Posts Tagged ‘Tourism’

The Growing Philippine Tourism in Bohol

The Philippine tourism is enjoying an expanse growth as more places in the country are developing to become main tourist attractions among the local and foreign travelers alike. The Philippines is a culturally and historically rich nation and takes pride of its major attractions on nature, beaches, and historical landmarks.

The Philippine Tourist Attractions in Bohol

The Philippines is endowed with white beaches with crystal, clear and clean water that are a major attraction in different archipelagos of the country. Philippines beaches offer a tranquil respite to those who wants to enjoy a relaxed getaway closer to nature. The White beach in Boracay Island has been the center of the Philippine’s tourism with thousands of tourist visits each year. The Island of Boracay is crawling with visitors from foreign to local tourists every month.

Palawan beaches also created a distinctive beauty and attraction for being less commercialize with more preserved natural beauty to boast. Divers usually visit the place because of its known hot dive spots. Cebu beaches also provide glorious and tranquil beaches to adore.

One of the astonishing growths in the Philippine tourism is evident in Bohol. Known for its richness in cultural heritage, Bohol has its own line of tourist attractions. It has become one of the most visited places in the Visayan provinces of the Philippines. The Philippine’s Department of Tourism is promoting Bohol for its land history and natural beauty.

There are different places to visit in Bohol each with distinctive beauty and thrill. Bohol beaches are also scattered throughout the oval shape island of Bohol. It has small islets and offshore and among the popular is Panglao Island, famed for its unpolluted, clean beach waters. There are also a number of resorts in Panglao Island to accommodate the growing numbers of tourists visiting the island.

The Loboc River Cruise is becoming popular too. It is a boat ride tour along the Loboc River on a motorized floating restaurant boat with a 45-minute ride along the cool vegetations of the river. There will be a brief stop over to the Busai Falls. A seafood feast is served during the cruise.

A common stop over during a land trip cruise in the island is at the Blood Compact Site. It is the landmark where the blood compact between the Filipinos and Spaniards transpired. Another famous place to visit in Bohol is the Chocolate Hills. These are mounds of hills that look like chocolate hence the name Chocolate hills. It also offers a panoramic view to enjoy watching. Two of the highest hills have resorts to provide accommodations to the visiting tourists in the area.

The Tarsier sanctuary is another favorite destination in Bohol tours. You can see the world’s smallest primate here – the tarsiers. The antiquated Clarin Home is another place commonly included in the island tour itinerary in Bohol.

Bohol is abounding with natural beauty and cultural heritages that are well preserved and historically rich which become the main attractions in the Philippine tourism in Bohol Island.

Tourism in Panama

Panama is blessed with nature’s beauty. It has pristine beaches and turquoise seas, lush rainforests, and majestic mountains blessed in a hurricane and earthquake free tropical climate. It is likewise blessed in its people. They are the warmest and friendliest people in the world due the different ethnics and cultures that compound the population, with seven thriving Indian tribes co-existing peacefully with other Panamanians. Panama itself has had a long and colorful history, with unique heritage sites as reminders of that history. Panama City, one of the most sophisticated cities in the industrialized world. Throw in the Panama Canal, one of the world’s modern engineering wonders, and you have an explosion of tourism in Panama. Indeed, in Panama, you have a potent mixture of people, places, and pleasures.

Of course, the explosion of tourism in Panama is also because its infrastructure is modern and first-class, the presence of excellent tourist accommodations, ease in communicating with a bilingual people, an excellent medical care system at a reasonable price, affordable cost of living, accessibility, and an enviable peace. Tourism in Panama is taking off because of the favorable environment the country and its government has established to attract tourists.

