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More than just a spa, It’s a Sanctuary!

by discount designer bedding on January 12, 2010

It is after Songkran and the summer heat has yet to completely dissipate. Bangkok, which gets abandoned once a year at this time, is starting to fill up again as cars from resorts and buses from villages all head back into town.

We, on the other hand, are heading out, looking for a short break beyond Bangkok. The long weekend holiday had been filled with merry-making, food, and too much partying – and what we really need is a relaxing de-tox to kick off the Thai New Year. We found the perfect escape in nearby Chachoengsao, an area of low basin rich in rice fields, fish farms and fruit orchards just an hour’s drive from eastern Bangkok.

The Rainbow Arokaya Holistic Longevity Centre is a health paradise that offers an alternative experience for spa clients who want to relax and learn to live a healthier life. With our recent holiday excesses, we couldn’t think of a better place to re-boot.

Powerful River, Powerful Land, Positive Feeling

Rainbow Arokaya sits on the banks of the Bang Pakong River and is set on 14-rai of lush land. The first time our small group of city-dwellers laid foot on the property, we immediately felt calmer and less tense. We could see blooming plants, fluttering butterflies, and hear birds chirping. It is a completely different world from the bustling city we left just a few hours ago. Our host, Thanawat Sittitampichai, the Managing Director of Rainbow Arokaya, showed us around the verdant resort, and told us that the property used to be a meditation centre by one of the provinces most revered monks. He also explained that the name “Arokaya” refers to a state of happiness without diseases.

Rainbow Arokaya The resort is sprawling, filled with blooming plants and greenery. The air is filled with fluttering butterflies and chirping birds, and the gentle lapping sounds of the river. We were excited to see more of the sprawling health farm, and couldn’t wait to explore the gardens, the aquatherapy pool, and the floating spa pavilion.

Khun Thanawat led us through the winding stone path dotted with rustic wood benches and stone Thai carvings, to the reception pavilion so we could be checked in. There we were welcomed by the Resident Manager, who explained that Rainbow Arokaya has 33 rooms including 7 Thai style villas secluded among the gardens and spread out through the resort. With the sheer scale of the property, this means that guests can enjoy relative privacy even at full capacity.

As the programme for the next few days was explained to us, we realised that every aspect of our stay at the resort is designed to promote healing. From the bed we sleep on, to the meals we enjoy, to the treatments we receive, everything leads to a deeper dimension of detoxification.

Re-energising, Rehabilitation, Re-balance

From the lobby, we were guided to the diagnosis centre next door, which is warm and inviting like any spa reception. Unlike a common spa however, we weren’t offered a menu of treatments to choose from. Instead, we had a consultation with a trained therapist who asked us about out health history. After discussing the various health issues we have, a full range of holistic therapies were devised for our stay.

Before we could begin with the treatments, we first needed to get settled into our rooms, and get ready for a couple days of detoxification and pampering. The resort’s golf cart brought us through winding path to the door of our contemporary Thai style room. Stepping in, natural light flooded in from the panoramic glass window that occupies the whole wall that overlooks the river. The hardwood floor and the customised furniture gave the room a warm glow. A flat screen TV was on a console at the foot of the large bed framed by a canopy of sheer fabric. We could not wait to sleep on the special far-infrared (FIR) & minus ion detoxifying mattress, blanket and pillows. There was time to relax and unwind before we headed back to the pavilion to begin our programme.

Rainbow ArokayaAt the spa area, we were given comfortable robes and garments appropriate for the treatment. Of the 50 or so member of staff for the entire resort, half are highly-trained therapists, and ours explained that the far-Infrared is part of the spectrum of light and the heat helps relieve pain, boost the immune and cardiovascular systems, burn calories, and detoxify the body. It can improve nervous disorders, digestive problems, weight loss, diabetes, and help to normalise blood pressure. With the treatments we were receiving, toxins are brought to the skin surface in perspiration, and washed away, leaving our body cooler, lighter, and refreshed.

Some of us began with hydrotherapy with mineral baths, some went for the popular Far-infrared Dome Sauna, and others had a chance to try the unique Volcanic Detoxifying Chi Sand Spa. The sand bath is a truly unique way to de-toxify. At the beginning of the treatment, you will be asked to take two glasses of mineral water to make sure your body is well-hydrated. Next is a cleansing shower, before a team of therapists measure your weight and body fat. Then you will be led to an oversized sand bath, where you are enveloped by beads of heated minerals that help your body flush out toxins. The therapists massage you with the beads, and keep you cool with cold towels. Throughout the treatment, someone keeps watch over you for any sign of discomfort. In our experience, one treatment resulted in 1 to 2% decrease in measured body fat!

