Dusit International opens luxury wellness resort in the heart of Shushan Ecological Village, Suzhou

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Dusit Thani Wellness Resort Suzhou, Jiangsu provides holistic healing in the utmost of comfort with a luxurious wellness centre and an exclusive hot springs experience

Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has continued its expansion in China with the recent opening of the highly anticipated Dusit Thani Wellness Resort Suzhou, Jiangsu – the 10th Dusit-branded property in China.

Located in Shushan Ecological Village, an area of natural beauty in Suzhou city’s Huqiu District, only 30 minutes by car from Suzhou high-speed train station, the resort uniquely combines southern Chinese culture with Thai-inspired gracious hospitality. The results are a distinctive holiday experience delivering the utmost in comfort, convenience, and holistic wellness.

Comprising 175 rooms and signature villas designed to reflect local art and culture amidst Shushan’s scenic surrounds, the resort is situated at the side of a peaceful lake and tranquil gardens. Private balconies provide sweeping views of the idyllic landscape, which is famed for its three natural treasures including Cui Guan Pear, Yun Quan Tea, and Waxberry. 

The peaceful and impressive location serves as the ideal setting for the property’s distinctive focus on wellness for the mind, body and spirit. From the luxurious hot springs experience, offering both aromatic and therapeutic pools, to the deluxe Thai-inspired Devarana Spa, and two restaurants serving customised wellness cuisine – including Southern Chinese favourites, popular Thai dishes, and international fare – every element of the resort has been carefully crafted to promote the well-being of its guests.

To ensure guests can get the most out of the experience, Dusit Thani Wellness Resort Suzhou, Jiangsu offers a range of wellness retreat packages that combine luxurious accommodation with fitness routines, nutritious meals, hot springs bath, massage treatments, Chinese five-tone therapy, and other wellness-focused activities. Personalised retreats can last between two-to-14 days, depending on the preferences and aims of each guest.

To celebrate its opening, the resort is now offering the ‘Dusit Experience’ package starting from only USD 210 per night. Specially created to provide a truly relaxing getaway, the package includes accommodation in a Deluxe Lake View Room, daily breakfast for two, complimentary in-room refreshments, and a host of other benefits. A hot springs experience for two persons is available for an additional CNY 200. Offer ends 31 December 2020.

Full details about the resort are available on its official website.

Violence against children at home spiked during pandemic

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The incidence of violence against children, mostly by parents and caregivers, has dramatically increased globally during the COVID-19 pandemic as loss of income from lockdown measures have resulted to increased negative feelings and reduced psycho-social well-being in the household, according to a global research conducted by Save the Children.

The report titled “The Hidden Impact of COVID-19 on Child Protection and Well-Being” revealed that “the more household income that has been lost owing to COVID-19, the higher the reporting of violence in the home by both children and parents/ caregivers.”

At least one in six children reported violence at home during the pandemic. This is mostly in the form of physical and verbal abuse. Also, one in five parents and caregivers similarly reported violence at home. The study was based on a survey of 31,683 parents and caregivers, and 13,477 children aged between 11-17 years old in 46 countries including the Philippines.

Violence in the home setting is strongly linked with loss of household income.

For children whose families did not lose their source of income due to COVID-19, only five percent of them reported violence at home. Conversely, for children whose families lost their household income source, 19 percent of them reported violence and risk of violence in their homes.

Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines, said: “The result of the research study is alarming and compels us to listen to our children so we can come up with COVID-19 mitigating measures with a child-rights lens.”

“We call on the national and local governments to prioritize child protection within COVID-19 response plans, and put children’s rights at the core of national and local level infectious disease emergency preparedness plans.”

In line with this, Save the Children Philippines hosted a two-day event titled, “Usapang Child Rights: A Research Forum on Children’s Rights in the Time of COVID-19” on November 25 and 26, 2020 and discussed how the pandemic has affected children’s rights to health, education, participation, and protection. It was attended by key child rights experts, legislators, government representatives, and the academe.

Wilma Banaga, Child Protection Advisor of Save the Children Philippines, said support services to parents and caregivers, including counselling and parenting advice, should be integrated in the COVID-19 response at the community level.

“The pandemic increases the stress of parents and caregivers because of the fear of getting infected, the struggle to bring food on the table, and the continued uncertainties of the situation. Increased levels of stress can sometimes lead to increased aggression towards their children or their spouses,” said Banaga.

