Those fitness spa vacations are now turning out to be one of the most sought for travel deals among tourists. The amenities of those fitness resorts alone are so inviting. Technology has advanced in a significant level around the world, which has contributed to the now fast-paced lifestyle that everyone tries hard to cope with. Because of that, exercising to be healthy and fit is being neglected.

Many people are now looking for various fitness travel that they can escape to. The main objective is to separate themselves from the busy urban environment that they have to deal with everyday to de-stress and detoxify. fitness resorts are among the greatest things we can ask for in our generation. It is interesting to find out where these fitness resorts that give us amazing fitness travel experiences came from.

All throughout history, many people travel to either hot or cold springs in the hope of finding cure for some medical concerns. This practice even dates back to earlier times. This fact is validated by the archaeological finds in the form of weapons and offerings from the Bronze Age near the hot springs in France and Czechoslovakia. However, according to legends, the discovery of hot springs located at Bath, England was credited to the early Celtic Kings.

People of different cultures believed in the natural powers of water since the earlier times. There are those who find means to go to different parts of the world to bathe in springs, wells or rivers known to help sick people. There are even rituals performed by the native Americans, Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and many more for physical and spiritual purification. The regard that ancient people have in water and its miraculous wonders was so high that even building construction near bodies of water were either prohibited or limited. In any case that a construction is done, it was only temporary. The high regard for water is even carried out to this day as evident in the many religious ceremonies performed with water.

There are many different stories on the origin of the word “spa”. Some say it is an acronym for old Latin phrases. Others claim the word came from a Walloon word. There are those who say that the word “spa” came from a town in Belgium with the same name and was developed later on to be perceived as the word we know in this century.

In a commercial context, many health spas claim that the word originated in the old Latin language. They say that spa is an acronym for the phrases “Salus Per Aquam” or “Sanitas Per Aquam”. When both phrases are translated to the English language, they say “health through water”. There is, however, no existing validation that this theory is true. There has been no evidence found both by the founders and linguists that the acronym was passed on throughout the centuries to connote the spas that we know right now.

Walloon is the second language spoken in Wallonia, Belguim. There have been so many illnesses all throughout history that were caused by the deficiency in iron. In the Middle Ages, people with iron deficiency-related medical problems were treated by being given a drink of spring water that contains iron. In 1326, however, Collin le Loup, an ironmaster, claimed a cure for the medical problems caused by the lack of iron when the chalybeate spring was called Espa, which is a Walloon word for “fountain”.

Centuries later, the English people revived the old Roman idea on medicinal bathing in some towns such as Bath. In the 1570’s, William Slingsby who once visited the town of Spa in Belgium, found a chalybeate spring that he called Spaw. He later built a wall around the spring to enclose it, making it the first resort in England for drinking medical waters. In the 1590’s, Dr. Timothy Bright named that resort The English Spaw, which was the start of the use of the word “spa” as a generic description to such establishments rather than the name of the Belgian town. In the following years, spa is used to refer to bathing resorts that the ancient rich visited for cleansing.

Whatever the origin of the name, we are very thankful for the original idea that brought us the fitness resorts that we know today. Evolution really is inevitable, and because of that we now have fitness vacations that we can escape to in order to relax and rejuvenate.

Malaysia Luxury Living.

Malaysia is a country in South-East Asia that is full of contrasts. It is a land where tradition and luxury go hand-in-hand. On one hand, there are hundreds of acres of virgin rainforests with trees reaching up to the skies and wooden longhouses in which the natives live. On the other hand, Malaysia has many modern metropolitan cities with skyscrapers, luxury hotels, freeways, state-of-the-art facilities and countless vehicles that fill its landscape. In fact, Malaysia has more kilometers of highway than the entire circumference of the earth.

Malaysia is a relatively young nation, having attained its independence from the British on August 31st, 1957. The country was then known as Malaya. About six years later, on September 16th, 1963, the country of Malaya and the newly independent states of Sarawak, North Borneo (now known as Sabah) and Singapore united to form a new federation of states known as Malaysia. Two years later, due to a disagreement in policies of governing the nation, a law was passed for the cessation of Singapore from the federation.