Rainbow ArokayaWe all felt revitalised from our afternoon of treatments, and it was meal time. The floating dining room is surrounded by glass-panelled windows affording a panoramic view of the waterway. Occasionally motorised boats pass by; otherwise the scene is serene and almost meditative.

The programme here includes three-course meals of organic produce and fresh fish caught from the river. As can be expected, no alcohol is served or available at the resort.

Mealtime is perhaps the only time to socialise with guests and the atmosphere is very convivial. A lot of the patrons of Rainbow Arokaya are returning guests. That is not surprising since a number of them have experienced physical relief and improved lifestyles from the holistic approach taught at the resort.

We met a Swiss guest who has travelled from Europe to Thailand to seek relief for his chronic condition through Rainbow Arokaya’s health programme. He is one of the many guests who have benefited from the healing philosophy espoused by the resorts owner, Khun Vichada.

Holistic Health

Rainbow ArokayaKhun Vichada in fact practices what she preaches. She looks 20 years younger than her age, she is high spirited and her passion for a healthier lifestyle is infectious. Looking at her now, it is difficult to believe that in her previous career as a jeweller, she was high-strung and suffered chronic pains for 17 years that led to a bout of paralysis. While she pursued traditional medical treatment for her condition, she also began to earnestly explore alternative healing principles. Khun Vichada studied and practiced meditation, learnt about the healing benefits of nano-technology, and finally found relief. She firmly believes that the healing she experienced is due to a change in lifestyle and Khun Vichada wanted to share her newfound philosophy with others who needed healing. She launched a joint venture with a Japanese firm to manufacture in Thailand the special mattress pad, blankets and pillows using mineral stone fibre that promotes deep detoxification. Khun Vichada felt this was not enough and they went on to found the Rainbow Arokaya holistic health centre. The rest, as she say is history.

The next day, we woke up to the beautiful river view, totally refreshed by uninterrupted sleep. The healing energy bedding lived up to its reputation, and with a therapist giving us tips on sleeping posture, we had the best sleep we have ever had.

Breakfast was served by the river again, and afterwards we spent an hour or so relaxing, some went to the pool, others tried the stone meditation path, and others still found their own private bench or seat or gazebo amongst the garden.

After another day of treatment, it was time to leave the resort. With our holiday excess gone from our system, we headed back to Bangkok, refreshed and rejuvenated, and with a new perspective on living healthy. Rainbow Arokaya is truly a new way to escape city life when it’s time for a change.

MARIEL EDUARTE is a Business and Editorial Advisor at MEDIHCARE.com. She is an organisational communications specialist and has written for several publications in Asia.

To learn more about Thailand travel and health tourism please visit http://www.MEDIHCARE.com or email contact@medihcare.com.

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Create A Garden And Patio Design To Enjoy Year-Round

by discount designer bedding on January 11, 2010

Retreat to a garden and patio design that’s beautiful year-round, and takes minimum fuss. What makes this possible? Carefree plants with continuous blooms, and a well-planned garden structure.

You don’t need to be a lawn and garden expert or landscape designer to do this. Here are a few tips for creating a super yet simple garden and patio design that will be a knockout!

The first step is to take a birds-eye view of your garden and patio area. Make a rough sketch of your space, and play around with a few designs until you like what you see. As you’re doing this, get some great ideas from existing garden and patio decorations. Pay a visit to other people’s gardens, or public gardens. Look through home landscaping and gardening magazines, find what you like, and develop plans of your own.

Decide what style or theme is right for you… formal, casual, rustic, Southwestern, Japanese… there are enormous possibilities. Then stay with that style and theme so the overall effect does not become confusing. For instance, you wouldn’t want to combine bronze garden sculptures of saints or cherubs with rustic wooden wagon wheels.

Imagine what your patio area will most often be used for. You may plan to entertain lots of outdoor dinner guests. If so, be sure your patio space has plenty of room for the largest number of people right from the beginning. Your patio may be more of a private, reflective retreat for enjoying the sun, reading a book, or gazing up at the stars. Determine the use of shade, open sun, or even covering it with a roof.

Now take your favorite ideas and put them into your rough plans – and soon you’ll have a design that is ready for action.

