Guide to Finding Family Friendly Hotels in Phuket Thailand

While Thailand can be a lot of fun for the whole family, just like any holiday destination throughout the world, if you are traveling with children or teenagers, it would be prudent to look into accommodation options that have families in mind, and provide facilities and services to ensure that both parents and kids enjoy their stay.

Below are some things to consider in a family friendly hotel in Phuket.

Kid's Clubs

Just about every hotel and resort on Thailand claims to have a Kid`s Club, sometimes this can just mean a colorfully painted room with a couple of children's DVDs. It`s a good idea to do a bit of investigating to see not only what kind of facilities and activities are available, but which of the activities are included for free and which ones charge extra. Some hotels offer a more extensive and varied schedule, such as the Laguna Beach Resort's rotating two week schedule (ideal for longer stays), while others restrict themselves to repeating similar activities each day.

Things like Playstation or XBox consoles, DVDs, and arts and crafts are pretty much standard in most Kid's Clubs, but families looking for a little more variety might enjoy any of the resorts in the Laguna complex of resorts that offers exciting activities at the Quest Laguna Phuket Adventure facilities.

Finding a hotel or resort that offers something for both young children and older kids is a smart move, especially if you have teenagers. With filtered internet connected computers and more age appropriate activities and games, the JW Marriott Resort & Spa and the Holiday Inn Phuket Resort is great for teenagers visiting with families.

Kids and the whole family will surely be enthralled by baby elephants, which can be found at some hotels including the above mentioned Laguna Beach Resort. Baby elephant rides are available several times a day for children staying at this resort, as well as the chance to enjoy supervised water fun with these amazing creatures.

Family friendly rooms.

While hotel  rooms in Thailand are generally quite large compared to similarly priced accommodation in other countries, interconnecting rooms for families can still make a hotel stay more enjoyable for the whole family.

Such rooms are not that difficult to find, however some hotels go further with specially designed rooms that really make your stay more comfortable.  The Holiday Inn Phuket Resort offers kid`s suites, their "room within a room", providing children with their own private space with fun facilities like bunk beds, their own TV and video games.  Or, you can opt for a family suite with rooms that connect to special rooms designed with kids in mind.

These rooms come equipped with a beanbag, toy box, video games, video and TV. Rooms such as these have a way of significantly reducing the stress on both parents and their children. Parents can relax in their own section, while taking comfort in knowing that their children are safe in the next room out of harms way, and can play how they like in their room.

Child minding services

It would be a shame to go all the way to the tropical paradise that is Thailand and not be able to take some time for yourself to relax by the pool, or have a romantic dinner without having to take care of your children for at least one night. It would be great if you were  able to do so knowing that your children are being safely watched by someone that is trustworthy. For the most part, Kid's Clubs at hotels and resorts usually accept children from 4 years old and above. For children younger than that, you may consider having a babysitter take care of your child for a short time while you have dinner of take a dip. While a lot of hotels and resorts offer babysitting, both in the Kid's Clubs during the day and in your room in the evenings, Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa goes one further and actually offers overnight "sleepover" services, a closely supervised overnight child minding service for children of all ages.

The author writes about Thai hotels at ReserveThaiHotels.com.

To find out more about these and other Phuket resorts that cater to families, check out our list of family friendly hotels in Phuket

Las Vegas Resort Fees Explained

Sneaky, misleading, downright dishonest. You'll see these and other terms used when others describe their feelings about finding out they owed their las vegas hotel room an additional, nightly resort fee.

A resort fee is an extra charge that hotels add to a bill at check-in. The hotel chain's reasoning and justification behind the extra charges? Added services. The majority of the time these 'services' include free local calls and a bottle of water in a hotel room, which to be honest, are services included in Red Roof Inns around America.

Resort fees are not payed at the time of booking. For example let's say a room is booked on Expedia or Priceline. The resort fee is merely mentioned towards the end of the booking screen but is not added to the bill. If the hotel is $40 a night, then all the booking vacationer will pay at that time is $40 (plus taxes). When they show up to the hotel they will find another $7 added for each night of their stay. While this may seem insignificant at first glance, an added $7 a night fee over the course of a week can add up. These fees can also wreck havoc on budget travellers.

