Although everyone is laothed to mention the dreaded credit crunch lately it has highlighted a relatively new act...no, not a new entry in the Karma Sutra...no, I'm talking about the staycation! What is a 'staycation'? I hear you ask. Well, it's an American term combining 'stay' and 'vacation' i.e stay at home vacation. It's one of those annoying new words but the theory behind it is good. Rather than spending a fortune on a holiday to say, a nice hot beach Thailand you would bring Thailand to your home (or local area at least) and save some of that precious cash. So, I've put together a rough guide on having a staycation and using my example of Thailand so here goes; Chill 'oot - What better way to get into the relaxed way of life than to treat yourself to a Thai massage. With roots in Yoga, Ayurvedic medicine and Buddhism , a Thai massage involves stretching and massage on a mat and leaves you feeling relaxed both inside and out!

Bring on the heat - While tropical heat may not be the norm for the rest of the world you should be able to recreate the feeling by visiting somewhere tropical instead. Try butterfly world in Edinburgh for exotic insects and clammy heat. Better yet, wear shorts and t-shirt whever the weather outside (well you wouldn't wear jeans and UGG boots in Phuket would you!? Thai food - That main pull for a holiday location for me has got to be the food.

I don't want to visit a country only to immediately hunt down bacon and eggs when I could be having tapas, authentic curries or even kangaroo! Why should your staycation be any different? For authentic Thai food, grab the family and head to the Thai Orchid Restaurant just off the Royal Mile. With a huge Buddha at the door and Oriental waitresses you will be transported to Thailand from the moment you walk through the door.

If after your massage you just want to unwind at home then why not learn to cook some Thai food for yourself? The Thai Orchid restaurant, Edinburgh has a set of authentic Thai recipes on its website for you to try at home. Each recipe has been cooked in the restaurant and includes some family favourites so you can be sure you are getting something 'real'. So that's it, some ideas for a staycation in Edinburgh. While it may not be quite the same as hot-footing it over to Thailand at least you save not only the hard earned pennies but you gain yourself the thirteen hours you would otherwise spend travelling - you can't lose!