The next step is to create your garden and patio design to scale – you can use landscaping software for this, or do it by hand. Choose the flowers you intend to plant, noting how many you will need for each month of your growing season, and select the landscaping structures that will give your design its form.

Some say the secret to a beautiful garden and patio design is having a good amount of hard structure. This is what landscape designers refer to as “good bones” – walls, fences, garden bridges, gates, garden arbors, landscape statues, garden fountains … even a strong line of evergreen plants.

Garden structures such as these create forms and lines, giving your garden and patio design definition and dimension. Plus, in the winter when most plants are empty and bare, your garden will preserve its shape and sense of completeness. It’s amazing how just one or two structures can produce this satisfying effect.

Most garden and landscaping structures are built to withstand the elements. Treated pine, cedar and teak garden furniture, trellises, arbors, and decorative fencing are great choices. Stone, copper, and bronze garden statuary will never let you down. Garden fountains bring incredible beauty and atmosphere to any garden and patio design – in fact, entire gardens have been built around them.

Next, choose annual spring flowers and perennial plants that will give you blooms from one season to the next. For instance, select carefree roses that need no pruning or spraying, and bloom continuously from spring through fall. Fill planters with beautiful blooming flowers such as Oriental lilies or verbena for different colors all summer long. Establish flower beds in corners or along walk ways. Always consider your local climate and plant according to the sun and shade needs of your plants.

As you plan your garden and patio design, create paths or walk ways that lead from one area to the next. Rambling garden paths are relaxing and charming… and if laid out thoughtfully, will be a big help to you as the gardener. Paths can be of stone, brick, flagstone, gravel, or mown turf, although grass paths require more upkeep. Garden sculptures or sitting benches thoughtfully placed along the way provide wonderful expression.

If you want garden and patio designs that are pre-drawn, there are ready-made plans available in books and magazines. This is another fine way to get off to a solid start. Use pre-made garden plans from start to finish, or incorporate parts of them right into you own creative plans.

Robert Mosse is a gardening and lawn care specialist and author of the “Easy” Lawn and Gardening Book Series. Visit Robert at Lawn And Gardening Tips for great gardening info… and get the free Guide for 101 Gardening Tips.

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Plants, Plants All Around But Which Is Best for Me: Landscaping Plants Galore

by discount designer bedding on January 11, 2010

One of the major aspects of landscaping is, of course, the type of flora that you place around your soon to be magnificent yard. A variety of choices exist for just about every taste and every possible desire and every location around the world in terms what kind of landscaping plants that you want to put in your yard. The question simply stands as to what works for you, what you want out of your landscaping plants, and what you want your yard to represent in the end.

What Kinds Of Landscaping Plants Are There?

There are tons of different kinds of landscaping plants out there and what you chose has a great deal to do with kind of landscaping that you want to do. If you want a more traditional flower bed, then there are the ever-popular roses, as well as Tulips, mums, daisies, lilly of the valley, among a multitude of other various colored flowers. This is more of a classic looking landscaping plant, and most likely goes with those homes that have a more rustic, old aged look to them. It reflects well in the plants themselves.

Next, we have the very popular variety of shrubs for our landscaping plants. A shrub is a woody plant that is shorter than a tree that has permanent stems coming out of the trunk close to the ground. A variety of conifers are often used as a tasteful shrubby accent to a home, but typically to those homes farther north as the charms of the conifer become even more apparent in the winter with the snows that pile so endearingly on the needs of the trees.

Other shrubs, which are more perennials, tend not to look nearly as pretty in the winter time in those climates that have drastic season changes because, in the winter, they hibernate and tend to look pretty dead and not very appealing to the eye. So the south tends to have better luck with the perennial shrubs while the north does better with the conifers.

Another thing to consider is the impression that you want to give your landscaping project from the plants. For example, in a southern plantation setting, a weeping willow tree can drastically add to the overall quality of any landscaping plant that you there, while in the north, a maple in the front yard gives the whole experience a farmhouse rustic feeling.

For more information on landscaping plants visit http://www.LandscaperBasics.com/ or http://LandscapingBasics.blogspot.com/

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Wood Siding

by discount designer bedding on January 11, 2010

I would like to thank you for visiting and reading this article. The topic has been cautiously researched and documented for your benefit. As a great many of us are mindful the outside walls of our homes need some case of protection. This shelter is normally in the form of cladding or siding. As we are choosing the character of shelter that we desire, we will see the benefits and the disadvantages that are found in these products. Wood siding is in many ways a good product to use for the outside of our homes.

