It is said that Cleopatra would use the black mud of the Dead Sea as an exfoliator for her skin to make it look more radiant and soft. She is also believed to have opened the first spa on the shore of the Dead Sea. This proves that mud baths have existed for thousands of years and have only been rediscovered by modern-day spas.
A mud bath is not difficult to comprehend. It is simply a bath of mud, mainly taken in areas with hot spring water and volcanic ash. Tourists from around the world are known to travel many miles to indulge in mud baths. There are many locations known for natural mud baths, and in this article, we talk only of those areas, and not spas. There may be mud baths from various sources like lakes, saltwater sea, hot springs, and mud volcano. The following is a list of the best places to have natural mud baths around the world.
Calistoga Hot Springs, Napa Valley, California
Calistoga is a small town known for its rejuvenating mud baths and healing geothermal waters, apart from wineries. The small town is dotted with spas that provide therapeutic mud baths with volcanic ash mixed with local hot spring water. Peat moss is also added to help suspend the body just below the surface in a soft, warm cocoon. The Mt. Konocti in California erupted millions of years ago resulting in the region being coated in mineral-rich volcanic ash whose therapeutic value was first discovered by the local Wappo tribe. That’s how the place came to be known for mud baths.
Bormio, Italy
Located in the Lombardy region of the Italian Alps, Bormio is known for its winter sports and geothermal pools and mud baths. More than 2,000 years ago, the Romans discovered the curative powers of the waters of mountainous Bormio. The waters flowing from the springs all round the year at a warm temperature of 97-105oF attract the wearied skiers to come for a bath and relax.
This story is from the November 2019 edition of Touriosity Travelmag.
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This story is from the November 2019 edition of Touriosity Travelmag.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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10 Must Visit Food Streets Of India
India as a country enjoys huge diversity in every aspect, be it in terms of languages, communities, religions, looks of people, geographical terrains, weather conditions, and so on. In such a diverse country it was but natural to have a great diversity of cuisines too. As a result of the diversity of races, communities and religion, the impact of geographical advantages and restrictions and prolonged exposure to various external influences over many centuries, the various regions of the country has been able to develop a unique culinary portfolio. As such there is nothing like Indian Cuisine in general, it is a group of cuisines coming together, viz., South Indian cuisine, Punjabi cuisine, Rajathani cuisine, Goan cuisine, Kashmiri cuisine, Bengali Cuisine, Maharashtrian cuisine and so on. A great way to explore this diverse food portfolio is to visit the local street food markets while visiting different towns and cities across the country. These street food markets are heaven for foodies. They have a character of their own and you are ready to give up the idea of dining in a upmarket restaurant in order to grab that experience of eating amidst all that chaos and being a part of that character for a while.
Darjelling: The Foodies' Paradise
Darjeeling, also known as the Queen of Hills, has a colonial past. Back in the days when Calcutta used to be the capital of the British Raj, Darjeeling happened to be the most coveted hill station for the Gora Sahibs and the Mems. It was only an overnight train from Calcutta, followed by a 12-hour journey on the toy train from Siliguri. Even to date, the place is covered with buildings of the colonial era, which are now occupied by government offices.
A gastronomical trip to Kashmir
Kashmiri cuisine has been influenced by the cuisines of the Mughals, the Arabs and the local style of cooking of the Kashmiri pundits. While most of the signature delicacies of the region are non-vegetarian, there are many interesting vegetarian dishes to try as well. In the non-vegetarian dishes, mutton, chicken or fish is the main ingredient. There is abundant use of spices like cardamom, fennel, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and saffron giving the food not only exquisite taste but also rich aroma. In this article we bring to our readers 16 ‘must try’ items from Kashmiri cuisine.
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Admit it, Goan cuisine is comfort food in itself, hitting all the right notes, while simultaneously bringing all the essential nutrition to the table!
FENI: Goa's Magic Concoction
Come March and every corner of Goa is teeming with the sweet aroma of ripe Cashew apples. Goans get ready to not only roast the cashew nut, but also to brew Goa’s favourite elixirs - Urrack and Feni. While Urrack has a very short shelf life, Feni can be stored and aged for up to 10 years! Just like wine, the more you age the Feni, the pricier it gets. A delicious drink replete with fruity, pungent and earthy aromas, Feni gets at least half of Goa’s population reminiscing nostalgically. It is an emotion stronger than wine or whiskey and it has us and many tourists, swooning over its unbeatable goodness in all its myriad flavours!
Luxury travel In The Deccan Odyssey
Experiences sometimes crystalize into key memories that we can dig into and extract a handful of happiness from - as many times as we wish. And I can close my eyes anytime and let the Deccan Odyssey slide show play.
Dream DESTINATION FOR EVERY BIKER
The sky-high mountain passes of Ladakh, accompanied by the barren landscape, the picturesque views composed of lakes and mountains, and the deserted roads beckon bikers for the experience of a lifetime. It indeed is a dream destination for every biker.
Caravan trip-On the road with a pet
Amit Singh aka Desi Tourist is a travel vlogger who recently made a long caravan trip with his pet pug Popu. The trip was not only rejuvenating because it came after months of staying home during the lockdown, it was also one of realisations about the relation between humans and their best friend – dogs. Team Touriosity loved this idea of a caravan trip, as well as travel with a pet. So we interviewed Amit for an insight into his unique experience. Following are excerpts from the interview:
7 Indian Prisons One Can Visit As A Tourist
If you are looking for a fun-filled vacation, this is not an article to please you. This is for those who like to experiment with new and unique experiences. Spending time behind bars in a dark prison cell, wearing a jail uniform made of khaki and having the basic jail food there, may be a nightmare for most, but adventure enthusiasts are increasingly being drawn to prison tourism of this kind globally. India too has caught up to the race and today there are a few prisons in India which are tourist attractions for various reasons. While some are famous historically, others have interesting museums and yet others provide pay and stay facilities. One does not really need to commit a crime to experience these prisons nor a bail for release.
PRISON TOURS as part of Dark Tourism
One of the first signs of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die. This life appears unbearable, another unattainable. One is no longer ashamed of wanting to die; one asks to be moved from the old cell, which one hates, to a new one, which one will only in time come to hate. In this there is also a residue of belief that during the move the master will chance to come along the corridor, look at the prisoner and say: “This man is not to be locked up again, he is to come with me.” – Franz Kafka in Blue Octavo Notebooks.