Initially, Malaysia was largely covered with primary and secondary jungle, a tropical paradise but with little in terms of infrastructure and development. Only a few small towns dotted its terrain. The only people who owned cars were members of royalty and the elite in society. At that time. Within a short space of time after independence, Malaysia became the world's number one producer of natural rubber, tin and palm oil.

Today, a lot has changed in Malaysia. Through astute management of the economy, Malaysia is now home to luxury condominiums, houses, hotels, cars, vehicles and amenities. International hotel chains all make their home in Malaysia. Household names in the hotel industry such as the Shangri-la, Hyatt, Hilton, Sheraton, Ritz, J.W. Marriott hotels and many more are found in Malaysian cities. The penthouse suite in one of these five-star luxury hotels would cost above $3,000 per night in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital. This is perhaps not the $10,000 per night rooms that Hollywood stars indulge in, but they are very classy nonetheless.

Malaysia also manufactures its own made-in-Malaysia car called the Proton and Perodua. Its automotive industry is further boosted by the existence of its own Formula 1 Race Track at Sepang, in the state of Selangor. In fact, Selangor is Malaysia's most well-developed state with the highest per capita income. And the wealthiest part of Selangor it its capital, the city of Petaling Jaya ('Jaya' means 'success' in the Malay language). The city of Petaling Jaya was built initially as a satellite town to Kuala Lumpur, situated 7 miles away from the capital and linked by the Federal Highway, Malaysia's first highway. Today, Petaling Jaya has grown into a city in its own right, with many luxury hotels, condominiums, mega shopping malls, exciting recreational facilities and plenty of good food.

To wine and dine in luxury is also common in Malaysia. All five-star hotels offer fine wines and food in their F & B outlets. In addition, there are famous restaurants all over Kuala Lumpur city such as the Crystal Jade Restaurant for exquisite Chinese food, the Vansh for authentic Indian food and the Sri Angkasa Restaurant for Malay food. Obviously each of these offers other types of food also. In addition, you will find great food at Mythai Jim Thompson and Sao Nam restaurants (Thai), Wa-Raku restaurant (Japanese), Prego (Italian), Sentidos Tapas and Frangipani.

Malaysia has come a long way from its old rubber estate and tin mining days. Today, it is a bustling nation full of luxury facilities that is comparable with any other modern country in the world.

More about luxury living in Malaysia here.

Don't forget that vacation packing checklist tips is the knowledge second to none when going for a travel.

Malaysia Vacations for Everyone

I am a Malaysian and I invite you to make Malaysia your destination of choice for your next vacation. If you want to relax by the beach, trek the jungle, shoot the rapids, climb mountains, parasail, windsurf, scuba dive, snorkel or do any other such things, think Malaysia. If you like to enjoy the buzz of the city, shop at classy malls, find bargains, be entertained, have fun with your kids or experience any other such things, think Malaysia. If you wish to vacation where East meets West, think Malaysia. Malaysia has it all. Skycrapers such as the Petronas Twin Towers, state-of-the-art facilities, world class accommodation, international and local entertainment, global and regional brands are all found in Malaysia. At the same time, lush rainforests among the oldest in the world, exotic plants and intriguing animals, majestic mountain ranges and iridescent and pristine seas that hug miles of unspoiled beaches all find their home in Malaysia.

Is it expensive? Not at all! A vacation in Malaysia is very affordable compared to many other countries in the same region. $1 is approximately RM3.30 and one can vacation in Malaysia for literally a few dollars a day. Backpacker lodges and motels are aplenty all offering the thrifty traveler very reasonable accommodation at affordable prices. Other countries in the region may be cheaper but offer so much less in terms of places of interest, things to do, entertainment spots and recreational facilities.

If you are seeking a quality vacation with a difference, I will share with you what is in store for you in Malaysia.

