Today, from our 5-star luxury resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we would like to show you one of the places that most appeal to tourists when they visit Asia which tends to go unnoticed: Luang Prabang.

Luang Prabang is in Laos and it is known for its more than 50 Buddhist temples and also for having been the capital of the Lang Xang Kingdom. It is said that its temples are the most beautiful in South East Asia thanks to its architectural features combining Buddhist and French colonial styles. This could maybe be why in 1995 the UNESCO named it the first Heritage of Humanity in Laos.

This is probably the most religious city in Laos, and it is common to see Buddhist monks on the streets. The city has a mystical aura, its peace takes over everyone who visits it and its temples transmit respect.

The Ceremony of the Offerings is quite impressive. 400 monks walk the streets seeking for offerings and food to later bring it to the needy as a sign of poverty and humbleness. This ceremony starts around five in the morning when there is total silence, and people kneel when the monks pass by as a sign of respect.

Among the temples located in Luang Prabang, the following stand out:  Phu Si, Wat Ho Pha Bang, Thay Pathum (built in the 16^th Century) and the Wat Mai Suwannaphumahan Temple, one of the most unique ones, with a 5-floor roof.

The Night Market, visited by hundreds of people, opens in the evening, and contrary to what you might think, it isn’t noisy and chaotic. In this market, simplicity and spirituality reign. There are no anxious street vendors hollering, and there is not much haggling either. In this market there is peace and quiet. However, during the day, there are noisier markets in the area.

Another one of the most majestic places is the Royal Palace, where the luxury of ancient times can be felt. The throne room is spectacular and impressive. There are red walls covered with colour glass in the shape of plants. In the rest of the rooms that can be visited, the simplicity with which they lived is palpable.

If you also wish to feel the peace and quiet that can be experienced in this emblematic spot in Asia, we suggest you come visit us at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, a 5-star luxury resort considered a temple of relaxation and wellbeing by many visitors.

Today, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we will bring you to one of the most ancient spots in Asia, the city of Hampi, where we will see the majesty of the largest empire of India.

Hampi, also known as City of Victory, was the capital of the Viljayanagara Empire between 1336 and 1565. It takes up around 26 square kilometres in the valley of River Tungabhadra, in Karnataka, India.

It used to be an architecturally rich and spectacularly cultural city, and that was the reason why it was declared Heritage of Humanity in 1986. In the 15^th Century, there were many Italians and Persians there, and they tell tales of grandeur and beauty at Hampi.

This city is rich in history. In the centre there are 350 temples, many fortresses and numerous pieces of religious art, sculptures and paintings. In addition, the city’s ancient palaces, gardens and markets make it one of the most popular holiday destinations, chosen by travellers from all over the world.

Many archaeologists think that at its peak 250,000 people lived in the city, many more people than in any other medieval European city. Its grandeur and importance still remain and its ruins bring you back to ancient times.

Hampi has 2 centres:

– The Sacred Centre: home to the Vitthala, Virupaksha, Krishna and Achyuta Raya temples, and the statue of Narasimha.

– The Royal Centre: where there are numerous temples, stables, barracks and palaces. In this part of the city you can visit the Palace of the Queen and the stepped pond among other wonderful sites.

The river that crosses it, the Tungabhadra, can be visited by boat. In its peaceful water you can enjoy the magic and charm of the city of Hampi.

If you also feel like travelling to the peaceful Asian waters and feel its magic, come visit us at our temple of relaxation and wellbeing, our luxury resort the 5-star hotel Asia Gardens. Come and experience a true luxurious Asian journey.

Who hasn’t at some point wanted to feel as if they were in paradise? Many of our guests at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa recommend our luxury resort as it is paradise as well as a temple of relaxation and well-being. However, there are other magnificent places in Asia like Langkawi that you will also love.

Langkawi, also known as Langkawi Permata Kedah in Malayan (Langkawi, the jewel of Kedah), is a Malaysian archipelago which consists of 99 islands located in the Andaman Sea, about 30 kilometres away from the continental coast of the country.

In 2007, the UNESCO gave the islands the status of World Geo Park, as there are three parks: Maching Geoforest Cambrian Park, Kilim Karst Geo Forest Park and Dayang Bunting Marble Geo Forest Park (or Pregnant Lake Island).

An ancient legend combined with the wind and water at Langkawi. If you ask anyone on the island about this story, they will tell you this mysterious tale of a pretty young girl called Mahsuri, love, jealousy and curse.