With oceans bordering it on both sides, Panama is ideal for sun, sea, and beach lovers. With more than a thousand islands to choose from, the Pearl Islands and Boca del Toro of notable mention, you can go from public beaches to private resorts, from sunbathing to deep-sea diving. Panama’s rainforests boasts of biodiversity and even in Parque Metropolitano in the center of Panama City is an excellent place for birdwatching with 944 bird species. River sports such as rafting and kayaking also flourish in Panama, with land sports such as canyoneering, rappelling, and trekking are also present. Indeed, tourism in Panama is booming because of its growing reputation for ecotourism. Panama’s culture also lends itself well into tourism. Local culture and folklore is reflected in a colorful, cross-cultural array of festivals, dances, and traditions, with the seven indigenous Indian groups of Panama adding spice to the cultural melting pot. The heritage and historical sites of Panama such as the Casco Antiguo are important tourist destinations. The urban centers also significantly contribute to the explosion of tourism in Panama. The shopping centers, museums, restaurants, cinema and theater, the fashion scene, city architecture, and the whole gamut of sights and sounds in Panama City is a mixture of Panamanian tastes and European influence, doused with a liberal splash of American capitalism. These are enough to make you want to stay and live in Panama. Of course, tourism in Panama is complete only when the Panama Canal is visited. The Panama Canal is not only of trade value but is also of historical and engineering value, making it a tourist destination especially for cruise ships.

With all these beauty, tourism in Panama is rapidly being touted as the best exotic destination in the world. With ecotourism, adventure, culture and people, modern conveniences, and urban sophistication, one cannot help but be a tourist in Panama. Go ahead and savor the places, people, and pleasures of Panama.

Tourism in Venice, Visit the City, Holiday and Traditions

Venice is considered one of Italyâ??s most beautiful cities. The city of Venice really abounds with traditions and must-see places.

As first thing we have to highlight the famous Venice Carnival: it is a great feast, among the most ancient ones of the city, that after so many years, thousands of tourists from all over the world come to admire staying in the various Venice hotels. Another ancient tradition is the the Sensa Feast-day, it is celebrated in May during the period of the Ascension. During this day it is celebrated the symbolic wedding between Venice and the sea, to recall all the victims of the navy fleet.

Among the most important events, there is of course the Venice International Film Festival, that takes place every year in September and it is located at the Cinema Palace. Also the Historical Regatta is a feast that attracts a lot of tourists as well as the Redentore Feast-Day, which is organized on the third Sunday of July. Among the most important Venice musical events, we need to recall â??Venice playsâ?. Every year the city turns itself into a romantic musical set full of sounds and magic. One venetian tradition is also the so-called Palio of the Ancient Maritime Republics. The four involved cities (Genoa, Pisa, Amalfi and Venice) in turn organize various events to commemorate the historical events of Middle Age. Also on the 25th of April, public holiday in Italy for the Liberation of our country, it is twice holiday in Venice. In fact Venice celebrates also St. Marcus day, the patron saint of Venice. Regarding the tour and the offers for Venice, they are especially dedicated to visit the beauties of one of Italyâ??s most romantic cities. Letâ??s start from the Canal Grande, the famous waterway that all venetian people call â??Il Canalazzoâ?.

After this, there are many bridges to see, all well-known and famous. These are for example the Academia Bridge, the â??Ponte degli Scalziâ? (the Bridge of the Barefoot), the Rialtoâ??s Bridge, the Constitution Bridge, inaugurated in September 2008. In the tourist tour a nice walk on the beautiful St. Marcus Square canâ??t miss, this is the only square of the city. The St. Marcus Basilica and its bell tower are wonderful and very suggestive. The bell tower is the highest of Venice, almost 97 meters. At the top of the bell tower, people can admire the famous statue of the Archangel Gabriel, famous for its height, almost 3 meters. The visual effect of the statueâ??s wings, which move in the wind, is really magic.

Another symbol of the city of Venice is the famous Clock tower, recently restored, that with its tolls beats the hours thanks to the two giants known as the so-called â??two Moorsâ?, they became black because of all the signs of time, so now they look older and aged.

An obligated visit is at the Giudecca island, especially known for its really original fishbone shape. Here, where we can find and book where to sleep in a Venice hotel, we can also visit the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore and the Redentore Basilica. Another obligated step is also the other three islands, all of them of a exceptional beauty. We start from the island of Burano, which is famous thanks to the lace manufacture, laces are still designed according to an ancient technique coming from the 16th century; then the island of Murano, very famous for the glass manufacture. Being able to admire with your own eyes these inimitable manufacturing techniques that can create this unique objects is a real fairy tale. In the end you have to visit the island of Torcello, that every year attracts thousands of tourists.

