Along with hair-replacement treatments, the number of people travelling to Turkey to undergo their desired cosmetic surgery has not stopped growing in recent years; something which has certainly placed this Eurasian country as a global leader in health tourism. Looking at the numbers, circa one million people rely on the Turkish healthcare system every year for cosmetic purposes according to the last report of the Istanbul International Health Tourism Association. But, what are the main reasons that make Turkey such a popular medical destination?

Rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty, breast augmentation, breast lift, buttock augmentation, liposuction and lifting are just some of the many medical procedures performed by expert Turkish clinics. Regardless of the type of , these clinics have well-qualified specialists with certified experience and expertise in the field which have brought them wide international recognition. Actually, Turkey has been ranked third in health tourism by the International Medical Travel Journal.

As well as being assisted by a solid team of professionals, it is worth mentioning that these Turkish clinics count on state-of-the-art facilities and technologies, thus providing patients with the newest and most precise treatments for almost any kind of cosmetic surgery. In turn, these have permitted them to reduce not only waiting but also recovery times. As a result, they can boast of achieving one of the highest success and satisfaction rates among its patients.

However, it is the low cost of their surgeries which have proven to be the determining factor for the majority of visitors in the Ottoman country. Yet, despite what many people may think, low cost does not equal low quality. Thanks to government investments and the high volume of patients it receives, these Turkish clinics can work at the best quality-price rations in comparison to other clinics in western countries. For example, while a patient in the US can pay up to 10,000$ for a rhinoplasty, the same procedure in Turkey would only cost one-third or even a quarter of its price.

Istanbul: plastic surgery and holidays for the same price

Last but not least, undergoing a plastic surgery in Turkey, and in most cases Istanbul, provides an added value due the the wide array of options it offers at a cultural, historical and gastronomical level. The magnificent Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, a boat tour on the Bosphorus, the awe-inspiring sunsets or the delicious Turkish kebabs are just some of the many attractions that make most of its visitors fall in love with the Turkish capital.

All things considered, it is clear that choosing Turkey in general or Istanbul in particular for a plastic surgery turns out to be an excellent option as it allows, on the one hand, to get your long-awaited cosmetic change and to enjoy, on the other, a holiday in one of the most unique and enchanting cities in the world. Interestingly enough, most plastic surgery packages include accommodation at a high-end hotel, airport transfers and a translator, thus making it the most comfortable experience possible.

Ibex, NASDAQ, Dow Jones… may all ring a bell but most people still have trouble understanding these financial concepts. While these give name to some of the most important stock market indices, the truth is that there are hundreds of them. But, what do they really stand for and what is their function?

A stock market index is frequently defined as measurement or indicator which reflects the value of a specific section of the stock market at a specific point in time. More specifically, each of these is comprised of different companies or assets that gather common characteristics and their numerical value is calculated on the basis of their performance. Therefore, both traders and investors use these indicators as a tool to decide their trading strategies and forecast the return of their investments. Yet, not all stock indices are the same nor formed according to the same criteria.

Types of stock market indices

There are four major categories of stock market indices: national, regional, international and sector-related. Of these, the most quoted ones are the national indices, which are those comprised by assets from the same country. A well-known example is Dow Jones Industrial Average, which integrates 30 of the most powerful companies in the USA, along with S&P 500 from the same country.

Something similar occurs in Europe with the most powerful assets of each country featuring a common national stock market index. That is the case of, for example, the British FTSE 100, the Spanish IBEX 35, the German DAX 30 or the French DAC 40, among many others. Likewise, we find the Japanese Nikkei 225, the Hang Seng Index from Hong Kong and the SSE Composite from Shanghai as the most prominent indices in Asia whereas the Mexican IPC, the Argentinian Merval and the Chilean IPSA stand out in South America.

The third group corresponds to those indexes which extend beyond national boundaries or have a supranational origin. Notable among these are the MSCI World, comprised by more than 1,600 companies from 23 different countries; the Eurotoxx 50, which integrates the 50 most important companies in the eurozone; or, the S&P Asia 50 including companies from the stock exchanges in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, to name some.

