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Archive for November, 2009
Medical Tourism: Its Emergence, Growth and Potential
Author: admin
Healthcare expenses have always been a major cause of concern for the general public. No matter how consciously a person builds up his savings from the earnings, it takes one major bout of illness to drain out a large portion of the accumulated savings. Health disorders are unforeseen and thus many people opt to cover such sudden medical expenses with some medical insurance. However, a health insurance policy sometimes falls a way short in covering up the costs involved in some medical procedures. Even if a person has a health insurance, it still takes a considerable amount of time for the medical procedure to get started. The waiting period for a hip replacement could be more than a year in countries like Britain and Canada. Under such adverse scenario, the general public had to look for other alternatives outside their countries. If they are looking for a cost effective alternative for similar medical procedure, then medical tourism definitely is the way to go for.
Medical tourism is a service extended to the people all over the world to travel to other countries that provide similar medical treatments at comparatively lower costs than their own country. The health care providers of such countries have tie ups with various travel agencies. People desirous of seeking such treatments need to contact either the medical centers of such countries or the travel agencies who work in conjunction with some medical centers to provide healthcare tourism services. Among the various healthcare tourism destinations, India, Singapore and Thailand have emerged as most the popular ones.
If estimates are to be believed at, the medical tourism industry will be worth US $2 billion by 2012. Since the emergence of this industry, people from most of the developed nations have continually flocked to the medical tourism destinations to avail quicker as well as good medical treatments at low cost. A heart-valve replacement that costs around $200,000 in US can be done for a mere $10,000 in a country like India inclusive of the air fare and even a brief vacation package. A knee-replacement procedure costs a lot less in Thailand as compared to that of the United States. Most medical procedures cost around one-tenth of what it costs in countries like United States and Britain. Affordable and prompt medical care has made healthcare tourism a major draw among patients from all over the world.
The immense potential of the medical tourism industry has resulted in more healthcare investments in such countries offering the service. The Indian government is leaving no stones unturned to make it a global healthcare destination. The concerned authorities in Singapore has organized conferences and gained accreditations to attract more medical tourists. Similarly the other countries venturing into medical tourism are also taking necessary steps to popularize themselves. In the next few years medical tourism industry will continue to grow bigger and serve people all over the world with cost effective and superior medical treatments.
Alfred Anderson
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/medical-tourism-its-emergence-growth-and-potential-115704.html
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Flashbooking is a growing cheap hostel Prague and hotels directory specializing in budget accommodation for independent travellers, students, adventurous backpackers, international volunteers, families and all the ones that travel on a budget.
Those who love travelling light, those with a sense for adventure, those who love flexibility in their trips, those who like meeting locals and travelling slow and low… those are Flashbooking happy travellers!
Flashbooking accommodation database is easily available online and comes completed with all relevant information about youth hostel and hotel location and map, description, services, hostel contacts, customer ratings, six pictures and updated prices inclusive of taxes and services together with instant real availability.
Having the reservation final price is also convenient as it does give the transparency our users pretend while booking. Having the final total amount of your booking means you do not have to worry about other extra surprises! Flashbooking cheap lodging solutions are all available for online bookings and divided by Countries.
Travellers have free access to the updated list of Europe hostels and budget hotels, North and South America hostels, Caribbean and Central America hostels as well as for Asia cheap accommodations, Oceania youth hostels and Africa hostels. Flashbooking’s happy travellers can book their rooms and beds not only in cheap hotels or youth hostels but also consider other budget accommodations in Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouses, Campsites, apartments, farm houses and much more.
Flashbooking chose to provide backpackers, students and families with a list of budget selected and independent accommodations worldwide, mostly run by locals, in order to promote an alternative tourism respectful of cultures and different societies.
For this and other reasons Flashbooking is becoming a recognized source of information and services for who loves creating a trip by him/herself and book bed nights securely online. In fact, thanks to a secure server certified SSL provided by Thawte (the global certificate authority) www.flashbooking.com is able to guarantee instantly confirmed and secure online reservations.
Thawte is a system which encrypts all the processed data and guarantees that this will not be read, used or modified by other parties. Confirmed online bookings mean that your holiday is just a click away, that you can get all the information needed to book online, that you can save time and money!
Recently added a new free customer service online at travellers disposal to suggest the perfect accommodation for their trip and voyages. The Skype account ‘Flashbooking Customercare’ gives more assistance also in the booking process for all our travellers and backpackers needs.
Other reasons to chose Flashbooking? Flashbooking helps you saving money with a special promotion that allows travellers to earn money and credits of 1,5 euros by inviting other friends to subscribe and receive the monthly newsletter, rich of information about hostel and hotel deals. For each friend that sings up, our travellers get 1,50 euros: it is possible to earn up to 40 euros! These credits are immediately registered in the user’s personal online account ‘My Booking’ and at the reach of 40 euros they are automatically deducted to pay your online hostel reservations !
