Medical tourism is fast becoming a preferred choice among individuals living in big countries like Canada, United Kingdom and the United States because of lower cost and added convenience and luxury. There are now various treatments available and people can expect to get the highest quality care available anywhere in the world. Some countries, however, are known to be experts in some types of treatment. Here are the different procedures.

About ACLS

ACLS stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery or Repair. The procedure aims to reconnect a torn ACL ligament. There are 4 total ligaments that stabilize the knee, and ACL is one of these. Among the four, the ACL is the most commonly damaged. Some individuals choose to have ACLS abroad if they suddenly feel unstableness in their knee while playing sports, after a rehabilitation program or if the problem has long been existent.

The procedure generally takes around 1 to 2 hours. ACLS does not require patients to stay in the hospital. As a medical tourist, you can choose to get back to your hotel right after the procedure and continue to recuperate there. After a few days, you may take tours that do not require a lot of walking or heavy lifting. Patients can go back to their home country 1 to 2 days after the procedure.

About Hip Replacement

Total hip replacement or THR is one of the most common surgeries that patients look for abroad. The procedure involves rebuilding a damaged or deteriorated hip joint for it to return to optimal and functional condition. During the process, an artificial prosthesis can substitute for the damaged joint. A hip replacement is sought after by medical tourists who experience stiffness in their hips, thereby limiting leg movement, have problems with bending and are taking medications that lead to side effects or are not that effective. Patients can expect the surgery to last 1 to 3 hours.

When traveling abroad, you will be advised to take about 1 to 2 weeks off, since you will be staying inside the hospital for 4 to 10 days. Doctors will recommend patients to recuperate for 4 to 7 days before going back to their home country.

About Spinal Infusion

Some medical tourists go to destinations like Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia to undergo spinal infusion. The procedure involves linking two vertebrae to get rid of the friction and extra motion in between. The lumbar spinal fusion can treat various conditions, such as scoliosis, slipped disk, degenerated disk, herniated disk and other injuries. The procedure is done when other types of treatment are not working.

Patients may also undergo the surgery abroad, aside from having other types of spinal surgery. Other techniques may be incorporated based on the condition of the patient and the extent of the damage. Patients can expect the surgery to last 3 to 4 hours. When traveling abroad, you should book for a minimum of 1 week, since you will be hospitalized for 3 to 4 days after the operation. Patients can return to their home country after 5 to 7 days.

Read  more Tips on Medical Tourism, visit: www. medicaltourism.getmytips.com
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Medical tourism can cover a variety of practices and procedures. As much as you need to review the benefits and advantages, it is equally vital to learn about the possible risks and other issues about the trip. Some patients have suffered life-threatening conditions because of errors and lack of research. You have to know more about the potential risks before you consider going abroad for treatment. Here are some more tips and guidelines.

Knowing the Risks

Medical tourism also includes a number of risks, compared to getting health care from local sources. A number of countries experience sporadic infectious diseases once in a while. These include Thailand, Malaysia, India and the Philippines. The diseases may not be present in other nations like the United States and European countries. Weakened individuals may be exposed to the problems, like malaria, HIV, avian flu, tuberculosis and typhoid. Some of these diseases are considered rare in first world countries.

The quality of care pre and post-operative can also differ, based on the country and medical institution. Some of the standards may be different from what you were accustomed to in America. Trent and JCI can ensure that you get the best standards of care in these countries. If you travel long distances after undergoing surgery, you can also boost the risk of developing other problems and complications. Some of the causes of complications include being cramped and staying immobile for a long period of time inside an airplane. It is vital that you include several days off after surgery before going back to your country to get better and recover faster.

Legalities

Some complaints that you can easily pass on in your country may not be as easy to deal with when traveling abroad. The policies and rules may change drastically thereby limiting patients’ abilities to get satisfactory results after any given procedure. If you get medical treatment overseas, you may be unfamiliar to some legalities and regulations. The limited regulations in some countries can explain the lower cost of health care. Some individuals have been victims of medical malpractice and inadequate care stemming from lack of equipment and tools, inexperienced doctors and incompetent programs. Some institutions and medical experts may not even afford some of the financial damages that come from lawsuits.