Back to Venice, you should take a walk in the middle of the square, have a coffee in one of the numerous cafés under the porticoes and obviously take a trip on a gondola, these things can complete a perfect day spent in Venice.

By Michele De Capitani with support from hôtels venise for any information, please visit hotel centre de venise or for more info visit hotel a venise italie .

 

 

Alternative Medicine – Avenue for Medical Tourism

The history of alternative medicine is a rather interesting one, and has its
origins in traditional methods of medicine. Alternative medicine has been
in existence since time immemorial. Being a primeval science, this medicinal
system has been known to man since the early days of his time on Earth. Using
natural ingredients to prevent and cure most illnesses has perhaps been man’s greatest foray into medical science. Traditional medical practitioners aimed at prevention of diseases associated with an increase in resistance of the human body. As an expert rightly pointed out, “The study of the history of alternative medicine is fascinating on a variety of levels, not just concerning other and often better ways of preserving and restoring health.”

Practised for thousands of years, alternative medicine includes systems like
Acupuncture, Ayurveda and traditional Asian medicine. Alternative medicine branches
out from the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatments and
therapies. CAM is often combined with formal, conventional medicine, integrating
both medical practices, in order to give the best results to patients. It can be said that
the earlier methods of medicine were attempted at achieving a balance between bodily
and natural energy. Energies were sought as positive and negative energies, where
positive energies were to bring in happiness and health and negative energies an
incapacitation of resistance to face any ailments. Matters of utmost importance in
deciding therapies or treatments in these earlier medical systems were factors like
one’s lifestyle, one’s habits of eating and one’s occupational pressures.

The earliest use of traditional remedies dates back to 2800 BC in China.
Practised all over the world in more than a hundred disciplines, alternative medicine
has aided medical tourism in an unprecedented manner. Using alternative medicine
and following alternative medical practices not only removes any possible additional
affects of the illness but also increases the resilience of the body. It is generally
claimed that natural remedies are not only less inimical to human physiology
but they also help in retaining body pliancy. Systems of natural, traditional
medicines use a combination of ingredients to restore the bodily constituents. In
fact, natural remedies are considered more as food, given their natural constituents.
Since alternative medicine is based on completely natural methods and there is
no usage of any chemicals, there is no danger of any interference with the organic
system. A holistic approach as opposed to looking at a set of symptoms and a
treatment that delves into the root-cause of an illness are some of the distinct and
highly acknowledged features of alternative medicine. It is also opined that
widespread use of modern medicine has deteriorated the immune system in the
human physiology and has resulted in these modern medicines becoming less
effective. It is also often said that alternative medicine is the only way to cure
some incurable diseases.

A Brief History of Alternative Medicine

The history of alternative medicine can be traced back to some 5000 years, when the Chinese and Indians discovered traditional and Ayurvedic therapies to heal the body and the mind. The real objective was to identify the deterrents in the body system which caused ailments, and
strengthened the body’s immunity. The therapies mainly incorporated self-care, lifestyle
changes and various preventive measures. The normal practices that were followed in the early stages of the history of alternative medicine include the extractions of the bark of willow trees. Many kitchen ingredients were also used for treating patients. The treatments were considered as the blessings of God, as it brought immense relief to the writhing bodies and prayer was considered as one of the strongest weapons in waging war against ailments.
Source: “A Brief History of Alternative Medicine”, http://www.med-help.net/med-history-of-alternativemedicine.
html

Alternative Medicine and Medical Tourism

Today, alternative medicine holds out immense potential in attracting medical
tourists. For example, India is likely to become a major hub for medical tourism,
with revenues from the industry estimated to grow from US$333 million in 2007
to US$2.2 billion by 2012, says a study by the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) and McKinsey.3 The major competitive advantages that India faces are cost
effectiveness and traditional medical systems like Ayurveda and Naturopathy.
The world has witnessed the development of many traditional as well as modern
systems of medicine in the 20th century. Path-breaking discoveries like penicillin,
technological advancements in modern surgery, major research advancement in stem
cell research and genetic structure, and the development of traditional medical systems
like traditional Chinese system of medicine, Acupuncture, Osteopathy, Homeopathy,
Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani and others have all been a part of developments in the
omnipotent territory of global medicine. The major competitive advantages that India
has are cost effectiveness and traditional medical systems like Ayurveda and Naturopathy.
The last few years have seen countries with their own individual expertise attracting
tourists from all over the world and promoting medical tourism like never before.