These extra hidden charges outrage most vacationers and rightfully so. The take home should be always know whether or not a hotel charges an additional fee and if so, to factor in the resort fee to the rooms overall cost when budgeting for a vacation.

And you can find a complete list of these fees at Las Vegas Resort Fees. And if you need to find a cheap room you can visit Las Vegas Promo Codes for online discount coupon codes.

Hong Kong Luxury Hotels - Finding the Right One!

Hong Kong is filled with many sights, attractions, restaurants, entertainment and luxurious hotels. To find the right hotel here, you can choose which area you want to stay in, whether it be a large, glamorous city, or more relaxing scenic areas.

The northern part of island is where the city's financial, shopping, and commercial districts are located. There are many luxurious first-class hotels here, like the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Langham Place Hotel Mongkok, and many others. This is where all the popular shopping areas are located, with high-class areas like Causeway Bay, Central, and Hollywood Road. Some of most vibrant night life areas are also located here. Perhaps one of the most famous attractions is Victoria Peak, a hill which gives you a spectacular view of the city. Other attractions include museums, food, and the Star Ferry.

Kowloon is also a city area, just separated from the main island by the South China Sea. Kowloon, also has a mix of modern malls and skyscrapers, with a hint of cultural life with street vendors and markets. The very well-known Nathan Road is packed with the city's skyscrapers, shopping centres, hotels and lights. Kowloon has some great first-class hotels as well, like the InterContinental Hong Kong, Langham Hotel Hong Kong, and many more. The city gives you some spectacular views of Hong Kong Island's skyline, and is perhaps the best area to watch the dazzling Symphony of Lights, which is a daily light and laser show.

The New Territories is not as upscale as Hong Kong Island or Kowloon, but has a very scenic countryside, villages and farms, towns and industrial developments. Staying around this area would be for travellers who love beautiful scenery, and want a quieter holiday away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are a few luxury hotels spread around The New Territories, such as Hyatt Regency Sha Tin Hong Kong, L'hotel Nina et Convention Centre, and others. Travellers can go hiking in the Sai Kung area, or simply take in some relaxing sights.

For quiet areas with more options of activities and sights, there are The Outlying Islands, which are the islands all around the territory. The most popular one is Lantau Island, which is a great getaway from the hectic city life. Lantau Island has some very luxurious hotels like the SkyCity Marriott Hotel. The islands offer you some beautiful beaches, monasteries, traditional fishing villages, and a scenic open countryside. From Lantau you can take a cable car ride to the Ngong Ping village and large Buddha statue, or take a ferry to the other islands.

How To Find The Right Hotel?

First you have to decide what you want to see, do and where you want to go. Then look at what Hong Kong luxury hotels [http://www.hongkongluxuryhotels.org] are available in the area you have decided.

If you want to know what hotels are available in the area, go to [http://www.hongkongluxuryhotels.org].

Marriott Hotels: Varied History And An Overview Of Properties

Marriott International was established in 1993 when the Marriot Corporation split into two different companies, with the other company being named Host Marriott Corporation. In 1995 Marriott International purchased a 49 percent interest in the Ritz Carlton Corporation. Then in 1998 they purchased an additional 50 percent, which gave Marriot International 99 percent ownership.

In 2002 Marriott International started a huge reorganization by creating Senior Living Services Communities. It then began focusing more on hotel management and ownership as these changes were completed in 2003.

At one time Marriott also owned Ramada International Hotels and Resorts. This branch of Marriott was sold to Cendant on September 15, 2004. In a bold move in 2006 Marriott announced that all their hotels in Canada and the United States were now non-smoking buildings scheduled to be enforced in September 2006. The hotel chain says that the new no smoking policy includes all places within the hotel, rooms, lounges, restaurants and employee lounges.

The histories of the various branches of Marriott International is a varied and colorful past filled with mergers and acquisitions too many to detail here.
Marriott is dedicated to service. It is said that the "spirit to serve" was the founding principle since day one, and is still strong today. The goal is to anticipate your needs and make you as comfortable as possible while you are traveling.

They are dedicated to the business travel as well as the vacation traveler. Many of their properties are beautiful resorts. Naturally, all rooms are equipped with high-speed internet and modern phones with voice mail and data ports. Each room has a work space with a light weight desk that rolls so you can move it to where ever you wish to work.
All the lamps bases have electrical outlets for easy use and they all have a no glare feature so computer monitors can be easily read. In the lobbies they have a professional business center with all of the services, fax, print, make copies or ship packages. The rooms are similarly well equipped with hair dryers, personal care products, irons and ironing boards so you will always look your best.