About Ethics

One problem that medical tourism may cause is that locals no longer can receive quality and standard care because hospitals and doctors are focusing more on foreign patients who can pay more and afford drastic procedures. Although foreigners may no longer have problems when it comes to paying and waiting, the locals will have to deal with the increased cost of care that local institutions are offering globally.

Pioneering modern technologies can also mean that some devices and medications are not yet fully proven to provide all the beneficial effects. It is not uncommon to see some foreign patients come back and experience very bad side effects after a few months, because of unconventional therapy and practices. Always research all the equipment you are going to use and the procedure you are planning to go through.

Read  more Tips on Medical Tourism, visit: www. medicaltourism.getmytips.com
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Medical tourism is now more popular than ever, with over 50 countries named as a hot destination and thousands of tourists flocking new places to visit and get treated. The concept is actually not a new one, since people from the ancient times used to move out of their place of origin to visit well-known healers and places in other countries. Today, you can get the advantages of getting the best medical help, plus a vacation to boot.

About the Concept

The first documented occasion of medical tourism was thousands of years ago when Greek pilgrims moved all throughout the Mediterranean towards Epidauria, a minor territory in the Saronic Gulf. The place was considered as the home of Asklepios, the god of healing. Epidauria was visited by thousands of people each year, for cases like fever, bone problems, heart ailments, skin disease and many more. It was the first travel destination of medical tourism.

Over the years, sanitariums and spa towns were also built and became the early types of medical tourism. Patients visited the spa towns during the 1700s to get mineral water that is believed to boost health and treat problems like bronchitis, gout and liver conditions.

Becoming Popular

Several factors triggered the vast popularity of medical tourism. Primarily the increasing cost of health care had people asking if there were other places where they can receive the same kind of treatment without the huge expense. The next was the very long waiting periods and several requirements before they can be treated or even diagnosed. Modern medical tourism destinations provide patients only a fraction of the cost they expect to pay at their local hospital.

They can also enjoy other state-of-the-art and quality accommodations, and get their dream vacation at the same time. Some destinations are known for treating patients like royalty, so everything will be taken care of. You will be provided with a complete schedule of activities, so you do not waste your time waiting in line or running everywhere to get the needed documents for the procedure.

More Reasons

Medical tourism continued to spread as the cost of international travel became much cheaper. The technology and care standards in several countries, especially in Asia have improved significantly in the past decade, making the institutions highly competitive against the best in the United States. Medical tourists usually come from the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, because individuals from these places usually have more money to spend when visiting third world countries.

Medical tourism is expected to grow ten times more from 2007 to 2017. In the United States alone, over 750,000 people traveled abroad to get treated in 2007. Experts calculated 1.5 million Americans traveling in 2008 to get treatment abroad. The United Kingdom currently advertises more about medical tourism compared to the United States. Canadians preferred the very fast medical waiting period in other destinations. Some procedures are even more convenient when done outside the United States or Europe.

Read  more Tips on Medical Tourism, visit: www. medicaltourism.getmytips.com
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About the Country

Belgium is situated in the west of Europe. The land here mostly comprises of flat coastal plains in the northeast, and southeast is occupied by the Ardennes Forest. Dutch, Flemish, French and German are the official languages of Belgium, with Dutch being the widely spoken followed by French. The weather here is pretty predictable. Months from April to September are the warmest. Otherwise the weather is pretty humid and skies are gray, that explains why umbrellas and raincoats are a part of the dressing. So, if the visit is planned for holidays during the rainy season, one must not forget to carry sufficient cover for maximum protection, as this is a coastal region. In case of emergency call 100 or 112.

Culture

Belgians are English-friendly and will make every attempt to speak in English with a foreigner. Always remember to carry a small gift or at least flowers especially when invited over dinner. The dress to wear will be mentioned in the invitation, when invited for a party. Smoking in public is acceptable.

