July 29th, 2010
The point of a holiday is to relax and unwind, so that you can return to your normal life feeling refreshed and energized. Asia is one of the best travel destinations in the world for relaxation, both physical and mental. Asian medicine and meditation techniques are gaining popularity in the West, as more people realize the value that their gentle, natural arts hold for our busy and stressful lifestyle. What are the best treatments and courses to explore on your luxury Asian holiday?
Reflexology is a common spa treatment, but not a common practice in the Western world. Your luxury Asian holiday is the perfect opportunity to learn about the joys of this practice. Reflexology is a massage or pressure point discipline where your feet, hands or ears are worked on in order to improve the general health of other parts of your body. There are quite a few luxury resorts in Asia that offer reflexology -the Shangri-La group, which can be found throughout China, India and Asia, is a notable one.
The Ayurvedic health system is another of the East’s gems that the Western world has borrowed bits and pieces from the philosophy, but few people actually practice it properly. Your luxury rest in Asia is the perfect opportunity to find out what true Ayurveda is, and have an Ayurvedic massage and assessment by a true practitioner. This also allows you to see how to embrace the philosophy as a lifestyle … giving you a good example, even if the lure of chocolate is still too much once you return home! Try Ayurvedic treatments at luxury hotels like Novotels throughout south east Asia (as well as the rest of the continent).
Scrubs, wraps and massages are all essential ingredients on a spa menu at luxury hotels. You’ll find lovely ones like chlorophyll butter massage, guava and salt scrubs, and Ayurvedic spice wraps at the Beaufort Spa in Sentosa in Singapore. It is a good idea to look out for spas that utilize the natural resources of the region, with native plants and Asian spices and herbs included in their treatments. Not only will their uses be familiar to the practitioners, it makes for a wonderfully genuine experience of the area for you.
Bath treatments are another favorite at Asian luxury resort spas. The word spa actually comes from an acronym for the Latin sanus per aqum, or healing through water. You’ll find some resorts are focused more on water treatments, or more on the herbal / essential oil treatment side. One great spa for water treatments is the Pangkor Laut in Malaysia. You begin your water-healing journey with a traditional Chinese foot massage, moving through a Malay ‘wall of water’, and on to a Japanese style bathhouse. You are surrounded by beautiful clear, cleansing water from start to finish, and the bathhouse has more than 30 treatments (wraps etc) to choose from.
Traditional Chinese medicine is another thing you can indulge in while on your luxury holiday in Asia. Traditional medicine often focuses more on the body as a whole than traditional Western medicine -if you have any niggling health issues, or never seem to be quite right physically, your luxury rest in Asia could be just the time to correct it. Try the Imperial Herbal Restaurant in Singapore for health in style, or check out the Eu Yan Sang chain.
Categories: Travel
Tags: Asian Holiday, Asian Medicine, Best Travel Destinations, Essential Ingredients, Lovely Ones, Salt Scrubs, Sentosa, South East Asia, Spa Treatment, True Practitioner
July 28th, 2010
What is art? There exists not one but hundreds of definitions of art offered by renowned artists, scholars, and philosophers throughout the ages. Considered literally, art refers to any specialized skill, or human activities encompassing a wide range of fields like literature, music, painting, or sculpting. It’s the end but not the means that constitutes the success of art. A lot many artists believe in the cult of art for art’s sake. However, this function of art has been subjected to severe criticism by some of the noted scholars of the late 19th century who believed in the instructional quality of art. To them, art existed not just for aesthetic pleasure but was also associated with the purpose of converting the mind into a particular trend of thought.
Theories abound as to the true purpose of art. Whether didactic or aesthetic, there is no denying that art casts its influence on the observer’s mind. Times have changed and with it, artistry has undergone multiple changes too. If Romanticism and Classicism influenced art works of yester years, it is Realism, Impressionism, Fauvism, Dadaism, and Surrealism that have laid their impact on contemporary art. No wonder, contemporary art is distinctly different from the art works of earlier generations.
The fields encompassing contemporary art remains the same even today but its essence has been infused with modernity. As in earlier times, contemporary art too covers the fields of music, painting, sculpting, literature, to name a few. New styles along with an eagerness for experimentation have found greater expression in contemporary art works. However in case of paintings, there often crops up a dilemma as to symbols represented on the canvas. Contemporary paintings often appear complex to the common eye, a fact often relished by some of the distinguished artists.
Nevertheless, the revival of some of the Asian art forms of China and Vietnam has breathed a fresh lease of life into the contemporary art scenario. Contemporary art exhibitions featuring some of the masterpieces of Oriental art are being widely appreciated by art connoisseurs across the world. The impact of Socialist Realism and the New Culture Movement is pretty evident in the oil paintings by Chinese artists. Not just China, but Vietnam too, has soaked up the western influence of Impressionism into its cultural fabric. A lot many of Vietnamese paintings depict the daily, simple world of the villages as observed through the human eye. The Vietnamese painter, Nguyen Thanh Binh, is renowned for using human element in all his canvases. Nonetheless, the influence of the Romantics does not lag behind. Paintings portraying the beauty of autumn, the green fields, the lotus pool abound.
Notwithstanding the influence of Oriental art on its western counterpart, there can be no denying the impact of the latter on the former. In fact, both these diverse art forms have imbibed features of each other. The French Impressionist and Viennese art nouveau have been chiefly influenced by Japanese prints. The history of Japan post 19th century, has cast an impression not only on visual arts but on European ceramics as well.