The rooms are spacious so you can spread out. All the bedding is premium, down comforters, high end cotton linens and marvelous fluffy pillows. Of course, the TV is remote controlled and there are in-room movies, or HBO and ESPN. There is a complimentary fitness kit you can use ion your room or use the pool, spa and gym.

The dining is gourmet and varied. They have and new breakfast program called re:Start and an a nighttime program called re:Plenish (both programs are trademarked). There is in-room coffee that you can drink while reading your complimentary USA today. The Concierge and Executive levels have complimentary breakfasts and afternoon snacks and are equipped with an honor bar.

If you are hosting a business conference or a wedding Marriott's have meeting rooms and ballrooms for your use. They have employed "meeting service" professionals to help you plan all the details of your event.
To make reservations, locate a Marriott hotel or find out about amenities and services of specific hotels, visit the official Marriott website. You can also find out more about the hotel's history as well as plans for future development. Take a look at their 'corporate information' page for investment information.

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Travel. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.CruiseGold.com You can read more of her articles at http://www.ArticleBazaar.net

Concierge Services Are the New Trend in Luxury Hotels

Growing demand for concierge services in luxury hotels

Saving time is surely the greatest luxury in our hectic world, even more so when you are on holiday or a business trip. If you are staying at a deluxe hotel, there is one excellent way to do this - employ the services of the ever-helpful hotel concierge. Hospitality.net has identified the growth of unique, tailor-made trips and the concierge as one of the strongest trends last year in luxury travel, and if you have ever utilised their services you will understand why.

Yet it is not only luxury hotels which offer concierge services - as the trend grows so do independent businesses, designed to cater and look after their clients every whim.

So what exactly does a luxury hotel concierge do?

A concierge can offer the traveller or business person the gift of time, allowing them to sit back and relax. If you are checking in to a lavish, 5-star hotels the concierge will personally introduce him or herself and let you know they are available to you. So what exactly can they offer?

If you have just arrived at your destination, you can consult the hotel concierge to advise you on the best restaurants and shopping in town - and they can also go a step further, reserving you a special table or a private tour of the nearby retail outlets. If you have your heart set on attending an event such as the opera or ballet and it appears sold out, a luxury hotel concierge will often have contacts and may be able to pull some strings in order to procure you a ticket.

In addition to organising the fun elements of a holiday, a concierge will be on hand to assist during an unplanned event - such as an emergency trip to the dentist or doctor - saving you valuable time spent contacting medical institutions in a strange city.

In the most decadent and luxurious hotels, they will take the concierge service even further, offering 'tanning butlers' whose sole job is to wander amongst the hotels illustrious guests, offering an array of sun creams and lotions.

An expanded offering

Increasingly, concierge services are not the sole province of luxury hotels - many businesses are now offering a concierge service to their employers leading to an increase in workers productivity. Most of us work Monday to Friday with little time to attend to personal matters, which is where the corporate concierge can step in, running errands for the frazzled nine to five employee.

Concierge services are most well know as part of the offering of a luxury hotel but it's clear there is also a growing demand in our everyday, busy lives for such a service.

Harvey McEwan writes to make travel a happier place. You'll often find him here: http://classicbritishhotels.com

5 Star Los Angeles Hotels

Los Angeles is situated in the southern part of California. It is a city that has a large metropolitan area and is located along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Santa Monica and Verdugo are two famous mountain ranges that cut across this city, which makes it an extremely scenic place and attracts loads of tourists every year. Since tourism is one of the large industries in Los Angeles, there are a number of hotels in the city, classified into various star categories on the basis of their amenities, service standards and pricing. Most 5 star hotels in Los Angeles have panoramic views, as they are located in the two mountain ranges. Some 5 star hotels are also located amongst the luxurious villas of Beverly Hills.