Shopping

Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges, Ostend, Namur, Mons, Liège, Ghent and Mechelen are the main shopping centers. Belgium is famous for ceramics and hand-beaten copperware from Dinant, laces from Bruges, crystals from Val Saint Lambert, woodcarvings from Spa and Belgium’s finest chocolates. In jewelry, diamonds from Antwerp are on high demand.

Eating Out

The specialty of most of the restaurants is horse and rabbit meat dishes. Although visitors can find a wide range of ethnic foods, but the most famous are frites and mayonnaise and mitraillette; mitraillette is a large bun filled with fries, donair meat and garlic sauce, the vegetarians can ask for a veg. substitute for the donair meat. While eating at a restaurant, tipping is considered customary along with the value-added tax. At the cinemas, leave a €0.50 tip for the attendant and €0.25 after using the public toilets.

Electricity

Voltage is 230 V and frequency is 50 Hz.

Travel

Delta Air Transport has inaugurated its new European airline SN Brussels Airlines recently. It flies to more than 58 destinations in Europe and as well as worldwide. The Brussels Zayentem airport is twelve km from the city and it takes 35 minutes to reach the city from the airport. The airport has facilities like duty free shops, car parking, taxi booking, car hiring, banks, post office, restaurants, and medical help. Internet and fax services are provided for the passengers. The Airport City Express train transports passengers to three main railway stations – Brussels North, Central and South. One can avail a bus which runs regularly from the airport, taxis can also be hired which wait outside the arrival hall. Tipping the taxi drivers is considered customary. Train runs every 15 minutes.

Another airport, Brussels South Charleroi, is 5 km away from Charleroi and 46 km from Brussels. Ryan air serves as the local airline here and has cheap deals for several European destinations to and from Charleroi. The facilities provided here are bus and train services, café, car hire, and duty free shops.

Ostend airport is 5 km away from the city and car parking, car hire, duty free shops, and restaurants are provided here.

Antwerp airport is just 2 km away from the city. Buses run to the Brussels Central Station every few minutes.

Liege is situated at a distance of 5 km away from the city. Buses run at regular interval here.

The departure tax at Brussels Zayentem is €20.93, Brussels South Charleroi is €3.49, Ostend and Antwerp is €10, and at Liege is €7.

There is a network of high-speed trains, which are operated by Thalys, from Belgium to France, connecting Brussels with other destinations like Bordeaux, Chambéry, Cannes, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, Valence Perpignan, and Rennes. Booking should be made in advance for these trains. The national railway operates through out the day providing service every few minutes to destinations such as Andorra, Austria, France, Czech, Germany, Italy, Poland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the UK and the Netherlands. Insiders can avail the Inter-Rail pass which allows visitors to travel almost 29 European Countries. This service is valid for residents who have been settled there for more than 6 months.

Duty Free Items

Visitors can carry alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, coffee and tea without getting customs duty levied on them, but only the goods should be limited. Check out for the limits before carrying such goods. Food items that are not preserved are better avoided.

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About the Country

Located in central Europe, Austria celebrates world’s best music festivals like the Salzburg Festival, Haydn Festival in Vienna, and the International Chamber Music Festival. Vienna is the capital of Austria as well as the musical capital of Europe. Music and art are in full flare here after centuries of hardship and innovation. That explains Vienna being the birthplace of Mozart. Horse dances are also part of these festivals. Since it snows in winter, the snow covered Alps is a must be visited place during the winter. Austria experiences a moderate summer. Rains can be expected year round. Incase of emergency call 120 or 123.

Site seeing

The romantic castles simply leave you astounded. The Schloss Durnstein provides a magnificent view besides the River Danube. A 10% tip should be paid to the taxi drivers, which is customary here.

Culture

German, Hungarian, Slovene, and Croatian are the languages spoken by the locals. To greet the locals, a handshake will do. When meeting someone for the first time, its better to refer them by their last name, but once better known they can be addressed by the first name. When out in the public, say Guten Tag or Gruss Gott to greet people and while leaving say Auf Wiedersehen. Carry along flowers when going over to someone’s house. The locals here have a passion for horse riding. The world’s best art of horsemanship can be found here which is as old as 400 years and to watch the horses perform at these schools; tickets must be booked in advance. Although service charge is levied on restaurant bills, an extra 5% should be paid as tip.