If you are the adventurous type, try climbing to the peak of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, East Malaysia. At 4096 m (about 13, 350 ft) high, it stands head and shoulders above all other peaks in the Crocker Range. It is the highest mountain in South-East Asia. But the unique thing is that its summit is just below the snow-belt and that means anyone even without specialist training or equipment can climb to its peak as long as you are fit enough.

Did you know that the very first series of 'Survivor' was shot entirely at Pulau Tiga, a tiny island part of Sabah? Then there are the Mulu Caves in Sarawak, the largest cave chamber in the world. Walking into its interior is an experience like no other. In Malaysia, you can find the largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia. Catch a glimpse of the Proboscis monkey, the species of monkey with the largest and most prominent nose of all or scuba dive into some of nature's most beautiful coral-laden waters swarming with colorful sea creatures you have never seen in Redang, Perhentian or Sipadan Islands. Try eating the durian, a thorny fruit with a distinct taste and smell. The durian is called the King of Fruits by the locals.

If you are the city-loving type, enjoy the sights and sounds of metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital city. Mega shopping malls that sell international brands of goods and services, street bazaars that promote local products and souvenirs and roadside vendors that sell trinkets are all found here. Be entertained at Malaysia's world-class entertainment spots such as Genting the City of Entertainment. Genting Highlands also houses Malaysia's premier casino where you can try your hand at all sorts of games of chance.

For the culturally inclined, you can catch fascinating cultural dances, traditional occupations such as basket weaving, kite flying, top spinning competitions, batik (a local style of cloth and design) printing, traditional music and plenty more. Buy locally made handicraft of all kinds as a remembrance of your visit. Muzium Negara is the national museum of Malaysia.

If you want to learn about the history of Malaysia, there is no better place to visit than Malacca. The state of Malacca is where the earliest settlers to Malaysia first arrived. In Malacca you can still see remnants of previous colonial powers that ruled Malaysia centuries ago. The remains of the famous fort A Formosa built by the Portugese in the 16th Century still stands, as do the Stadhuys, unique brick-red buildings built by the Dutch about a hundred years later.

All these wonderful experiences await you in Malaysia. Whatever you would like to experience or enjoy, come to Malaysia and discover it for yourself.

For the useful packing checklist for vacation - read here.

Around a year ago, I went on a skiing vacation to France and had a great time by all accounts. The best part was that I went with all my friends, all of which had varied abilities, but were all eager to give it a go. Some of my friends compete in competitions and the like, whilst others have only been on the slopes a few times in their life. The fact is that we were all really looking forward to it, and we were all sure to enjoy ourselves whilst we were away. Unfortunately, we dont spend much time together, as we all go to different colleges, whilst others are trying to make it through the rat race.

Skiing Vacation To Europe
When we decided to book the holiday I was delighted to hear that everybody was able to make it, and that everyone had promised to save up enough money to really enjoy themselves while we were away. The cost of booking the holiday worked out at around $300 for accommodation for the week as we were going to be staying at a backpackers location, and it was only going to cost $150 for return flights. We really felt like we had struck a bargain, and we were even more delighted when we heard that the cost of living would be really cheap when we got there. We had decided to save up $1000 each, which meant that we would have more than enough spending money for when we arrived.

I have to say, I never quite expected Europe to be such an excellent skiing destination for people like us with mixed abilities. Sure, there are the Alps, but I thought these were only the playground of the expert skiers. How wrong I was! There are simply loads of different places in Europe you can go, regardless of your skiing ability, and youre almost guaranteed to have a great time. Also, the facilities right on the resorts are out of this world. It really is a great place to go skiing.

Skiing Vacation
We arrived in France, and we were firstly shocked at how laid-back it all seemed. It was some surrealist painting, except in motion, with strange, stereotypically French characters passing by. Regardless of this initial culture shock, we soon got our skis on and experienced the awesome slopes for ourselves. Trust me - France is a great place to go skiing with your friends, and a great place to go on a vacation if youre looking to have a good time. More on Skiing Vacation Resources.