I Broke My Own Holiday Tummy Rules in Colombia

I should have known better

Two weeks into a trip around Colombia with my husband and I hadn't put a foot wrong. Street food, local juice, the lot. Then we checked into a genuinely fancy hotel in Tayrona for a beach break, the kind of place with white sheets and a cocktail menu, and by day two I was flat on my back wishing I'd never left home.

The thing is, I teach first aid for a living. I stand in front of parents every week telling them how to keep their families well on holiday. And I still fell into the oldest trap in the book: assuming that "fancy" means "safe."

It doesn't. Ice cubes, salad leaves and even the water used to rinse fruit can all carry the same bugs as anywhere else, no matter how many stars the hotel has. So in the spirit of learning things the hard way so you don't have to, here's what I should have remembered, for you, your kids, or your baby, wherever your travels take you.

The general do's and don'ts

Do:

• Stick to bottled or properly boiled water, and check the seal on bottles before you drink
• Eat fruit you can peel yourself
• Choose food that's been cooked hot and served hot
• Wash hands (or use sanitiser) before eating, always

Don't:

• Trust ice cubes unless you know exactly what water made them
• Assume a smart hotel is automatically a safe one
• Eat salads or anything raw and unpeeled if you're unsure of the water quality
• Push through and hope it settles on its own if things are getting worse, not better

For adults

Mild traveller's tummy usually passes in a day or two. The main job is staying hydrated. Small sips of water or rehydration salts, little and often, work better than big gulps. Bland food when you can face it, and give your body time. If you're vomiting and can't keep fluids down for more than 24 hours, or you spot blood, get medical help rather than wait it out.

For children

Kids dehydrate faster than adults, so keep a closer eye. Offer small sips constantly rather than a big glass at once, and carry rehydration sachets in your travel bag as standard, right next to the plasters and the paracetamol.

Watch for:

• Fewer wet nappies or trips to the loo
• Dry lips, sunken eyes, or unusual sleepiness
• No tears when crying

Any of these mean it's time to get help, not wait and see.

For babies

This is where I'd urge extra caution. Babies can go downhill quickly with diarrhoea or vomiting because they have so little reserve. Keep offering breastmilk or formula as normal, plus small amounts of cooled boiled water if advised by a health professional. Don't dilute formula to try to "stretch" fluids, it needs to stay at normal strength.

Know your emergency number before you go, it isn't 999 everywhere. In the UK it's 999 or 111 for advice. In Colombia, where I was, it's 123 for police, ambulance or fire, available nationwide including in Santa Marta and Tayrona. Save the number for wherever you're headed before you leave home, and ask your hotel to help if there's a language barrier.

Get help urgently if:

• A baby under 3 months has any vomiting or diarrhoea
• Any baby or child has a sunken soft spot, is unusually floppy, or hasn't had a wet nappy in 8 hours or more
• There's blood in vomit or stools
• A child (or adult) seems confused, very lethargic, or you're simply worried something isn't right

Trust your gut here. You know your child, and yourself, better than any checklist does.

The bit where I'm honest with you

I spent that beach break drinking rehydration salts and feeling sorry for myself while my husband enjoyed the cocktails I wasn't having. It was a good reminder that knowing the rules and following them are two different things, even for those of us who teach them.

So pack the sachets, peel the fruit, skip the ice cubes, and look up the local emergency number before you fly, wherever you are, even if there's a chandelier in the lobby. Your holiday self will thank you.

Wishing you happy, healthy travels, Eva x

Eva Levinson is a part-time Postnatal Midwifery Assistant & Infant Feeding Specialist for the NHS, a Doula UK trained postnatal doula, and an Ofsted/HSE compliant first aid instructor. She runs And Chillax in Anerley, South London.