Getting there

Three national airlines operate in Austria, Austrian Arrows, Austrian Airlines and Lausda Air, which work in collaboration with the Austrian Airlines Group. The Vienna airport is 18 km away from the city. Airport buses transport passengers to the South Train and West Train Station. Railway, chauffeur-driven car and taxi service is also provided at the airport. Duty free shops, post office, bank, eateries, left luggage, tourism information, conference hall, nursery, car hiring and car parking facilities are provided to the passengers at the airport.
Salzburg airport is 4 km away from the city and buses, trains, taxis and hotel coach shuttle passengers to and from the airport. Facilities such as duty free shops, post office, currency exchange, left luggage, conference hall, restaurants and car hire exist at the airport. Check out the other airports such as Klagenfurt airport, Graz airport and Linz airport for more details. All the airports charge a fixed rate for porter service.  

International tourists can get to Austria by Austrian Federal railways, if planning to travel by train. It has a large network which connects the major cities within Austria and also outside Austria. Travelers can find connections to/from Germany, Russia, Greece, Romania, Turkey Brussels, Paris and Italy. International rail passes or Eurail pass can be bought to travel around Austria as they provide unlimited travel and other offers too.

A good network of roads here provides an interesting journey. Take Eurotunnel when crossing the Channel Tunnel while traveling by car. Bookings should be made in advance. The cars can be hired at the airports and railway stations and if driving own car carry documentations like UK driving license or national driving license and car registration papers. Toll booths are installed on the motorways and ‘S’ roads, so if change is carried in advance it will ensure no delays in the journey. Registration documents should be carried along all the time while driving. The lights should be turned on while driving, in the city or outside, all the time. There are strict laws for seat belts and drinking while driving. If using the motorbike, high visibility jacket and helmet must be worn, it’s a compulsion for both the passenger and the driver. Many federal, private companies and local authorities provide bus service. Coaches are provided for moving around within the cities.

Wurm and Kock provide cruise passenger service. Along with the cruise trip, packages include stay at a hotel. Check out, before hand, for offer. There are many Ferry service providers too.

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco or a proportional mix of these products
2. 1l of spirits over 22 per cent or 2l of fortified wine or spirits up to 22 per cent or 2l of sparkling wine or liqueur and 2l of still wine
3. 500g of coffee or 200g of extracts, essences or concentrates of coffee, and 100g of tea or 40g of tea extracts
4. medicinal products sufficient for the journey
5. 50g of perfume or eau de toilette
6. All the above mentioned goods should be carried by a person over 17 years of age.

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Albania is a mountainous country and the one of the smallest countries of Europe. The residents supposedly descended from ancient Illyrians.

Culture

The culture of Albania is majorly influenced by that of the mainland Greeks especially in the urban locality; nodding one’s head means ‘no’ where as shaking the head means ‘yes’. To greet someone, handshaking is preferred, though Shoku (Comrade) was used before, which has been long forgotten now. People dress informally here. Swim suits are meant for the beaches, otherwise women are expected not to dress in a revealing outfit. When addressing someone prefix Zoti(Mr) or Zonja(Mrs) before the name and always remember to carry some gifts when visiting someone, although flowers aren’t much acceptable. The guests are served with coffee, raki or sweets. Smokers don’t have to worry much, but they should avoid it where they see a sign of Ndalohet Duhani or Ndalohet pirja e duhanit.

Travelling within the country

Buses with relatively cheap fares operate in the main cities of the country or taxis are another choice which provided service for some main hotels.
Visit Dajti Mountain and experience Dajti Ekspres Cable car for an unforgettable 15 minute ride passing through Dajt Oark to reach Tirana. The route is about 4.2 km long and the ride costs €6.5.Alpha Yachting provides crewed yacht which is a luxury in itself. Tirana Bank is the best place for withdrawing money as it allows access to Visa cards.

