Thailand has become the fountainhead of the spa business in Southeast Asia. Most of the country’s major hotels have a spa, where you can opt for everything from facial treatments to holistic treatments, based on traditional Asian methods of healing,which strike a balance between the physical and spiritual. Many of these spas are opulently appointed with art and antiques to help rejuvenate all of your senses.

What’s more, plenty of people come to Thailand to get their teeth done (yes, there’s even a dental spa in Bangkok, too) because, for the fraction of the price in the West, they can enjoy quality dentistry and then use the savings to bankroll the rest of their vacation.

As obesity, stress and a lack of physical exercise claim more and more lives each year, good health has become a matter of life and death. No wonder so many touristsare choosing health-conscious holidays. These might entail a week-long fasting and colonics program on a tropical island; or working in some spa treatments after doses of sightseeing; or making sure your hotel has a decent gym and pool to keep yourself in good shape.

These days, holidays are not just exercises in gluttony and sloth.