India

In India, medical tourism in alternative medicine has its ancestry in South India
and some places in North-Eastern India. Internationally famed for its natural remedies and therapies, Kerala’s schools of medicine have embraced Siddha,
Naturopathy and Ayurveda in treating their patients. These traditional medical
practices are estimated to attract high-end medical tourists from Europe and
Middle Eastern countries. The vital advantages that a country like India faces
with regard to medical tourism are its traditional therapies like yoga and Ayurveda
combined with tourist attractions in states like Kerala and north-eastern states.
Naturopathy, a therapeutic system based on natural remedies, trusts natural
elements like air, water and sunlight, combined with therapeutic massages and
conditioning and toning of the human body. Naturopathy believes that the human
body has the capacity to heal on its own, provided it is in a healthy environment.
With a holistic approach to well-being, Naturopathy believes that the three
physical entities – the physical body, the supernatural soul and the mind – must
be integrated through natural energies. “A recent survey shows that 76% of global
drugs are consumed by USA and European countries. We believe that freedom
from diseases and drugs can only be achieved by living a natural life style.”4
Ayurveda, the most ancient health care system, takes its ingredients from nature.
The use of herbs, materials like gold and mercury and many household ingredients
make this science easily accessible to common man. Ayurveda claims to cure diseases
like diabetes with the aid of nature. The Siddha medical system, which is a part of
Ayurveda, employs herbs, minerals and advanced scientific techniques under ancient
principles of medical science to cure many chronic diseases. It is named as one of
the most complicated and intricate forms of medicine. Siddha considers nature
and man as one essential entity. It claims that physiological characteristics like
human aging can itself be arrested with natural remedies.

Naturopathy has evolved medical tourism in India in more than one ways.
With its systems of medication using all natural ingredients to restore the holistic
disease-fighting nature of the human body, the medicine has created increased
chances of its own survival through tourists from all parts of the world visiting
India to reap its benefits. As Vitthal Kamat of the Kamat Group of Hotels says,
“With Naturopathy and Ayurveda along with the world renowned tourist attractions
and heritage places, the tourism sector can grow in leaps and bounds.”5 Naturopathy
in “KayaKalp”, a naturopathy centre in Himachal Pradesh, run by the Vivekananda Medical Research Trust in India has served medical tourists in detoxifying, immunizing and rejuvenating through Yoga, Pranayama, Panchkarma, Meditation and Naturopathy. Its therapies are claimed to be drug-less and extremely natural. Naturopathy takes the help of Ayurvedic preparations for healing processes like Panchkarma and improvement of blood circulation.

India’s pioneer in alternative therapy – medical tourism, Kerala, has visitors
from all over the world in the months of June, July and August. These months are
looked upon as the best period for cure of bodily ailments through Ayurveda.
High quality medical facilities provided at low prices are the main tourist attraction
in Kerala. Mr. M Narayanan, head of Poovar Island Resort says that there are
tourists from countries like Australia, Europe and Germany. The packages offered
in these Ayurvedic spas include services like Ayurvedic oil massages, powder
massages, vegetarian diets, detoxification programs and a lifestyle change. In fact
it is little known that Ayurveda includes not just massages, but a whole gamut of
services like herbal and natural diet plans, natural healing therapies, and therefore
a full-fledged medical system.

Ayurveda Gram, a unique Ayurvedic Institution in Bangalore offers Ayurveda
in its wellness form to medical tourists. It offers services like Customized Yoga,
Pranayama, Meditation, and a vegetarian diet to boost metabolism. Its sprawling
campus full of medicinal herbs and natural surrounds helps in the processes of
cure for specific ailments like Arthiritis, Spondilytis, Cholesterol, Sinusitis, Peptic
Ulcer and Obesity. Other therapies by Ayurveda Gram include Stress Management
therapies, Panchkarma and rejuvenation therapies.

AYUSH, the department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha
and Homeopathy was formed under the Indian Medicine Central Council Act,
1970. One of the most recent awareness activities undertaken by AYUSH was a
health fair organized in parts of Hyderabad, Chennai, Indore and New Delhi.
AYUSH ensured that the major Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha manufacturers in
India participated in this health fair.