Eating Out

Restaurants are not always sufficiently heated, so always wear warm clothes if out in the night during winters. Foreigners are charged more than the locals. Both the entry fees as well as any merchandise will be on a higher scale, so it’s better not to reveal the fact that you are a foreigner when out on the streets.

Site Seeing

If you enjoy canoeing, this is the right place to be. There are places right outside Tirana which is an amazing site for not just canoeing, but also rock climbing, hiking, and camping.

Accommodation

If you want a 5-Star ambience, try The Sheraton Tirana Hotel and Towers, which is situated in the middle of a shopping and entertainment center. There are about 151 rooms and 56 suites. So, along with the comfort, one can shop at once convenience here. Another hotel which provides all modern facilities is Hotel Mondial. It is located 1000 m away from the city and is also a good example of traditional architecture.

Getting There

One of the best and the easiest means is to go by air. Albanian Airlines is the national airline which works in collaboration with Tyrolean Airways, and provides service to almost all the big European cities. The airport, Mother Teresa, is 16 miles or 26 km away from the capital. A tourist bus is available every 3 hrs to get to the city center and takes about 30 minutes to get there. Taxis are available round the clock. While waiting for any transport service, tourists can check out the duty free shops, bank, eateries and car hire at the airport. A departure tax of $10 USD is imposed on all foreign nationals. Check out www.flyalbanian .com for flight times and offers.

If trying to get there by sea, try the ferry services which are provided by Adriatic Line and Agoudimos. The main ports are Durres (has ferry connection to Italy, Bari, Brindisi, Trieste, and Ancona), Vlora (has ferry connection to Bari, and Brindisi), Saranda (has connection to Corfu), Shen Gjini (has ferry connection to Bari). Check out www.adriatica.it and www.aqoudimos-lines.com for more information.

Bus is another option. Buses start from Istanbul, Athens and Sofia. Internal passengers have lots of options with bus services provided. If traveling by road in a private car, there is road network to the Kosovo region, but they are too dangerous to use because of the political tensions within the region. Crossings at Hani I Hotit, Bllata, Oafa e Thaes, Tushemisht, Gorica, Kapshtica, and kakavija can be taken. If tired one can take halts at hotels or other designated areas. There is a network of 18,000 km, out of which only 7450 km are main roads, for local travelers. About 2138km stretch of these roads is in poor condition and has pot holes, and utmost safety precautions should be taken when driving on such roads. Speed limit should be strictly followed on highways as well as within towns. Driving at night should be better avoided because of the absence of street lights on the road except for urban areas. Traffic should drive on the right-hand. There is a shortage of gas stations in the countryside, so filling the gas tank completely when passing through urban area is recommended and since there is lack of national recovery system; travelers should be prepared for an emergency or breakdown before hand. One should carry necessary documents like International Driving Permit and national driving license.

Duty Free Items

Following are the items that can be carried without customs duty being levied on them:
1. 1liter of spirits or 2liter of wine
2. 250ml of eau de toilette
3. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
4. 50ml of perfume.

Prohibited Items

Things that are prohibited to carry are firearms, narcotics and ammunitions. Special export permission should be taken for precious metals, books, antiques, work of art, or material of national or historic value.

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Holiday Checklist

Preparing for a holiday can be a stressful affair, often beginning months before you depart for a warmer and less stressful environment. However, for a week or two’s relaxation the months prior can make you want to pull your hair out and strangle the kids! (If you are fortunate enough to have little angels of your own…). With the help of this guide and a few useful links I will make the run-up to your perfect getaway just as perfect.

Airport Parking

Airport parking is possibly the first thing you should organise once the trip is booked. Booking in advance can save you up to 60% off the price on the day. For example at Heathrow Airport, the gate price for 14 days parking in August starts from £235.50, compared with pre-booking at www.airport-parking.tv on the same dates is only £83.50. Airport Parking.tv compares UK airport parking prices at 25 major UK airports including Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and Manchester making them highly recommended.

