So I’m hearing a lot of gossip about malaria in the gili’s, I can put the rumors to bed right now. There is no malaria in gili t. There was some swine flu here, but as of yet no-one has explained the difference between that and normal flu!? typhoid is doing the rounds at the moment, best way to avoid that is by not ingesting any water from the tap, ie doing your teeth etc with bottled water, and be careful in the shower not to rinse your mouth out.

I get Bali belly about once a month, but at the same time since i’ve been living in Asia the amount of fiber in my diet has plummeted, the street food is never going to be the most hygienic and unless your tummy is made of iron expect to get a dose of the runs at sometime in Bali/Asia. The best cure is lots of fluids, and a fiber supplement.

Hangovers affect people more than any other sickness here and I am sure everyone has their own way for dealing with them but a couple more suggestions, suck it up and just go for a surf, panadol! another beer, a big glass of water and a banana before bed (i can never remember that though).

Sunburn is a killer here, come on people, who likes to feel itchy and sore for 3 days? we are not far from the equator, remember that unless you are used to it the sun will burn you in about an hour! suncream up 15 min before you go into the sun and every half hour (or when you come out of the water). Factor 15 to 30 works for most, a slow tan will last longer when you get back, but if you peal everything will go in a day or two. If your surfing you should carry a rash vest, but if your a surfer you know the score all ready! Finally if you feel like your burning up find some shade!

Mozzies, the wet season is here, and so are the blood sucking little bastards. they start to wake up at around 5:30, so if your on the beach around then beware. The best spray I’ve found is Off, the aerosol kind, it just works. Try not to breath it in though, it is pretty horrid stuff! wear long trousers at night, and make sure to have a shower, they are attracted to salt from the sea. Eating chili/spicy food and drinking a beer keeps them away, likewise eating chocolate and drinking coke (etc) attracts them.

Cuts ,scrapes and tattoos, people its a tropical climate, make sure you keep it clean, a bottle of iodine is cheap and guaranteed to keep it clean, besides everyone loves scars, it shows you’ve got a story to tell

Drinking water. People say you should drink 3 to 4 liters a day!!! pfffttt, everyone is different, but you should drink more than normal, especially if you sweat! I get buy drinking one or two big bottles a day, if i work out, or am in the sun for a while i double that.

Finally if the worst happens, don’t panic there are hospitals here geared up for westerners, Indonesia does not allow foreign doctors to practice here, but hospitals like S.O.S are available in emergencies (click here for a full list). For minor problems go see doctor death on poppies 1 !!! Just ask any expat and they will point you in the right direction. For a pharmacy go to karma farma, they are cheap and carry everything you could ever, EVER need.

Mr P.

Edit:  A Survival Guide To Health Care In Indonesia is a recent post that you may want to read, written by a Canadian expat currently living in Jakarta.

Edit: For anyone looking for some more info on Typhoid its here.