Another famous Ayurvedic centre in India is the C V N Kalari Centre for
Ayurveda. Kalari is one of the approved Ayurvedic centres recognized by the
Kerala Tourism Department.6 Kalari has its customers from many foreign countries. The centre specializes in Marma Chikitsa (the application of pressure on specific
nerve points) and other special practices of healing. Having both therapeutic and
rejuvenative aspects in them, these specialized healing procedures take extensive help
of Ayurveda to treat the ailing.
Some Ayurvedic resorts have formulated Ayurvedic kitchens that help improve
the effectiveness of oil treatments. Diet regimens, detoxification programs and other
processes that give a glowing skin to the customer are very popular. Some of these
Ayurvedic resorts also arrange for cooking classes to help their customers acquire
and maintain the lifestyle that they are introduced to in these spas and resorts.
Ananda, an Ayurvedic Spa in the Himalayas is one of the most famous destination
resorts in India. It offers specialty Ayurvedic packages like Aroma therapy massages,
reflexology programs for rejuvenation, stress release programs, personalized Yoga
sessions, body composition analysis and weight reduction programs through Yoga
and Ayurveda. Ananda claims that its packages and therapies cure many ailments
like headaches, nausea, climatic disorders, facial paralysis, insomnia, asthma, neuralgia
and does general improvement of metabolism.

China

The 3000 year-old method of traditional medicine in China has gained popularity
as the world’s most popular medicine, being used by more than a quarter of the
world in treating even chronic diseases like cancer, AIDS, allergies and heart diseases.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses medicinal herbs, therapeutic exercises
and acupuncture to cure ailments. TCM diagnoses illnesses based on the five elements
theory and the yin-yang theory. The five elements theory base their evaluation on the
five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water to establish a connection between
human physiology and pathology and the natural environment.7 The movement of
these five elements constantly rules the functioning of the human body and thus
establishes the interdependence of both.

The yin-yang theory calls for comprehending the bright and dark sides of
the universe, in other words, the opposite properties of the universe.8 The relative
nature of yin and yang represents the interrelationship between substance and function. As traditional chinese medical practitioners say “Only with ample
substance can the human body function in a healthy way; and only when the
functional processes are in good condition, can the essential substances be
appropriately refreshed.”

Chinese herbal medicine is more known as Chinese materia medica. This includes
Chinese crude medicine, prepared drugs in pieces, traditional Chinese patented
medicines and simplified Chinese medicinal preparations. Chinese herbology, a major
aspect of TCM addresses the art of combining medicinal herbs.10 It visualizes the
entire human body’s balance of energies and spirit to treat a medical condition.
Herbs are combined into different potions of various characteristics for the sake of
different individuals being treated by TCM practitioners. Herbs like Astragalus,
Ginkgo, Ginger, Green Tea, Siberian Ginseng and Garlic are used to treat several
ailments. Around 300 mineral and animal extracts and 400 formulae are used to
cure diseases, in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Acupuncture, as part of TCM is used to unblock the flow of vital energy through
the human body.11 One of the oldest healing techniques in the world, this traditional
method aims at “restoring health through simulation of specific points on the body.”12
Ailments like nausea, addictions and some kinds of pains are claimed to be treated
with the help of acupuncture.

Taking advantage of its abundant human resources, China is luring medical tourists
into its web of alternative medical therapies. Wellness packages in China come at
low costs and without any side-effects, thanks to proliferated Traditional Chinese
Medicine. Several massages and spas have been set up in recent times that provide
mental health and physical well-being to medical tourists with the help of Chinese
medicinal herbs. Wellness apartments are established for the purpose of serving
senior medical tourists. These wellness apartments facilitate these tourists in
practising their own hobbies and also conducting medical activities like Taiji.