Passport

Obviously you can’t go abroad without one so it is essential that you check the expiry date of yours and renew if you have to in good time. The best place to do this is at the Direct Gov website and search ‘passport’.
The cost of adult and child passports are as follows:

an adult’s passport is £77.50
a child’s passport is £49.00

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), previously E111

‘The EHIC is the replacement for the E111 for British residents. As of 1 January 2006, E111s aren’t valid. The EHIC can be used to cover any necessary medical treatment due to either an accident or illness within the European Economic Area (EEA). The EHIC entitles the holder to state-provided medical treatment within the country they are visiting.’ You can apply for an EHIC at http://www.ehic.org/ .

Travel Insurance

I don’t even need to explain the importance of travel insurance. There could be nothing worse than being injured abroad having to dish out outrageous amounts of money for treatment and the whole situation exacerbated by the language barrier. Not something you want to endure. http://www.travelinsurance4less.co.uk/ offers great deals on travel insurance and it is easy to book so will save you time, hassle and money.

Car Hire

Unless you have booked an all inclusive holiday which includes transfers too, car hire is essential. Having your own car abroad increases your enjoyment as you can broaden your horizon and explore different towns and attractions. www.hire4less.com offers comprehensive car hire in 8 different countries: France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA.

A first choice for car hire and I would definitely recommend them.

Currency

Something that shouldn’t be overlooked! Make sure you exchange enough money beforehand because most banks charge when you use your card or withdraw money abroad. You can exchange money at any post office. However, nationwide offers an account which lets you withdraw money abroad for free. Worth doing as it will save you in the long run. You can apply at: www.nationwide.co.uk

The Pets

About 80% of families in the United Kingdom own a dog or a cat so naturally when you go on holiday they are going to need looking after. A lot of us will call upon family members but if you aren’t able to and would like your animals in a trusted environment with other animals then a kennel is the right choice. Their luxury licensed kennel and cattery facilities are double glazed, centrally heated, staffed 24 hours’ a day and have piped music! They only employ staff that have a deep understanding of pet care as well as excellent working relationships with the local veterinary establishments to ensure that your pet will be returned to you in tip-top condition, allowing you to relax and enjoy your holiday. If all that were not enough they are only 2 miles from Gatwick Airport making it easy for you to drop your pet off en route, or they can arrange local collection or delivery.  If you are travelling abroad they can arrange for the correct transportation box to be at Gatwick Airport to meet you on arrival. http://www.ifield-park.co.uk/

I hope that this will help make the run-up to your holiday stress free and simple. For any more information or recommendations contact me at: edwardlawrence1991@hotmail.com

My name is Edward Cameron Lawrence. I am a keen sportsman and hold a golf handicap of 4 and regularly play badminton, tennis, football and also swim. I enjoy reading, films, socialising and working. Any questions, feel free to email me at edwardlawrence@hotmail.com
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Perhaps one of the most common misconceptions about Brazil is that Brazilians speak Spanish and a sure fire way to get off on the wrong foot in Brazil is to assume just this and start jabbering away in your best GCSE Espanhol to that seemingly friendly immigration officer. They may be able to understand what you say, but that doesn’t mean that they will be pleased, or grant you with the stamp in your passport you had been hoping for.

Brazilians will joke that foreigners will go as far as to believe that Buenos Aires is the capital of Brazil. However, when you take into account that the rivalry between Brazil and Argentina is akin to that between France and England, you begin to realize that this is in fact no laughing matter.

Many people travel to Latin America with a smattering of Spanish and find that this suffices to meet their needs. Portuguese is a language the majority of foreign visitors have no former knowledge of and to the untrained ear it can sound indecipherable, even to those who speak another language with Latin roots.

Attempting to learn a few phrases before your trip will always help to make your visit more enjoyable. Brazilians themselves complain that Portuguese is a difficult language and they will appreciate any effort you make to communicate. Unfortunately, it is a difficult language and so you may soon find yourself disheartened.