The Temurun Waterfalls are the highest waterfalls in the country, and are one of the most popular spots on the islands. But this is just one of many facts about the landscape in Langkawi, where the formation of the Asian continent can be seen dating back to the Cambrian Era.

Gua Kelawar is one of the most interesting and better known caves on the islands, as hundreds of bats live inside it.

Gua Kelawar, and Gua Cherita are both caves with stories linked to mythical legends of gods and heroes, and they may only be reached by boat. In this journey through the River Kilim, you will also enjoy the local fauna, monkeys, lemurs and spectacular birds like Brahmini Kite, of the white tailed kite family, which has become a representing symbol of Langkawi.

But Langkawi is not only about the landscape, it is also about its peculiar people and traditions and its tasty cuisine.

If you feel like living a paradise-like experience, and enjoy luxury and the peace and quiet we offer, don’t think about it any longer and come visit us at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, where you will feel Asia very close to you.

One of the main aspects that can describe a culture and bring us closer to it is without a doubt its cuisine. Today, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we would like to recommend the 10 best and most upmarket restaurants to visit if you are thinking about travelling around Asia.

These are the 10 restaurants considered best Asian restaurants in 2014: 

1. NAHM (Bangkok, Thailand): “A temple of Thai cuisine in many different levels”. 

Type of cuisine: not very common ingredients, dishes to be shared, tasty dishes dating back to ancient times, just as if Thai women were cooking for you.

Main dish: Curry Guinea poultry with ginger and basil.

2. NARISAWA (Tokyo, Japan): “The best restaurant in Japan, combining nature and some drama”.

Type of cuisine: French cuisine using Japanese ingredients.

Main dish: “Inori”.

3. GAGGAN (Bangkok, Thailand): “The best Indian food, modern and reinvented”.

Type of cuisine: India with a modern touch.

Main dish: “Papdi Chaat 2050”.

4. AMBER (Hong Kong, China): “An impressive restaurant which represents luxury and independence”. (LINK: http://www.amberhongkong.com/ )

Type of cuisine: Classic French cuisine with a subtle influence from Hong Kong.

Main dish: “Hokkaido”. Sea urchin served with lobster jelly, cauliflower, caviar and crunchy algae biscuits.

5. NIHONRYORI RYUGIN (Tokyo, Japan): “An exquisite dish from Seiji Yamamoto, which represents the forward vision of Japanese tradition”.

Type of cuisine: long-tradition Japanese dishes cooked with a contemporary touch.

Main dish: Grilled sea perch cooked on coal and served with glazed toasted rice and black vinegar.

6. RESTAURANT ANDRÉ (Singapore): “André Chiang brings philosophy to food”.

Type of cuisine: delicate French nouvelle cuisine using ingredients of small and crafty producers.

Main dish: “Memoria”. Warm foie gras jelly with black truffle coulis.

7. WAKU GHIN (Singapore): “Private and personal”.

Type of cuisine: Modern Japanese cuisine.

Main dish: Marinated prawns served with sea urchin and caviar “Oscietre”.

8. ULTRAVIOLET BY PAUL PAIRET (Shanghai, China): “Brilliant multisensory experience”.

Type of cuisine: avant-garde globetrotter.

Main dish: Foie gras chocolate tart.

9. LUNG KING HEEN (Hong Kong, China): “Spectacular views and sophisticated Cantonese cuisine”.

Type of cuisine: Modern Cantonese cuisine.

Main dish: Sautéed lobster served with vegetables in a fermented black bean sauce.

10. 8½ OTTO E MEZZO BOMBANA (Hong Kong, China): “Chef Bombana turns Italian cuisine into art”.

Type of cuisine: Contemporary Italian cuisine.

Main dish: “Fassone”. Beef sirloin steak, mushrooms, fresh porcini and barley.

You may also enjoy a wide range of Asian restaurants at our 5-star luxury hotel, Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, and live a true gastronomic Asian experience. Come visit us and enjoy the different flavours!

There is no doubt that Asia has countless spectacular sights that can make your trip unforgettable. At our 5-star luxury resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa that is what we offer you, an unforgettable experience around Asia.

Today, we would like to tell about Bagan, “one of the most beautiful spectacles in the world” according to Marco Polo…a place where thousands of tourists find the beauty and grandeur of its 1,000 pagodas.

Pagodas are temples, different-level buildings built for religious purposes, mainly Buddhist. Due to their height, the sun rays made their way into the pagodas which charged them spiritually according to Asian tradition. It is said that the sun gives life… and we, at the Asia Gardens Hotel, are well aware of it. Our microclimate will help you recharge your energy as soon as you come visit us.