With the monthly newsletter, Flashbooking puts at travellers’ and partner hostels’ free disposal some useful information tools as pocket travel guides of the top world cities: the Amsterdam City guide, the London City guide, the Barcelona City guide, the Paris City guide, the Rome City guide, the Florence City guide, and the freshly issued Prague City guide!
In general, these guides have been written for giving the essential information about the most visited cities in the world and in particular for any traveller or first-time visitor. For a short visit, a week-end, a city break, these free pocket guides are useful printable and downloadable tools available online.
The free City pocket guide of the Czech Capital contains, in just 9 printable pages, all the essential information and very good suggestions divided by areas: Prague New City and Prague Old city, the Jewish quarter (Josephov), the Malastrana district and the Castle. Prague is renown for wooden toys, crystal products, flea markets and Christmas markets, Wenceslas Square and museums, Art Galleries, breweries and beers and cheap lodgings, classic itineraries in the Boemian countryside and a lot more to make a visit worth wise. Free for anyone who wish to book and go and rich of colour pictures, the Prague Travel Pocket Guide is at backpackers disposal in Flashbooking.com! For Flashbooking users and travellers that might have a personal website or a travel blog, or even manage a youth hostel or a hotel accommodation, and are interested in the travel city guides, the pocket guides can be collected and put at your visitors’ disposal.
In the Prague City guide students, families and backpackers can get a large selection of cheap or low cost accommodation with plenty of low cost solutions in budget youth hostels, Prague bed and breakfast, guesthouses, cheap hotel deals.
Our travellers are also our good partners as they help us either giving their ratings of some accommodations, lodgings, BandB, youth hostels and budget small hotels where they personally stayed, either enlarging the hostel offer by reporting some new contacts.
Flashbooking policy tends to privilege small and family-run hotels in order to promote an alternative tourism respectful of cultures and different societies.
So mates, we are looking forward to finding you THE budget accommodation that meets your needs and pocket for your next trip!
Michele De Capitani
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/prague-great-free-pocket-travel-guide-by-flashbooking-online-booking-82225.html
St. John is the Hidden Gem of the Virgin Islands
Author: admin
To recycle a tired old cliché, delightful things often come in diminutive packages. Surveying the Caribbean, there are many islands to choose from that convey a message of exoticism, relaxation and jaw-dropping beauty that make your hometown landscape seem black and white in comparison, and some of these islands are easier to spot than others. When deciding on your next island vacation, don’t overlook St. John; it’s relatively tiny but packs a big punch and does an incredible job of making you feel like you’re far, far away.
Much of St. John’s allure revolves around the fact that two thirds of the island is pure, untouched nature. Protected by the United States as designated national park land, these hills, valleys, forests and beaches are untainted and lush, brimming with wildlife and Technicolor beauty. This is the smallest of the US Virgin Islands, but once you set foot on the soil of this impressive place you’ll be convinced that 28 square miles is more than enough to make your getaway supremely satisfying.
Tours led by knowledgeable guides will acquaint you with the sights of the island, or if you’re feeling adventurous you can head out on your own and just let the peaceful ambiance overcome you. Whether you’re nestled into a jeep or walking along the path with no particular itinerary in mind, this will be a good first activity to get you in the vacation mood, if you’re still hanging on to that last bit of stress, that is.
The beaches are the best part about St. John. From scenic Rams Head to the white sandy wonderland that is Trunk Bay, you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled onto a very well-kept secret as you survey the scene. That’s another plus; crowds tend to be thinner here than in other Caribbean isles, perhaps because it’s tucked away from the main thoroughfare or maybe people just don’t know what they’re missing. Either way, it’s to your advantage. Enjoy the beaches without feeling trampled upon, and pretend like you’ve escaped to your own tailor-made hideaway in the clear blue ocean.
The run-through isn’t over yet; we’ve yet to visit the place nicknamed Love City. Cruz Bay is a little more action packed than St. John’s other spots, as it is the home of shops, grocery stores, gear and jeep rental services and restaurants. This will be the home base for your scuba diving adventures, and where you can stock up on souvenirs and staples to take back to your vacation rental. Don’t expect a bustling city atmosphere or anything, but it gets the job done in a pleasingly laid-back way.
The climate and conditions of St. John make it ideal for plant growth, and a common activity involves taking a flower tour. Heavenly orchids dot the hills, century plants add a sense of time and history, and the Red Ginger’s ruby color will cause you to continually marvel at its vibrancy. Hibiscus, prickly pear cactus, Hanging Heliconia and the Bananaquit, the official bird of the island, will all delight your senses as you meander through the wonderful world of St. John.
In addition to all of this, there are boat tours, horseback riding, windsurfing, fishing, surfing and paragliding to keep you busy. Many visitors find it not only worthwhile but ideal to snag a St. John Vacation Rental that will make your home away from home as comfortable as possible. If you’re taking the time to traipse all the way to the Caribbean for what is certainly a hard-earned vacation, you may as well treat yourself to a well-rounded and pampering experience on all fronts. Vacation rentals allow for the possibilities of breakfast in bed, cocktails on your private patio, naps in the middle of the afternoon, and short strolls to the beach, among other things. Seeing this island through the windows of a cute cottage on the shoreline or a fabulous Oceanside villa will make this dreamy vacation even dreamier, so at least check out the options as you start to plan your trip.