In wood siding you will find dissimilar types of siding being exploited for homes. Some homes will use log siding. Other homes will use Cedar wood siding and sometimes you will find homes that are Using a faux wood siding. These another(a) types of wood siding are all good to bring together to our homes but they should be fixed properly.

In most cases this attachment process can be done by professional person siding experts. These individuals will have many old age of experience in the dissimilar forms of wood siding. Cedar wood siding can use Western Red Cedar as well. The Cedar wood siding has unlike types of attachment processes. Each of these techniques will make up a dissimilar look to the outside of the house.

As an example you can use lap siding. This siding will produce a rustic look of a log cabin to your home. The tongue and groove technique that is exploited with wood siding can be fixed horizontally, vertically and even diagonally. Depending on the way that you have associated these wood siding pieces the walls of your home will look unlike and unique.

While these types of wood siding can be considered as being attractive some of us want our homes to look like log cabins. While the lap siding in Cedar wood siding can give your home a rustic look the real look of a log cabin can be achieved with full uncut logs or log siding.

These types of wood sidings are a cheaper alternate for homeowners who choose to have their home covered in logs without the high monetary value that full logs are known to have. The other added gain of log wood siding is that you only need nails and a hammer to attach this wood siding to your house frame.

When you use log siding to cover your home on top of other siding material you will get an added bed of insulation for your home. Since wood is known to be a natural insulator of heat and energy Using wood siding like that of log siding will significantly lower your heat costs.

To find the diverse advantages that wood siding has you can see what the sales representatives will tell you about their wood siding products. From this data you can decide on the types of wood siding that will give your home the attractive look that you have always desired.

Thanks for reading and good luck putting this information to good use.

Michael Malega presents several wood siding articles for your information. You can visit Michael’s web site at: http://www.wood-cedar-stone-siding.com/Wood-Siding.php

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Enjoy The Beautiful Outdoors In California

by discount designer bedding on January 11, 2010

California is an excellent visitors destination since it extends along the majority of the Pacific coastline of the United States. There are a number of national parks and outdoor activities to keep travelers occupied with in California. There is the Sequoia National Parks, the High Sierras, the beauty of Lake Tahoe and the big cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles among others. In southern California there is no shortage of wonderful beach options if you prefer to spend your vacation relaxing on the beach.

The fifth largest city in California is Long Beach and it is one of the busiest seaports in the entire world. With many attractions to decide from, Long Beach has become a premier seaside resort for travelers. For those who like to shop on their vacations there is the Queen’s Market Place which is designed to look like an open English Village. For the animal lovers there is the Aquarium of the Pacific which has over ten thousand different animals to view. In mid April sports fans can enjoy the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

In central California there is Napa which offers an excellent choice of accommodations, restaurants and shops for travelers of all types. Many travelers choose to come to the Napa Valley region of California to enjoy the scenic views it has to offer. There is plenty of outdoor activities in Napa including biking trails and a wide selection of parks.

Perhaps the most popular of all California cities is San Francisco. There are numerous attractions to choose from here and it is a destination known throughout the world. Some of the more popular attractions include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and Fisherman’s Wharf. For the move buff there is the San Francisco International Film Festival in April that features over two hundred top films from around the world.

If you are traveling to Lake Tahoe then an excellent accommodation option is the River Ranch Lodge. It is a beautiful rustic mountain lodge with a large outdoor deck that overlooks the river. It is also one of the cheaper accommodation options in the Lake Tahoe area.

If Yosemite is more of your outdoor experience then you should try the Evergreen Lodge. This is located right at the entrance to the Yosemite National Park and offers a variety of rustic cabins and access to many outdoor activity choices. The Evergreen Lodge is an excellent choice for those who want the ultimate outdoor experience and easy access to it.

For a true bed and breakfast experience there is St. Orres in Gualala. This is a Russian style hotel that offers excellent secluded accommodations that have river, meadow and forest options. On California’s North Coast this is an excellent option to choose.

Greg Chadwick owns and operates the California Hotel Finder website. Please visit our website to find great deals on California Hotels.

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Decorate your Home With Country Pine Furniture, Fine Art and Original Paintings Available Online

January 11, 2010

Are you thinking of redecorating your house and changing your furniture, and you are looking for something new, and unique? Are you a collector of fine art or of original paintings? All these can now be found and ordered online, and have them delivered to your doorstep in just a matter of days.

Finding high quality [...]

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