For a foreigner hoping to learn enough key phrases to survive a week or two’s holiday, the most likely difficulty you will encounter will be pronunciation. The trick is to hold your nose as you speak, but this may draw the very attention you had been hoping to avoid.

For starters try the following:

Bom dia (Bong jee-a)

Good morning

Rio de Janeiro (Hee-o, jee, ja-ney-roo)

Rio de Janeiro

Não (Nown)

No

Brazilians almost never say ‘yes’ either repeating the verb used by the speaker or saying ‘isso’, literally meaning ‘that’.

Whether you’re looking for the right bathroom or trying to explain your sexual preferences, these two words may come in handy:

Mulher (Mool-yair)

Woman

Homem (o- meing)

Man

Feeling hungry? Try these two:

Brigadeiro (Bree-ga-dey-roo)

Yummy chocolate and condensed milk treat

Açaí (A-sai-yee)

Delicious Amazon berry usually served mixed with all kinds of other calorific goodness.

Unfortunately, in parts of Brazil more popular with tourists such as Rio and Bahia, there’s another word that’s difficult to say, but important to know and that’s ‘malandragem’, (ma-lan-dra-jeing) which is basically the act of taking advantage of someone. A ‘Malandro’ (someone who practices malandragem for a living) will be quick to spot a gringo accent and the consequences can leave you somewhat bereft.

Malandros come in all shapes and forms and simply taking a taxi from the airport can result in being led very much up the garden path, as you are taken on the most scenic route possible. Even if your driver adheres to the recognized route, the rule goes that the stronger your accent, the higher the fare.

But what can you do to avoid such pitfalls?  Do you need to become fluent in the language before you visit in order not to leave the country a bankrupt? Fortunately not; take a tailor made holiday with luxury travel specialists Dehouche and they can arrange private transfers with English speaking drivers for you throughout your holiday, thus removing the need to get into difficulty before you have even left the airport. Dehouche have relationships with unique and fun local people who will in fact help to smooth over those language difficulties for you, whilst still allowing you to gain an insight into the culture.

Of course, just because Dehouche can provide English speaking guides and drivers doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still have a go at Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation. Dehouche themselves will provide you with a list of up to date useful words and phrases. The difference is that if you do run into difficulty, key Dehouche staff around the country are on hand to help you find a ‘jeitinho’ (Jay-cheen-yo) or ‘Brazilian way out’ of that miscalculated restaurant bill/interminable queue/undeserved parking ticket (delete as applicable)

Let Dehouche arrange your luxury boutique hotel and enjoy a whole host of insider tips on where to truly escape from it all on your honeymoon.

Dehouche S.A.,
Leblon,
Rio de Janeiro ,
Brazil.
www.dehouche.com
 
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If you come to visit Bangkok for the first time, one of the first things you will notice is the busy streets and the traffic. The city is very different from other cities in Europe. Don’t get your holiday ruined by hours of waiting in traffic! Reading this article will take approximately 5 minutes, and those five minutes can save you endless hours of waiting.

The busiest part of Bangkok is right in the middle. Around the edges of the city, the streets are a bit more calm. When travelling anywhere around Bangkok, you should always use as much public transport as possible. Trains are better than taxis because they don’t get stuck in traffic.

The best method of getting from A to B is by using the BTS Skytrain. As the name suggests, it’s higher up than the roads. The Skytrain is connected to most of the shopping centers, so it’s a perfect choice of transport for a shopping tour. Once you get there, you will have to buy a ticket; there are one way tickets available and also a day ticket, which you can use as much as you want in a day.

Another option is to get a ‘Smartpass’; this is a credit-card sized plastic card which you refill with money and then just swipe it on a sensor at the entrance gate. This is the best option if you decide to stay for quite a while. Another form of transport in the MRT, which is a subway line. This also connects to popular places like shopping malls.

The BTS station connects with the MRT at three different stations, so it is easy to just jump out of the BTS and head a few floors down, to the subway. The ticket system in the MRT is very similar to the one in the Skytrain. There are also tickets available which work for both the subway and the raised train. To get to places which are not connected to either of the train systems, you will need to take road transport.