The fourth category of stock market indices refers to those consisting of companies belonging to a common sector. Wilshire US REIT, for instance, is made up by a total of 80 assets from the real estate sector, whereas Nasdaq 100 gathers 100 assets belonging to the technological sector.

Bitcoin: the new safe haven asset

A new group of assets that are gaining popularity in recent years are the cryptocurrencies, of which most popular representative is the Bitcoin. This digital asset works as any other currency with the exception that it is neither linked to any state nor operates within the framework of the stock market.

Although the value of this asset keeps fluctuating due to its recent creation, some experts expect that it will reach the price of 1.000.000 USD in the next years. Such optimistic forecast has inevitably attracted greedy traders as well as investors seeking to store their cash in times of crisis and geopolitical instability.

You are a true ‘travelholic’ but you feel you are always short of money? There is no need to panic. As long as time flexibility and destinations are not a problem for you, there are a bunch of options to find accommodation and transportation for free, or almost for free. These are some of travel experts’ best kept secrets.

Car relocation

Very few people know that car rental companies offer free one-way rental cars and campervans. But there is a good reason behind it. Car rental companies often face the problem that some of their branches run out of cars or, just the opposite, get so many that they cannot manage them owing to the simple fact that some routes are just more popular than others. To solve this unbalanced distribution of their fleet, companies offer drivers to relocate their cars at specific drop-off points for free, resulting in a win-win deal. Although this service is available all over the world, it is especially popular in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

House-sitting & Pet-sitting

Another win-win option for both owners and adventurers is that known as house-sitting or pet-sitting when it comes to accommodation. There are a number of online platforms where homeowners offer their properties for free while they are away in exchange of some little maintenance and, in some cases, taking care of their beloved pets. You will only need to register in one of the websites offering the service, complete a brief introduction of yourself and find the stay that best fits your plans in terms of dates and destination.

Couchsurfing

If you are not looking for medium to long-term stays as it is the case of most house-sitting and pet-sitting deals, then you might be more keen on a homestay. The platform and social networking site Couchsurfing brings together hosts offering their couches for free and travelers looking for a place to stay. This offers an excellent opportunity to both save money and meet people from all over the world, thus turning an ordinary trip into a much more stimulating and enriching experience.

WWOOFing

From planting seeds in Austria to making cheese in Canada to feeding sheeps in New Zealand. These are just a few examples of volunteering works you can do for accommodation and board all managed and monitored by the platform WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms. WWOOF aims to promote sustainable farming through these field-based cultural and educational exchanges. Volunteers usually work from 5 to 6 hours a day and the duration of the program usually depends on the requirements of the volunteer as well as the hosting farm.

Free walking tours

As well as transportation and accommodation, it is also possible to find free guided tours in a variety of languages in almost every city around the globe. You will just have to google your target destination plus the keywords ‘free tour’ and book the time slot that best adapts your journey plan. The traveller will never be asked to pay any preset fees, but rather tour guides will be open to get any voluntary contributions after the tour.

 

Hair is without a doubt one of the traits that greatly influences or even makes a difference in people’s physical appearance. Thus, it is not surprising that hair loss is a major worry for a great deal of the population and the main reason why remedies promising a healthy and bushy hair within a few months have proliferated so easily around the globe. Yet, despite the interest and research investment to find the secret formula to get people’s hair back, the truth is that making people’s hair grow is not a reality yet.

Alopecia or baldness is a widespread condition which is most commonly found among men, although it is also affects many women. Researchers have not yet completely understood the process, but they agree about the fact that the causes for hair loss are many. These include, among others, hereditary factors, age, stress episodes, diet as well as a variety of environmental or behavioural factors. Fortunately, not everything is lost.

Hair transplantation, consisting of removing hair follicles from one part of the scalp to another, appears to be the only solution to date which has proven natural, effective and permanent results. Consequently, both patients and medical centres specializing in this surgical technique have grown up to a 60% in the past two years according to different medical reports.