St. John is a true find, and one that you should make an effort to seek out. It’s not the biggest or the most well-known Caribbean isle, but that’s something that will become your gain and everyone else’s loss.
Caitlin Moore
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/st-john-is-the-hidden-gem-of-the-virgin-islands-68736.html
Family Fun Gifts
Author: admin
When you think about the ‘American Family’ what comes to mind? Are you envisioning the typical ‘Soccer Mom Family’ with junior running off to play softball while little Sally takes a ballet lesson, and Mom dashes off to a spinning class as Dad plays a round of golf? Even when the entire family spends an evening at home they do so separately. Dad works on his laptop while junior plays video games with his new gaming system. Mom is on the cell phone while she does the laundry, and little Sally watches a DVD.
Perhaps you have heard of a concept called ‘quality time’, coined during the 1980âs as families noticed that they were too busy to spend ‘quantity time’ together anymore. Now it seems that quality time is being sacrificed for ‘let me entertain myself please time”.
If you know a family who is growing apart instead of together you might want to consider buying them a yearâs worth of family fun gifts to put the ‘quality’ back in family time.
January is a great time to enjoy winter sports. Tickets to an ice rink for a family skate, or to the ski slopes for a day of ski rental is great for families with school-aged children. In February a gift certificate for a Valentineâs Day brunch at a local restaurant will help fan the flames of family love.
March into spring with passes to a home show, a boat show, or a car show. April showers bring May flowers, so a gift certificate to a local plant nursery will give the family a chance to buy some spring seedlings for planting together. May is for music. Tickets to an outdoor concert will get the family out for some fresh air and they can move to the groove together.
June is steamy, so cool your favorite family off with tickets to a water park. Julyâs fireworks are great fun to watch while enjoying a picnic dinner purchased with a gift certificate from a local deli. August is the perfect time for a boat cruise along a local river or lake. If there are no waterways near your family consider buying passes to a local ‘ropes course’ where counselors will assist the family in working as a team and building trust between family members.
September is the busiest of all months for most families, so how about treating your family to a pancake breakfast at the local flapjack house. Eating lots of sugar is a great way to start off a busy Saturday! October is haunted house month, and most of these spooky attractions sell gift certificates.
November always has family fare at the movie theater, so movie passes along with gift certificates to the concession stand make the perfect indoor outing as the winds of winter begin to blow. December is the time for homemade sweets and treats, so end the year by having the local grocery deliver a bag or two of ingredients for an afternoon of family cookie baking.
Remember, the family who plays together, stays together. Give a family you love a yearâs worth of playtime, and maybe, if you are lucky, they will invite you along to share in the fun!
Rachel Campbell
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/family-fun-gifts-125306.html
Hello,
I want to go to Chicago this July to Chicago from Texas.
I was wondering where could I get cheap airfare tickets?
I checked the online ones already, so how should I make sure I get the best deal?
try southwest it also depends from which city in Texas
We are going to the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon but was wondering if anyone knew of other Caribbean islands we could fly to from the Dominican Republic?
American Eagle, JetBlue and PAWA fly to Puerto Rico.
There are also flights to Haiti, Turks & Caicos, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Curacao, Aruba, Antigua, Tortola (British Virgin Islands) and St. Maarten.
We are going to the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon but was wondering if anyone knew of other Caribbean islands we could fly to from the Dominican Republic?
American Eagle, JetBlue and PAWA fly to Puerto Rico.
There are also flights to Haiti, Turks & Caicos, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Curacao, Aruba, Antigua, Tortola (British Virgin Islands) and St. Maarten.
'(Best family vacation destinations) **Ever**
Author: admin
'(Best family vacation destinations) | (best vacation destinations)
http://worldteamtvi.com/
or call David Mitchell at 303-736-9939
family vacation, family vacations, all inclusive, vacation package, vacation packages, family travel, vacation, family, vacations, travel, TVI Express
Duration : 1 min 32 sec
Really "Day 8" if the first Saturday counts as "Day 1" but we didn't do any of the day trips offered in the Miami area. Back in the Port of Miami, we listen to our trip's theme song one last time. Time to go waste a few more hours on a Customs and Immigration line. If you ever do go on a cruise, make sure you are first in line for Customs so as to waste the least amount of time. There were 8 stations open to process more than 3,000 people upon our return. Absurd.
jpmeyer.com
Duration : 3 min 22 sec
Holiday In The Caribbean 1948
Author: admin
A tour of the Caribbean Islands including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, St Thomas, Trinidad, Jamaica, Cuba in 1948. Footage from this film is available for licensing from www.globalimageworks.com
Duration : 9 min 27 sec