Thanks for all the travel tips guys, I will post some pics when i get back. I have been warned about drinking water from the taps and ice cubes as well, however is it also advisable to stay away from all bottled water or is it some brands that may be a problem?
This is a relative thing. There are people who live there who have developed immunity to the impurities and microbes in the water, they don't fall sick when they drink tap water. There are frequent travelers who drink from taps, bottles, or other sources and develop immunity to it. So the answer to which brand of water is safe is relative. A frequent traveler friend of mind told me that the first thing he does whenever he lands at a new place is to drink a small cup of local tap water before doing anything else. It helps your body acclimatize to the bacteria there.
All branded water bottles are generally safe, there are even government sponsored water distribution programs which are safe too. You have to but a water ATM card at a nominal price and you can draw water from these water ATMs. You get 20 liters water for 10 cents. This water is purified by reverse osmosis for drinking purposes.
Carry Imodium (dysentery), paracetamol (joint ache, fever), and potassium permanganate or handwash. Follow basic hygiene. Dirty water is not as big a deal as people make out to be. It depends on what kind of water you drink back home. If you are used to double boiling your water, then putting it through an RO water purifier in your home, then all other types of water will lead to upset stomach because your body has lost the ability to tolerate even a little impurity. If you are used to drinking tap water in your own home, then Indian municipality tap water will suit you just fine. It's the street food and/or dirty hands that causes the stomach problems, but the water gets the blame.