There are many well-known 5 star hotels in Los Angeles namely St. Regis Hotel & Spa Los Angeles, Shutters on the Beach, The Four Seasons Hotel, Los Angeles and many others. The 5 star hotels in Los Angeles typically portray grace, style and timeless elegance. They provide tourists and business visitors to the city with a sophisticated atmosphere and help them feel completely relaxed and stress free. They offer luxurious rooms with fabulous décor and spectacular views. Some five star hotels in Los Angeles such as St. Regis Hotel & Spa Los Angeles have rooms offering a splendid view from the downtown skyline to the Santa Monica coastline, from the estates of Bel Air to the Hollywood hills.

Shutters On The Beach is a luxury 5 star hotel that is located right on the sandy beaches of Los Angeles. This beach hotel offers 186 gracious rooms and 12 suites in colorful architectural designs that resemble the art deco during the 1920?s and 30?s. The wide range of services and amenities offered by 5 star Los Angeles hotels include bars, beauty salons, handicap facilities, whirlpools and outdoor heated pools, valet parking, restaurants, shopping and much more.

5 star Los Angeles hotels provide the right blend of luxury and landscape. They have beautiful surroundings where guests can unwind from stress and socialize at bars and restaurants.

Los Angeles Hotels provides detailed information on Best Los Angeles Hotels, Cheap Los Angeles Hotels, Discount Los Angeles Hotels, Downtown Los Angeles Hotels and more. Los Angeles Hotels is affiliated with Old Montreal Hotels [http://www.e-MontrealHotels.com].

Bangkok's Best Cheap Hotels

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. This had been the center for political, social and economic for Thailand, Indochina and the most of Southeast Asia for over 200 years. This is the status of global city because it has great influence on the places mentioned earlier. Bangkok is both attractive for business and pleasure. In fact, it has become the world's top tourist destination especially in Asia.

Based on population, Bangkok is the 22nd world's largest city. This is due to the unregistered migrants that are flocking the city. Bangkok is the border of six other provinces and five of these provinces have been put up in the conurbation of Bangkok Metropolitan Area.

Since Bangkok has been a top tourist destination, they have hotels that offer great packages according to your budget. Many people thought that the hotels in Bangkok are expensive but better think again. The hotels in Bangkok have cheap rates but definitely offer standard services.

Below are some of the cheap hotels that you can avail in Bangkok.

Hotel De 'Moc
This is a prime hotel located in the heart of Bangkok, near Khaosan Road Bangkok (world's famous area in Bangkok). This is a perfect place to have a vacation for all who loved sightseeing. Their major sightseeing attractions are Rattanakosin Island, Golden Mount and Grand Palace.

This hotel offers excellent traditional standard services. They welcome their guests with Thai hospitability despite of its modern traditional style. They have two types of rooms: the standard room and the superior room.

Royal Asia Lodge Hotel Bangkok
Among all the hotels in Bangkok, this hotel has the best value, located at the middle of all actions. It has more things to offer you. You may want a place of amusement or you wanted a place to stay; it is all in here. You can relax under the sun or visit the historical places nearby. They offer the most historic facts that will tickle your interest.

When you are just looking for nightlife entertainment, there are numerous of them here. There are many different restaurants you can try, those serving genuine Thai delicacies, and other more familiar restaurants that your taste buds are used to.

Bangkok is also famous for its many pubs and bars, dance clubs, go-go bars and transvestite venues. And these places are all easy to locate nearby the hotel.

Still, there many more things that this hotel offers. Their rooms are uniquely decorated. They have cutaway ceilings and the indirect lightning that you need. Their moldings and furniture provide a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. They also offer remote switches of lightning.

Majestic Suites
This place offers a true art of hospitality. They have an atrium lobby which provides subtle elegance and warm ambience. They have comfort amenities that will cater to all your needs. It has a coffee shop where you can refresh yourself and try the exotic drinks and cool cuisines that they offer. They also have a business center that assists to all your needs including domestic flights.

They have four rooms: single studio, single superior, double superior and double deluxe.

Viengtai Hotel
This is located where the most important historical places are near. Its location is just a block away from Khaosan Road Bangkok. They offer fascinating products like hand painted bracelets and one of a kind t-shirts. The nearby getaways are: The Royal Grand Palace, The Emerald Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Kaew), The Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Po), The Golden Mountain and The National Museum.

There are many more cheap hotels that Bangkok can offer. These hotels may have cheap rates but they have great services and complete amenities and facilities. Enjoy these hotels and enjoy the nice historic places that you can see near them.

For more information on Bangkok Cheap Hotel Rates and Cheap Hotels in Paris please visit our website.