Bagan was born as a capital in the 11th Century. King Anawratha, who ruled back then, was so impressed by the new religion “budismo therevada”, that he decided to hire architects to build something worthy of Buddha.

Building got underway turning Bagan into a place of pilgrimage for believers from South East Asia. There were more kings after Anawrath , and they all continued building temples, monasteries and palaces all over the Empire; this went on for 230 years.

Currently, Bagan only has around 5,000 inhabitants; there is almost absolute silence and the “estupas” around the city can pretty much be seen from any spot. No one is in a rush, there are no cars and barely any tourists; it is like travelling back in time in which the horizon seems limitless and makes us forget the noise that we are so used to living surrounded by.

Pagoda “Mingalazedi” is noticeable due to its terracotta delicate mosaics. Also, “Ananda”, is a large white building where there are 4 golden statues representing standing Buddha.

“Thatbyinnyu” is the tallest temple in Bagan, from it you can see the immensity of its surroundings. In addition, temple “Gawdawpalin” has an excellent view of the river.

At the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we don’t have more than 1,000 pagodas, but we do have 311 rooms where you can spend a few days living a true Asian experience. Come visit us and enjoy your stay!

One thing that Asia and the Mediterranean have in common is rice.

There are currently 2,000 different rice varieties in the world, but only a few of them are grown on a massive scale. Most of the rice we use nowadays belongs to two wild rice varieties; one native to Asian “Oryza Sativa” from the mountains of the Himalaya and another one native to Africa “Oryza Glaberrima” from the river delta in Niger.

Depending on the size of its grain, there can be different types of rice:

• LONG GRAIN: more than 6 mm, light and dry. This rice doesn’t stick after getting cold so it may be used in salads.

Aromatic rice is within this category: Basmati from India and Pakistan; Thai rice with jasmine scent; Ferranini from Italy; and American Bond rice, among others.

• MEDIUM GRAIN: between 5 and 6 mm, it’s shorter, rounder and thicker than long-grain rice. This rice has a lighter texture and flavour.

Within the medium-grain category it is worth mentioning the Bomba and Carnaroli rice, the most common in Spanish recipes.

• SHORT OR ROUND GRAIN: 4-5 mm, the grain is almost circular and the grain easily sticks together at room temperature. It is also the fastest to boil. This rice is generally used to make risottos, rice pudding and soupy rice.

Glutinous rice is mainly used in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. It is especially suitable for sushi as it sticks together due to a high content of starch.

There are other types of rice: 

• Pigmented rice: grain of different colours. The red one comes from Asia; the black one is also Asian and is often grown in China, Indonesia and Thailand.
• Brown rice: it maintains most of the grain’s coating and it has a high content of fibre.
• Steamed rice or “parboiled”: very similar to brown rice as it has the same nutritional values. It takes the longest to boil and its grains don’t stick.

Are you getting hungry after all this rice talk? At the 5-star Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you can enjoy our luxury restaurants and sample our excellent Asian and Mediterranean rice, just come visit and the choice will be yours.

Today, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we invite you to go a magic enchanted forest, the Shilin Stone Forest.

This amazing place is located in the Yunnan province (China); it is quite unique as it is formed by high rocks that go up all the way from the ground, in the shape of stalagmites or petrified trees in a still forest.

The Shilin Stone Forest is believed to be 270 million years old, its stones are known as “Karst” and are formed by other rocks being disintegrated on the surface of the earth thanks to the effect of the water, the sun and the wind combined with passing time.

It covers a-350 km² area and it was declared Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2007. It has been divided in seven different areas:

1. Major and Minor Stone Forests.

2. Naigu Stone Forest.

3. Long Lake.

4. Moon Lake.

5. Zhiyun Cave.

6. Dadie Waterfall.

7. Qifeng Cave.

In this magic stone forest there are walks, paths, underground rivers, caves, passages and bridges, which make the journey even more beautiful due to its hidden paths and labyrinths.

The Shilin Stone Forest also tells a famous love story.

Legend has it that the most beautiful girl of the “Yi” tribe fell madly in love with a young man. She was not allowed to marry him because she was engaged to someone else she didn’t love, and she preferred to live a loveless life and turn to stone in the forest where she fell in love.

The stone represents the Yi girl and it is named after her, “Ashima”. Every year, on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, the Torch Festival is celebrated with folk dancing and competitions.

If you would also like to enjoy a fantastic Asian experience, we recommend you to visit our 5-star luxury resort, Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa. Its prime location will allow you to enjoy the magic of Asia in the Mediterranean. We look forward to seeing you!