Germany

Germany’s alternative medical practices have their origins in Homeopathy, a
medical system that was developed by Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician.
Homeopathy considers symptoms as disturbances of vital forces that have
connection with the human body. Homeopathic advocators believe that this
medical system has the ability to cure acute diseases like flu, cold, pains, depression
and fatigue, constipation, irritability other than chronic diseases. It is claimed to
cure allergies and allergic disorders like Eczema and Asthma. Moreover, this
medical system is child friendly, in the sense, that the medication given by
homeopaths is sweet to the tooth and therefore acceptable. Homeopaths are known
for debonair and their hands free treatment of patients. They concentrate more
on the patient’s state of mind and attitude towards life. The preparation of different
potions in Homeopathy is done mostly with the help of herbs, minerals and
animal extracts. Also, it is often reasoned that since the dosage that homeopaths
prescribe is in such minute constitutions and because they come in dilutions of
substances like water and alcohol there is no chance of any side-effects.
Germany also stands famous for its herbal remedies. Regulated by Commission
E14 on the purity and pharmaceutical activity, these herbal medicines in Germany
have come a long way in preventing and curing many diseases like cancer, AIDS and
other serious ailments. Most physicians in Germany are required to be educated in
Alternative therapies, so that it serves complimentary to modern medical treatments.
As Mark Blumenthal, chairman of the American Botanical Council points out, “Most
of the clinical research that’s conducted on the leading herbal medicines in the United
States comes from Germany.”15

With more than 300 spa towns, Germany has become the premier destination
for health and wellness in Europe.16 One of the most famous resorts in Germany
is the Baltic Spa Resort in Warnemunde. Situated on the shore of the Baltic Sea,
it idealizes the sea as a “homeopathic pharmacy” and claims that “it contains all
important trace elements and has a similar composition to human blood”17 Sea water is said to have revitalizing effects in treating bodily ailments like respiratory
illnesses, sleep disorders and obesity. Other than these, mental disorders like
depression, anxiety and agony are claimed to be cured with the help of the sea.
Sea breeze is said to be specifically effective in treating cardio-vascular as well as
dermatological conditions. Major advantages that Germany faces are in terms of
both cost and quality. As Axel Steller, the CEO of the Arab German Health
Foundation points out, “In the US, operations are four to five times more expensive
as they are in Germany”.

Japan

Japanese medicine is known as Kanpo or Kampo, a herbal medicine that forms part
of well-researched modern clinical methods and also traditional methods of
medicine. A Japanese variant of the traditional Chinese medicine or the Oriental
medicine, Kanpo adheres to the body’s natural instincts and natural mechanism
of healing. For this purpose, medical treatment involves diagnosis of the tongue,
abdomen and pulse. At each stage of the treatment, different formulae that are
necessary to bring the body back to normalcy, are prepared by the physician.
These herbal medicines are regulated by the Japanese Government. Kanpo
medicine is used to cure many acute and chronic ailments like cardio-vascular,
respiratory, digestive, reproductive and dermatological conditions and immune
system corrections and even disorders like bedwetting, high cholesterol and
hepatitis. Though Kanpo therapies take longer than usual to work, this medical
system uses some very natural diagnosis and treatment methods and concepts
like water, blood and air to identify bodily symptoms. Also, it is claimed that
these herbal medicines produce no side-effects because of their natural
compositions. Japanese therapists of Anma visit countries like India and Singapore
to help in promotion of health tourism. Anma, a traditional Japanese massage, is
said to be a complete form of Shiastu19 that treats the body to release blood flow
in a proper manner to rejuvenate the body.

Apart from attracting tourists for its natural herbal medical treatments, Medical
tourism in Japan has become popular thanks to its volcanic areas that have allowed
the formation of some hot mineral water springs called Onsen. Japanese Onsen serve as places where the ailing can get alternative treatments to modern medical
practices. These have medicinal properties that heal wounds, alleviate pains and
replenish energy levels. Senior tourists and people suffering from many kinds of
aches and pains come flocking to these mineral water springs. The healing
properties of these springs are accentuated by the surrounding volcanic soil that
is composed of many minerals and curative elements.