Experience Bangkok, Land of the New and the Old

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and an exotic city in all aspect, according to all leading travel experts. Vacationers can observe a diverse mixture of the old world monuments and structures, whilst enjoying the state of the art infrastructure of this city. It is the third most travelled place in the world, coming third after Paris & London, say the experts. Several prominent travel agencies offer Bangkok cheap flights so that tourists can bask in the exquisite locales of the city. Owing to the affordable airfare being offered by leading tour & travel firms like Holiday Mood, numerous vacationers throng the city and have a gala time.

The tourists bound to Bangkok can avail numerous discounts, offers and packaged deals that can make their trip to the city even more affordable. After getting off their cheap flights to Bangkok, holidayers love to visit the following sites:

• Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall
• Baan Krua
• Benjasiri Park
• Chuvit Garden
• Democracy Monument
• Dusit Palace Park
• Erawan Shrine
• Hang Sura Lao Ngi Chun
• King Prajadhipok Museum
• Lingam Shrine
• October 14 Memorial
• Phahurat
• Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute (Snake Farm)
• Rama IX Royal Park
• Ratchaprasong Intersection Shrines
• Royal Thai Elephant Museum
• Sao Ching-Cha
• Siam Ocean World
• Talat Noi
• Thanon Maharat
• Thewet Flower Market
• Victory Monument
• Wat Arun
• Wat Mahathat
• Wat Pho
• Wat Ratchabophit
• Wat Suthat

These tourist attractions are highly appreciated by the travelers, who do not miss visiting any one of them during their stay in Bangkok. The city and its people have been able to retain its traditions and keeps them integrated in their life. This adds to the appeal of the city in the eyes of the holidayers, as soon as they deboard their cheap London flight, and reflects the rich heritage of the country has.

Travelers can also enjoy shopping at the local markets and as well as malls & major retail outlets. The city provides various options to them in terms of merchandise, since exquisite items like gems are sold in indigenous marketplaces like Little India and Chinatown located in the city. The vacationers also throng the branded stores since the goods are available at cheaper rates in the city than anywhere in the U.K., so they splurge after saving up on the cheap flights to Bangkok.

The food of Thailand is a must have according to all the experts at each & every travel agency. The Thai cuisine is delightful for vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians, who relish the flavors of the exotic & spicy dishes available in the various eateries this city possesses. Holidayers can enjoy the food in the most sophisticated restaurants & hotels or at the roadside stalls that offers hygienic food items and provides the true atmosphere of street dining.

As soon as the vacationers deboard the cheapest flights to the Bangkok, they are greeted by world class infrastructure that boasts of several skyscrapers. At night, the skyline of the city is a sight to behold and captivates the eyes of the viewers. The nightlife of the city is also very happening, with innumerable nightclubs, bars and pubs located in the affluent parts. Variegated modes of traveling are available in the city, ranging from Metro rails to tuk-tuks and from taxis to the Skytrain. These variegated modes of commuting make traveling easy for tourists who get off the flights from London, even though road traffic at peak hours can be stressing.

Sophia is a travel agent based in UK. Also involve in arranging tours and travels from the last five years at present she is working in a travel agency known as holidaymood. Holidaymood offers Flights to Bangkok, Bangkok cheap flights, cheap London Flights, also offer worldwide tour packages from UK to various destinations.

A Collection of Weird Massage Stories

Whenever I travel somewhere in Asia I always try out a local massage for better or for worse. Sometimes it was definitely for the worse, and here are some of my more bizarre experiences.

Bangkok massage trauma:

I went to the tourist district on Kao San Road in Bangkok and went to a typical Thai massage shop. Many floor mats were lined up in a big room with many sessions going on simultaneously. I ended up with a male therapist. The first thing he did was turn on a fan that blew cold air on me in a room that was already air conditioned to arctic temperatures. When I told him that the fan made me cold, he insisted that he needed it since he felt hot.

A few minutes after he started my massage he got up and started to prepare a pot of tea. When he was done he came back to me and continued the massage without any explanation. A few minutes later another client was done with his session. Apparently my therapist was the main cashier since he got up and collected the money from him. Again he returned without offering any explanation and kept working on me.

