Health tourism

      Mud, mineral water, herbs and acupuncture make for a sound body and mind.
Soaking himself in mineral water, Mark, an American visitor at Nha Trang Town’s Thap Ba hot spring with his girlfriend, said: “We first came here two days ago. We really like the mud bath and massage so we’ve come one more time before leaving.”
"We were advised to first soak in hot mineral water for 45 minutes," said Mark. “To get the full effect of the treatment, we should take a break every five minutes and rest on the side of the pool. The mineral water is kept at 38-41oC.”
After the mineral water, visitors can soak in an outdoor mud bath. There are two options – private or communal mud bathing. A private bath can fit two people and has a bamboo screen for privacy. Up to eight people can splash about in the communal mud bath, which is less expensive.
The mud, which comes from a natural source 60km away, is heated. Towels and even bathing costumes are supplied.
“After soaking in the mud for 15-20 minutes, we dry off in the sun or get a relaxing massage,” said Nguyen, who comes from Ho Chi Minh City.
Besides mud bathing, visitors can bathe under artificial mineral water falls where the temperature is around 40 degrees Celsius.
According to scientific studies, hot spa water, hot mud and fresh forest and sea air are the best elements for body-resistance and health recuperation. In addition to relaxing and stimulating the nervous system, the hot spring water and mineral mud can cure skin diseases and make the skin white and smooth.
"After ten consecutive days enjoying the mud bath, hot spring and massages, my wife is getting much healthier, but more importantly, she has completely recovered from her skin ailment," said 55-year-old Minh Nguyen, whose wife had suffered skin damage from using cosmetics incorrectly.
Despite natural medicinal tourism being new to the country, Thap Ba received some 400,000 visitors last year, about 5 percent more than in 2007.
To reach Thap Ba Hot Spring Center, which is just four kilometers from the center of Nha Trang, drive down the road that passes the Ponagar Towers. The hot spring is perched on a hillside, overlooking the river.
Up north, a 30km drive from the main town in Hoa Binh Province takes visitors to Kim Boi hot spring. Scientific tests have shown that the mineral water at Kim Boi, which is a constant 36 degrees Celsius, is suitable for drinking, bathing and for the treatment of rheumatism, intestinal diseases, stomach aches and high blood pressure.
Dinh Thi Phien, director of the Hoa Binh Traditional Herbal Company, says her company has added to the Kim Boi site by opening a center for relaxation in Phong Thu Commune, Cao Phong District.
"We are preserving more than 200 rare traditional herbs from ethnic groups, a valuable herbal treatment resource," says Phien, adding that for travelers who are interested, the center offers acupuncture, pressure point massage and herbal baths with the price ranging from ND200,000-300,000 ($11.42-17.14) a day per person.
Naturopathy tourism earned Asian countries, including India, Thailand and Singapore, $1.6 billion last year, but it is still a new industry in Vietnam. The country’s health facilities and services are as not as modern as other countries, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
“However, Vietnam is known worldwide for its traditional herbal medicine, which is a potential source for us to tap and develop health tourism," a VNAT official said.
The National Institute of Acupuncture (NIA) in Hanoi is internationally recognized and more affordable than similar institutions in countries like Thailand and Singapore.
Traditional acupuncture therapy Nguyen Quoc Khoa, NIA’s deputy head, said, “The combination of tourism and traditional acupuncture therapy and treatment is brand new in Vietnam. Like other Eastern countries, traditional medicine has been around in Vietnam for a long time, especially acupuncture therapy and treatment. Therefore, a lot of foreigners want to come to Vietnam for these kinds of healthcare services.”
Travel companies, who always want to attract more tourists, proposed this form of tourism to the NIA.
The institute's leaders, aiming to give the public the finest healthcare services, agreed with the proposal and worked with travel companies to open the health tours.
“Through tourism, we hope foreign tourists will understand more about Vietnam's traditional medicine, including acupuncture therapy and treatment,” said Khoa.
“Since the launching of this specific tourism option recently, we have received a lot of foreigners wanting treatment through acupuncture therapy.
“If foreigners come to Vietnam purely for the purpose of health care, it requires complicated procedures including letters of introduction from hospitals in their countries. If they visit Vietnam as normal tourists, it is certainly much easier.
“To meet the demand of tourists, the institute has sent doctors and nurses to accompany a great number of tour parties to ensure proper healthcare conditions. Acupuncture therapy is an effective method of healthcare and treatment due to the ease of mobility and scant requirements. Therefore, I think that health tourism will develop and prosper in the near future,” said Khoa.