Outlook of Medical Tourism in Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine is here to stay, claim some traditional medical practitioners.
Given its perceived advantages over the modern medical techniques and the expensive
western medicines, alternative medical therapy is gaining ground in many developing
as well as developed countries. Practices like Ayurveda and Homeopathy claim that
surgery may always be the last option in case of treatment of an ailment. Natural
medicines like herbs and minerals can all be partaken as food and not medicines as
such, since their composition is all natural. Alternative medicine is used in conjunction
with modern medicine to treat many chronic ailments like diabetes and AIDS. This
helps modern medical practitioners to evolve a closer relationship with the patient
and cure him to a greater extent, thus giving him a new perspective to life. It follows
that one should never overlook the disposition of the traditional cures suggested by
our ancestors. These provide a standpoint from where one can comprehend the
profundity of traditional and alternative medicine, and gauge the tremendous potential
of alternative medicine in medical tourism.

Please seek author’s permission for reprint. Send a reprint request to kirrti82@gmail.com.

References
1. www.hinduonnet.com
2. “Kerala”, www.takekerala.com
3. “Prospects of Medical Tourism in India”, www.mpiweb.org
4. “Medical Tourism push for Penang and Langkawi”, http://thestar.com.my
5. www.wikipedia.com

Tourism Guide to Travel India

India â?? a mysterious country rejects rules and has an aversion to change; India that is a subcontinent with a 5000-year old history. A civilization united by its diversity which has made it a land of great liberties. But donâ??t be disorientated but the big number of temples that remind you of the spirituality of Indians. The new India they are usually referring to the shiny new offices and businesses parks on the outskirts of the cities. For the tourist India can be overwhelming, and it has certainly become a more stressful place to visit.

The best travel place and things to do in India

Delhi, India
Delhi is the symbol of old India and new . . . even the stones here whisper to our ears of the ages of long ago and the air we breathe is full of the dust and fragrances of the past, as also of the fresh and piercing winds of the present.

Bangalore, India
Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka. With its salubrious climate, tree-lined avenues, trendy, yuppy downtown, and the software flood, Bangalore truly offers one a picture of striking contrasts. There are old beautiful bungalows, parks, hallowed places of worship and traditional market-places on the one hand, balancing with fashionable shopping malls, pubs, new architectural wonders and modern looking religious centers on the other. Check out what you like here and just get going!

Goa, India
The churches and convents of Goa, the former capital of the Portuguese Indies â?? particularly the Church of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier â?? illustrate the evangelization of Asia. These monuments were influential in spreading forms of Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque art in all the countries of Asia where missions were established.

Mumbai, India
Ever since the opening of the Suez Canal in the 1860s, the principal gateway to the Indian subcontinent has been MUMBAI (Bombay), the city Aldous Huxley famously described as “the most appalling . . . of either hemisphere”. Travelers tend to regard time spent here as a rite of passage to be survived rather than savored.

Chennai, India
Chennai is a seaside (and a major port) city where the sea is a rhapsodist blue, hugging the second largest beach in the world. It has many monuments and temples exemplifying the contributions of the Chola and Pallava Dynasties to the ancient Dravidian civilization. Chennai also has the ancient churches and Cathedrals pointing to British heritage of 150 years.

Jaipur, India
A flamboyant showcase of Rajasthani architecture, the Pink City of JAIPUR has long been established on tourist itineraries as the third corner of India’s “Golden Triangle”, just 300km southwest of Delhi and 200km west of Agra. Though the “Pink City” label applies specifically to the old walled quarter of the state capital, in the northeast of town, exuberant eighteenth- and nineteenth-century palaces are scattered throughout the whole urban area.

North Bengal
If we have to be poor, we prefer being poor in a place like this. Poverty here is poetic and picturesque, not heart-breaking, nor revolting as in the slums of Bombay or Calcutta. This is about the villages in the Himalayans. And indeed, what can be more romantic than meet the New Year in a cottage in Himalaya Mountains? 

Kolkata, India
One of the four great urban centres of India, KOLKATA (CALCUTTA) is to its proud citizens the equal of any city in the country in charm, variety and interest. Like Mumbai and Chennai, it is not ancient, its roots lying in the European expansion of the seventeenth century. The showpiece capital of the British Raj, this was the greatest colonial city of the Orient.

Agra, India
The splendour of AGRA â?? capital of all India under the Moghuls â?? remains undiminished, from the massive fort to the magnificent Taj Mahal. Along with Delhi, 204km northwest, and Jaipur in Rajasthan, Agra is the third apex of the “Golden Triangle”, India’s most popular tourist itinerary. It fully merits that status; the Taj effortlessly transcends all the frippery and commercialism that surrounds it, and continues to have a fresh and immediate impact on all who see it.