At this point I felt like getting up and walking out. But I decided to stay just to see how far this could go. And incredibly enough the fellow kept stopping my massage every time someone needed to pay for their session. His main job was cashier and he also did massages as an afterthought it seemed. I felt like I was a piece of meat being pushed around mindlessly, I was freezing, and I even had to pay for the abuse.

Luang Prabang, Laos - What Kind of Oil is that?

I went to a massage shop in Luang Prabang to get an oil massage. There was nothing wrong with the session, but when I took a shower afterward to wash the oil off my body, I realized that the oil did not come off. After three rounds of soap and water, I decided they must have used petroleum mixed with super glue, because I still felt greasy and sticky. Soap and water had no chance against this incredible massage oil. It managed to prolong my experience way past the one hour session that I paid for.

Burma 'Hole-in-the-Wall' Massage

I was traveling in Burma and one evening I was excited when I saw a sign for a massage shop. I signed up for a session and was directed to a wall with a curtain. When they pulled the curtain aside, I saw a cut-out in the wall. It was a rectangular hole in the wall with the dimensions of a coffin, just higher. A super thin mat rested on regularly spaced pieces of wood. The effect was that the mat was sagging in all the spaces between the wooden slats and the slats dug themselves into my back.

A little old man showed up and I was wondering how he could give me a massage in a space that was just big enough to accommodate my own body. Somehow he managed to climb over me and squeeze himself in a squatting position between my legs. He pulled the curtain shut and did some pressing and squeezing on some parts of my body that he could reach from his contorted position. I would have gotten up and walked out, but I wanted to experience it just for the weirdness of it. After the session my body felt worse than before, but I had another memorable travel experience.

Vietnamese Massage with Happy End Offer

I was in Hanoi and wanted to experience a Vietnamese massage. Since I had heard dubious reports about massage shops in Vietnam, I went to the tourist office and stated that I was looking for a real massage without any sexy content in a classy establishment. They gave me the name and address of a spa. When I arrived there, it looked very clean and professional: nice reception, private massage room with individual saunas, uniformed therapists, and the massage was actually quite good.

Towards the end of the session, the girl put her hands on my private parts and asked if I wanted massage there. I declined and got up to get dressed. Before I left, she put her hand on my arm and asked what I was going to do now. To her disappointment I told her that I would go home - alone. She must have seen her big tip vanish and I hurried to get out of there.

Later I asked a Vietnamese friend of mine if there was such a thing as purely professional therapeutic massage. He told me that there was not much of a market for such incomplete work, since most Vietnamese men prefer the "happy end".

Bali - Younger Therapists

I was walking on the street in the city of Kuta and was accosted by a girl who wanted me to sign up for a massage. As a massage therapist myself, I am always interested in massage, so I followed her. She led me to a dingy and unclean room that would have been the last place where I ever wanted to receive a massage. So I turned on my heels and walked out. She chased me down and pleaded with me: "Mister, wait, we will give you a younger and prettier girl!"

I guess she did not know that my personal rule for female massage therapists in Asia is that the older and less attractive ones are generally the more experienced and more professional ones. If she would have said: "Mister, wait, we give you an old and ugly one and we will put clean sheets on the table", she might have had a chance, but she blew it with her offer.

Chiang Mai Belly Attack

I went to get a massage at a shop that is known for therapeutic work. An older woman who seemed quite experienced got to work on me. Everything was fine until she got to my belly area. There she started to press really hard with thumbs and elbows which was registered by my tummy as very painful.

So in a natural effort of self-preservation I kept my stomach muscles tense enough so that she could not do any serious damage. When she was done with the massage, she told me in a concerned voice that I had real issues in my belly area since I was so tense in there. She advised me to go see a doctor and come back to her for regular belly treatments.

Luckily most Thai massage therapists don't touch the belly. Otherwise I might end up needing a surgical belly replacement.

I have to say that later I received excellent massages in very professional settings in Bali, just to set the record straight. In Thailand I have received countless wonderful massages, and I have not totally given up on Vietnamese massage either. I will try again on my next trip, but then I will go with my girlfriend, just to be on the safe side.

Shama Kern practices and teaches Thai massage and other Asian therapies. He lives in Thailand and shares his knowledge of the culture, natural beauty and healing arts of his adopted home country through writing, photography, and video. He also conducts specialty tours of Thailand. Blog: http://www.shamakern.com Website: http://thaihealingmassage.com