A good example of this is Turkey with Capilclinic.uk, one of the countries that has most invested in health tourism closely followed by Mexico, a new emerging and fast-growing market in the sector. This has been to a great degree motivated by the support of the Mexican government as well as both international and national investors who have put great effort to establish the country as a global reference for hair transplantation.

More specifically, the Aztec country is already the most popular destination among Canadian and US citizens, who undergo this cosmetic procedure for half the price as in their home countries. While in Canada or the USA patients are expected to pay an average of 9,000USD for the treatment, their Mexican counterpart offers packages for half the price. But, unlike some people might think, lower prices do not mean low quality treatments. And how is that possible without compromising quality?

Mexican clinics are able to provide affordable hair transplants while guaranteeing equally high quality standards for one basic reason: operating expenses in Mexico are lower due to the lower cost of living. That is, paying for staff salaries, facility maintenance, or simply the electricity bill are not as expensive as in the aforementioned western countries. So, if you are looking a baldness treatment at the best quality-price ratio, Mexico appears to be the best choice.

Benefits of getting a hair transplant in Mexico

• Pretigious clinics with state-of-the-art facilities
• High-qualified and experienced surgeons and specialists
• Cutting-edge technologies and hair-replacement techniques
• Competitive prices with the best quality standards
• Affordable packages including transfers, accommodation in the city, surgery aftercare as well as a Spanish interpreter
• And most importantly, the treatments from these specialized clinics have demonstrated permanent results

Established as the richest country in the world and a major gas and oil producer, Qatar has also become one of the biggest and most promising markets for those seeking for job opportunities. For this same reason, it is not surprising that more of the 80% of its population is made up of expatriate communities who have already chosen this emirate to boost their professional careers. And the reasons are many.

Being an economy of constant growth which aims for an ambitious yet sound development of its infrastructures and industry, there is a high number of well-qualified vacancies in Qatar. Not only business-related jobs such as engineers, sales representatives, marketing agents and accountants are wanted; but also doctors, nurses, chefs and teachers are among the most demanded ones. Most often, these positions are accompanied by relaxed working days, high salaries (at QR16,500 on average), health insurance and, last but not least, no personal taxation.

Although safety tends to be most people’s concern when deciding about the move, the truth is that this Middle-Eastern country is among the safest and most stable of the region, with very low criminal rates. By contrast, it offers excellent living standards with world-class educational and healthcare institutions fueled by major government investments. For the most part, accommodation is spacious and rather new with the most popular options being the so-called villas or compounds where 24-security, swimming pool, gym, cleaner and even cafés, supermarkets or squash courts in the most upmarket ones are found.

Despite its Islamic culture, the welcoming and forward-thinking attitude of this emirate has attracted expatriates from all over the world, including Indian, Lebanese, American, British, French, Spanish and Canadian citizens, among others. This has greatly contributed to create a multicultural environment with an interesting choice of leisure activities, bars and restaurants of all kinds. For those who are wondering, the consumption and purchase of alcohol is permitted but limited to the licensed hotels, bars and stores. Night clubs and music venues have particularly proliferated in Doha in recent years, boosting the nightlife options in the capital. Nonetheless, Qatar economy extends far beyond its oil and gas reserves as well as its world-famous capital.

Qatar, much more than just Doha

Contrary to common belief, Qatar is much more than just Doha. In recent years, and to a great extent fostered by the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a number of different urban centres are rapidly developing. These, perfectly connected to the capital, have in turn become the headquarters of many of the big companies settled in the country.

If not already the case, within a few years Qatar is expected to become a global centre for international trade and tourism alike. To do so, as it is constantly claimed by the Qatari Government, they will employ all the available means and resources that are necessary.

Newcomers will soon find themselves shopping in their innumerable ultramodern malls and colourful souqs, exploring its magnificent desert, smoking sheesha and enjoying, among other delicious dishes, the famous sish taouq.