Mental health and psycho-social well-being of parents and caregivers are significant in reducing violence against children.

At least 26 percent of children whose parents and caregivers lack access to parenting support, including counseling, mental health services, domestic violence services, cash transfers, childcare and parenting advice and support reported violence in the home setting, compared to only 12 whose parents and caregivers have access to counselling, and parenting support.

“Spending more time with parents/ family and having a stronger relationship within the family were also the primary themes highlighted by children when asked what they had enjoyed the most about this time [during the COVID-19 pandemic],” the research said.

“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to children will go beyond the health crisis. We call on parents, caregivers and local government leaders to strengthen our collective efforts to uphold children’s right to protection from all forms of physical or mental violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect every day and in times of crisis,” Muyot concluded.

5 Inventive Ways To Travel And Make Money As A Student

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Have you ever wondered ‘Can I travel and make money at the same time?’ Because we’ve got great news for you — you can and here are 5 inventive ways how to do it. So get yourself comfortable and check it out!



Teaching English

Probably one of the most popular, but yet not the easiest way, is to use the advantage of being a native English speaker. There are tons of job offers around the world looking for a native speaker who’s ready to teach English. Most importantly, you don’t always need to be a certified tutor, as foreigners are often looking for someone to help them with speaking skills.

What is more, in China, for instance, if you have fair hair and European appearance, you may be considered a native speaker as well, even though you come from Germany, Poland, or France. This is the case when appearance makes a difference and you can benefit from it.

In case you don’t want to have offline lessons you can earn a buck by becoming an English teacher on various online platforms like Italki. This way you can make money in any part of the world and spend it on travelling.



Become The Part of Travelling Culture

To kill two birds with one stone, you may look for resort jobs or jobs as a travel guide. Receptionists, waiters, or hotel/party entertainers — these are the key vacancies that are always in demand. So if you have great communication skills, you’re good with kids and you feel at ease when talking to strangers all day long, why don’t you give this idea a try? This way you’ll be travelling and spending time at hotels around the world.

What is more, you can look for a job as a travel guide. So you’ll have an opportunity to discover new things, communicate with lots of people and make money at the same time.



Travel Blogging

Becoming a travel blogger has its ups and downs. Let’s start with the advantages. As a travel blogger, you’ll be having lots of perks and bonuses from hotels and restaurants. The money you can earn is quite good, as you’ll be advertising various hostels, hotels, sightseeings, etc. On the other hand, the competition in this area is pretty rough these days. It’s not that easy to become a well-respected and a well-paid travel blogger. What is more, this job requires a lot of your time and effort, so one can just get lost in taking photos and shooting videos all the time. This way you’ll just miss enjoying the moment as it is.

Still, if you make it as a good blogger, and find some balance between work and travel — you’ll definitely enjoy this way of seeing the world and making money as a student.





House Sitting

If you haven’t heard of house sitting, you’ve missed a lot. So in short, housesitting involves looking after a place while the owner is away. Well, generally, you won’t get paid for it, as you’ll be using someone’s place for free. But come on, you’ll be using someone’s place for free, and it can be anywhere — Greece, Italy, Japan, Australia — you can find a place in any country you want.

This is how you can avoid accommodation expenses and travel around the world. Such gigs can be for a week, a month or even a year. You may google the blogs of people who are expert in house sitting, and learn from the best how to do it the right way.



Work Remotely

I know it may sound a bit wishy-washy, but the truth is — if you can work remotely, you can work anywhere and anytime. In other words, you can travel the world without the necessity to come back to the office the next month. What is more, you don’t need to wake up at a particular time every day. Just create your own schedule and enjoy your life.

Still, you may ask me, ‘Alan, but what can I do remotely?’ Don’t worry, I’ve prepared a list of jobs you can do as a student while staying at home in any part of the world.


Social Media Manager
Freelance Writer
Virtual Call Center Agent
Website or App Tester
Remote Customer Support Representative
Virtual Assistant
Web Designer
Software Engineers

And these are just a few top jobs that came to my mind. I used to work at the office before taking the leap of faith in myself and starting a freelance writing business. Now I write essays online for a few writing companies and live the life of a digital nomad. Luckily, we’re living in the world where tons of jobs don’t require coming to the office every day. So why don’t you grasp this opportunity and finally make your dream come true — travel and make money simultaneously.