This intermingling of existing art traditions has thus given way to further innovations in the contemporary art scenario. Herein crops up avenues for the birth of new art genres with fresh appeal. This would certainly not deter people from admiring the older art forms. As a matter of fact, contemporary art has been and will be constantly inspired by their masters.
Categories: Art
Tags: Canvas Paintings, Eagerness, Earlier Times, Exuberance, Impressionism, Life Int, Modernity, Renowned Artists, Romanticism Art, True Purpose
July 27th, 2010
At one time, traveling by railroad was the best way for a first-class experience. Today, fewer people ride the rails, as it is often easier and more luxurious to fly. Did you know, though, that you can still find complete sightseeing vacation packages that have you travel via private railcar? These experiences can be quiet rewarding, allowing you to actually see the countryside and interesting tourist destinations without having to drive yourself. If you are interested in a private railcar journey, check out the following options for a unique travel experience:
The Orient Express
Contrary to its name, the famous Orient Express was actually a trans-Europe journey to the gateway of Asia: Istanbul, Turkey. You may be familiar with the romanticized tale of this famous journey from novels and movies such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Agatha Christie’s 1934 Murder on the Orient Express. Travellers could start in London, cross the English Channel and board the train in Paris, travelling through Munich, Vienna, and Budapest, Hungary. From Budapest they could choose the route from Belgrade (Serbia) to Athens, or alternately, through Bucarest, Romania, to Constantinople – what is now Istanbul, Turkey. From Turkey or Greece, world leisure travelers could opt to continue their journey by boat or other trains to destinations in the Middle East, India and beyond.
Today you can relive a taste of the past through at least one company that operates service along some of the same rail lines in restored vintage rail carriages. The Venice-Simplon Orient Express offers regular trips from London to Venice and less frequent trips between Venice and Istanbul. The same travel company also offers similarly-themed rail vacations in Malaysia/Thailand and across Australia.
The Trans-Siberian Railway
Another Europe to Asia rail journey is the Trans-Siberian Railway. This is the longest continuous rail line in the world, running over six thousand miles. You can start your seven-day journey in Moscow and see the countryside and a number of Russian and Asian cities on your way to Vladivostok, or you can opt for a much longer trip, with stops in locations like Irkutsk and Lake Baikal. Most people tend to think of a vacation as a trip to somewhere warm and sunny, but this railcar journey takes you into a beautiful winter paradise instead.
The Blue Train, Africa
Luxurious fine dining and unique African scenery come together on The Blue Train. Running through South Africa, this train is all about five-star luxury. The private cars are perfect for guests who like the finer things in life, and the dinner service, complete with fine local wines, is second to none. You can, of course, expect to pay more for a journey on The Blue Train, but overall, the experience is well worth the money.
Canada and the Canadian Rockies
VIA Rail of Canada likes to boast of “The Most Spectacular Train Trip in the World,†and they might be right. If you choose the full cross-continent journey across the world’s second largest country, you will experience a wide range of terrains from forests and farmland, rolling prairies and lake sides, to the majestic Canadian Rockies. On some trips you sleep on the train, while others you ride the train by day and stop for land tours and then stay overnight in a luxury hotel. The full-blown Coast to Coast vacation is 16 nights and 17 days – but well worth it if you have the time. Canada offers a rich variety of natural wonders and hospitality as well.
South America and the Andes
PeruRail is one of the highest railroad lines in the entire world, and these routes take travelers to a variety of destinations, including Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, and the historic city of Cuzco. The spectacular views from your railcar alone are worth the trip, and if you love culture, this is a great way to explore the ancient world of the Incas.
Almost all countries in the world, including India, Canada, Spain, Mexico, and, of course, the United States, offer railway tours. While some, like the Tran-Siberian and others listed above, can take up your entire one to two week vacation, others are great for simple day trips, or even just afternoon trips. For example, the scenic Stroudsburg Railroad on the east coast of the United States takes you into Pennsylvania farm country over just a short afternoon ride. Opportunities like this are available around the world. So, even if you do not want to spend your entire time on a train, you can add a railcar journey as part of your vacation.
When booking a trip by rail, keep in mind that not all trains offer private options. If you plan to make this the bulk of your journey, make sure that the railcar you are booking will allow for you to have a bit of privacy with your travel companions. Some trains only offer traditional seating, which can be uncomfortable and cramped on longer trips. Also, make sure you check on the accommodations for sleeping and eating. Although many lines offer eating and sleeping facilities, for some, this is about function not comfort. If you want a luxury vacation, make sure you do your research and choose a true five-star option.
The world is changing. With our fast-paced daily lives, most people are looking for the quickest way to get from point A to point B. Sometimes, though, the actual travel is the best part of the vacation. Do not overlook rail travel when planning your next vacation. If you are not sure which rail journey is right for you, work with a travel agent. Although we typically think of a travel agent as someone who plans cruises and resort vacations, they can also help you book a private railcar journey. These train trips can help you make memories that last a lifetime.
Categories: Travel
Tags: Agatha Christie, Bram Stoker, Bucarest Romania, Budapest Hungary, Greece World, Murder On The Orient Express, Sightseeing Vacation, Trans Europe, Venice Simplon Orient, Venice Simplon Orient Express
