive to airport! Big thanks to everyone on here for tips and advice. Will post a review when we get back. Fingers crossed for no bad tums, lovely sunshine and a good holiday. Can't wait!

[dunnphk]

Hope you have a wonderful time.

[LEV]

Well done Welsh, have a good one, congratulations all packed by 11pm, expect we will be still packing gone midnight, ha ha

[HinIreland53]

Have a great safe holiday guys

[LEV]

Help, Mrs LEV wants to take a hairdryer, can anyone thats recently returned from HV advise whether there are hairdryers in the rooms now ?

Thanks

[dunnphk]

Hi

Please could anyone tell me if it would be ok for our daughter to go on the zip wire in water shoes (as they are filled in) or do we have to pack trainers or pumps?
Thanks, I`m just trying to cut down a bit on the amount of shoes we take, I know water shoes doen`t have the support of trainers but they do cover the whole foot.
All info / advise would be wonderful.

[HinIreland53]

Hi yes there were hairdryers in the rooms, not sure about shoes etc i put trainers on sons feet for travelling no shoes and flip flops for by the pool it is hot day and night there you do not need anything with sleeves. Just ask any questions and ill try and answer