Varanasi, India
The great Hindu city of VARANASI, also known as Banaras or Benares, stretches along the crescent of the River Ganges, its waterfront dominated by long flights of stone ghats, where thousands of pilgrims and residents come for their daily ritual ablutions. Known to the devout as Kashi, the Luminous â?? the City of Light, founded by Shiva â?? Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world. It has maintained its religious life since the sixth century BC in one continuous tradition, in part by remaining outside the mainstream of political activity and historical development of the subcontinent, and stands at the centre of the Hindu universe, the focus of a religious geography that reaches from the Himalayan cave of Amarnath in Kashmir, to India’s southern tip at Kanyakumari, Puri to the east, and Dwarka to the west.

Sikkim, India
A place with astounding valleys and spectacular mountains, where you lose mobile connection along with the sense of time. In authorâ??s opinion, if Elves and Hobbits can exist anywhere, it has to be in North Sikkim. Now I know where to look for them 

Kerala Zone
Call the GODâ??s gift place; remember Columbus and the Spice Islands? – Thatâ??s in Kerala! Itâ??s one of the most beautiful smelling cities in India. The language is Malayaam, which sounds like if you rolled your tongue indiscriminately and said “blublub”. The writing constitutes of what looks like a lot of curly ‘m’s and ‘w’s. So nice. Coconuts? Everywhere! Overall? Very fine!

Tourism Trouble

How on earth can service delivery possibly effect tourism, a municipal water supply issue, a street overflowing with sewerage, perhaps in Bloemfontein or Kokstad, how can it effect tourism in Cape Town, why should the waterfront Hotel care, after all, their beds are full, their restaurants busy. Travellers seem to flock on from exotic international places to enjoy what we have to offer.

Those of us who have been around long enough can vouch for that old adage, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Was it Adam Tas or Adam Kok, who wanted rights the 1700’s, and no, I do not pretend to be an historian, but take a look at history, the French revolted against an elitist regime who wallowed in luxury while the masses starved, the Russian Tsars who lived a life of luxurious decadence until it crumbled around them, the champions of apartheid who suppressed basic human rights from the masses, feathering their own nests and employing their own kith and kin to the disadvantage of anyone of a different coloured skin or home language.

In the seventies and eighties in South Africa, strikes were a national pastime, more money please, less work please, fewer hours and more rights and benefits, some twenty years later, nothings changed, more money, less work, more benefits please. Let’s have a dance, a few days off work, break a few windows, plants, hey, why not our one vehicles and buildings, they represent oppression don’t they. The fact that a state building belongs to us all and gets paid for, indirectly or directly by each of us seems to be completely irrelevant, good grief! Just as an aside, I heard someone say yesterday, “you know, one thing about a lousy job, it’s a lot better than no job…”.

I could never understand why, during the race and other riots in the eighties, why they burned and broke down a school, perhaps a clinic or hospital, when a government office was available for this particular purpose, a “Department of Bantu Affairs” building, a police station, or some such base asset of the regime of the time, why the school and the clinic, why not the prison. Yes, I do digress, let’s wind our way back to tourism, the industry that is actually more important, when measured in jobs, and foreign income, than gold mining, that has yet untapped resources and no end to the possibilities.

The potential tourist to South Africa, the family who we want to tempt into visiting and holidaying in our beautiful country, to stay in our Hotels or Bed and Breakfast establishments, they have just viewed thousands of red coated, quite intimidating “workers” chanting, fists in the air, sticks in the hand…they have witnessed them looting a poor Durban shopkeeper, destroying hours of hard work in a Port Elizabeth garden. Well, they say, should I go to Maldives this year, perhaps a Greek Island or should I go to South Africa.

Guys, our noses are not far from our brains, to our leaders, to the leaders of the labour movements, to the workers who part you’re your hard earned money to the paid leaders of the labour organisations, you might think this is the right way, but please, let’s start thinking a little further than our noses, if you have a grievance, yes, do something about it, but hey, think about what it is you are doing.

For holiday and accommodation requirements during and after 2010 visit www.staysa.co.za.

Alan Hawkins – CEO

Staysa.co.za