The Tropical Spa catalogs Asia's most luxurious spas and suggests a wide range of stress-busting therapies. Perfect for those who want to look and feel good, The Tropical Spa focuses on spiritual well-being and natural cures rather than chemicals or synthetics. Many of the traditional spa techniques described here were handed down from generation to generation. They are all designed to soothe, nurture and calm the body and mind. Within these pages, you╞ll find: Revitalizing facials Relaxings baths and scrubs Healthy tonics and meals Tropical pharmacopoeia Massage techniques and oils A spa directory These practical tips and specific treatments allow readers to recreate the Asian spa experience at home. Complete with full-color photography, The Tropical Spa is your first step to truly unwinding.

The Tropical Spa catalogs Asia's most luxurious spas with full-color photography and a wide range of stress-busting therapies. The emphasis is on spiritual well-being and natural curatives rather than on modern chemicals and synthetic preparations. Traditional beauty treatments for revitalizing facials; relaxing baths and scrubs; refreshing, healthy tonics and meals; massage oils; blends and techniques; and much more are offered here in an easy-to-follow manner. Many of the spa techniques were handed down from generation to generation. They are all designed to soothe, nurture and calm the body and mind. Practical tips and specific treatments are given to allow the reader to recreate the Asian spa experience at home. Many of the spa techniques were handed down from generation to generation. They are all designed to soothe, nurture and calm the body and mind. Also included are sections on bay treatments, Asia's top spas, and tropical pharmacopoeia.

Recent years have shown an increase in interest in the study of cleanliness from a historical and sociological perspective. Many of such studies on bathing and washing, on keeping the body and the streets clean, and on filth and the combat of dirt, focus on Europe. In Cleanliness and Culture attention shifts to the tropics, to Indonesia, in colonial times as well as in the present. Subjects range from the use of soap and the washing of clothes as a pretext to claim superiority of race and class to how references to being clean played a role in a campaign against European homosexuals in the Netherlands Indies at the end of the 1930s. Other topics are eerie skin diseases and the sanitary measures to eliminate them, and how misconceptions about lack of hygiene as the cause of illness hampered the finding of a cure. Attention is also drawn to differences in attitude towards performing personal body functions outdoors and retreating to the privacy of the bathroom, to traditional bathing ritual and to the modern tropical Spa culture as a manifestation of a New Asian lifestyle. With contributions by Bart Barendregt, Marieke Bloembergen, Kees van Dijk, Mary Somers Heidhues, David Henley, George Quinn, and Jean Gelman Taylor.

Green lifestyles and ethical consumption have become increasingly popular strategies in moving towards environmentally-friendly societies and combating global poverty. Where previously environmentalists saw excess consumption as central to the problem, green consumerism now places consumption at the heart of the solution. However, ethical and sustainable consumption are also important forms of central to the creation and maintenance of class distinction. Green Consumption scrutinizes the emergent phenomenon of what this book terms eco-chic: a combination of lifestyle politics, environmentalism, spirituality, beauty and health. Eco-chic connects ethical, sustainable and elite consumption. It is increasingly part of the identity kit of certain sections of society, who seek to combine taste and style with care for personal wellness and the environment. This book deals with eco-chic as a set of activities, an ideological framework and a popular marketing strategy, offering a critical examination of its manifestations in both the global North and South. The diverse case studies presented in this book range from Basque sheep cheese production and Ghanaian Afro-chic hairstyles to Asian tropical spa culture and Dutch fair-trade jewellery initiatives. The authors assess the ways in which eco-chic, with its apparent paradox of consumption and idealism, can make a genuine contribution to solving some of the most pressing problems of our time.

Asia is now at the forefront of the international spa movement with the creation of many of the world's finest luxury spas--most of which base their treatments on traditional Asian therapies and formulas. Drawing on the expertise of many of Asia's best therapists, doctors, and wellness experts from around the region, ultimate spa offers a comprehensive look at the finest spas in Asia and the unparalleled range of therapies they now offer. This spa pictorial not only describes Asia's best-known destination and day spas in detail, it delves deeply into the ancient wellness traditions of Ayurveda, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), and other health and beauty secrets which are largely responsible for the phenomenal success of Asian spas today. The emphasis is on spiritual well-being and natural holistic curatives. All spas and photographs, many with extensive how-to sequences and detailed recipes and instructions. This book is a must-have for spa goers and spa professionals everywhere.

• Spa services and the development of the spa business from its historical beginnings to the size of the market today. • Business development and planning, spa operations and business models. • Spa products and technologies, retailing and the application of branding and marketing strategies. • Infrastructure, design and environmental issues including sustainability and social and environmental benchmarking. • Human resources issues from education and training to professional and regulatory issues and professional and corporate ethics and values.

The fastest guide to Kuala Lumpur. A guide to the essentials of Kuala Lumpur that helps you hit the ground running on your trip. A practical e-book of things to do and see in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.