Taxi is a good choice, but can be slow because of traffic. An alternative would be a motorbike taxi as they can squeeze through traffic easily. The downside of the motorbike taxi is that it can be quite dangerous on the busy roads of Bangkok, Thailand. And if the trip is not too short, walking is also an alternative. Have a safe trip and a great holiday!!

Raj Aryan is a content writer. Presently working with a Tour Package company. Find India vacation packages and online at Cheap flights tickets to India, providing the best selection and availability of cheap tickets.
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In which part of China does Guilin lie?How large an area does the whole city of Guilin cover?

Guilin lies in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,and on the west of the Lijiang River.The city of Guilin covers a total area of 565 square kilometers.

How big a population does Guilin have?Which nationallty is the major ethnice minorities in Guilin?

Guilin has a population of around 590000 in the city.the ethnic zhuang is the major minority nationality in the region and the largest in numer of all minority nationalities in China.The rest ethnics living in the area are the miao,yao and Dong.

When did the city of Guilin begin to be nominated and established?

In 214B.C,the 33th year in the reign of Emperor Qinshihuang,it was decided to set up a Guilin Prefecture,and further later in 111 B.Cthe 6th year under the reign of yuanding of the western Han Dynasty the town started to be built and was made as a county.During the Ming and Qing dynasties,Guilin was a prefecture,it was not until 1940 that Guilin was established as a city.Guilin so to speak has seen a history of more than 2000 years.Guilin Tours can provide the different route to visit the Guilin.

Is ther any other “euphonic name”or “nickname”for the city of Guilin?

The name of Guilin was derived from the groves of osmanthus trees here in the city.And still it was euphonically calles the”cultural city”during the period of anti-japanese war when a great many noted men of letters of the country gathered here in the city.apart from that Guilin has a lake named the banyan lake,or ronghu in chinese because it has a thousand –year-old banyan tree growing nearby the lake,hence guilin is also called the Banyan city or known as rongcheng in Chinese.

At what longitude and latitude does Guilin locate on the earth?what is the ground height of the city of Guilin above sea level?

Guilin locates itself at 110 degrees 16 minutes east longitude,and 25 degrees 15 minutes north latitude on the earth,about the same as that of Miami of the United States.The ground height of the city of Guilin is 150 meters above sea level.

In which geographical zone does Guilin lie?

Spreading in the subtropical zone Guilin enjoys a mild climate all the year round with abundant rainfalls and affable environment.Du Fu,a great Tang poet once praised Guilin like this:”when the five ranges are hot like a hell,Guilin alone still enjoys a charming cool.”In Guilin,there is not many hot and humid days as those in the areas south of the yangtze river or any freezing cold weather as in north China.

What is the topographical feature in the area of Guilin?

The topographical feature in Guilin is a typical terrain of dissolved limestone.In the long period between 370 million and 325 million years ago the nowadays Guilin area was still a vast ocean.The stone hills in Guilin were then the limestone sedimentations at the bottom of the sea.It was not until some 200 million or 180 million years ago that the bottom of the sea began to rise up gradually and became the dry land due to the changes of the earth crust.And then for ions of years these limestone hills,due to long process of weathering and water erosion,have by and by become many queer ye pretty forests of stone hills and peaks with rias and picturesque dissolved caves formed underground.

What are the special features of the hills in Guilin?

Most of the hills in Guilin rise right up into the sky from the ground,

Which,standing magnificently,form various shapes of grotesque peaks,such as some looking like the plough:some like elephant and others like camel,and still other looking very much like the purified water vase as described in mythological tales and so on.These groves of hills and peaks look not only pretty and grotesque outwardly but also have many deep and wondrous stone caves in their insides.within these caves you will find a great number of stalactites and stalagmites with some of them looking like lions,monkeys,goldfish,and others look like the ganoderma lucidum,a kind of Chinese herbal medicine and still others like snow pines or a snowman,etc.In a word,there are too many to enumerate and too many for eyes to feast on.Guilin Tour include the most famous siteseeing tour around City of Guilin.

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