This week we keep on celebrating at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we are going to a wedding. There is nothing like a wedding, a happy bond between two people who swear to love each other for the rest of their lives. Have you ever wondered what weddings are like in Asia?

Traditional Korean weddings have been toned down recently, and are now much more basic than before. Previously, anyone could take part in a wedding and congratulate the newlyweds, as they used to celebrate them with open doors.

However, this is no longer common practice, although some weddings continue to be held in people’s homes, now the bride and groom make a guest list just like we do in the west, because they wish to have a more intimate ceremony.

Weddings consist of several parts:

– Nappye or Hampalgi: the groom’s family used to send gifts to the bride and a letter inside a chest. However, they now send a “hanbok”, a traditional Korean dress which dates back to the 70’s.

– Jeonallye: the groom used to go to the bride’s house with a present, a male goose which symbolised “a partner for life”. The bird was given to the future mother in law, in representation of loyalty to his fiancée. Nowadays, this has also changed; a wooden goose is now used instead.

– Gyobaerye: the bride and groom are face to face for the first time at the ceremony and they exchange vows.

– Hapgeullyue: a pumpkin soup that symbolises “the newlyweds”.

– Pyebaek: once the wedding is over, the newlyweds pay their respects to the groom’s parents and they in turn throw some fruit at the bride’s skirt, as a symbol of fertility.

If you are looking for a spectacular wedding which is perfect and luxurious and has a strong family tradition come to the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, where you can celebrate your wedding in the best luxury resort in the Mediterranean.

If there is something we like at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, that is Asian traditions; and although we are far away from that continent, from our blog we try to make you feel closer to it. Today, we are going to tell about the Masskara Festival.

This festival is held annually in Bacolod, in the Philippines, on the third weekend of October. It is known for being the liveliest festival in the country. It is true that during the festival the natural and friendly character of the locals is plain to see.

The word “Masskara” is a combination of “crowd” (a crowd of people), and “kara” (face), making up the word Masskara, “crowd of faces or masks”, because at the festival people wear smiley masks.

The Masskara Festival it consists of a dance competition held on the streets where masked and colourful dancers happily move to the rhythm of music, showing coordination and resistance.

Another one of the main activities is a beauty pageant called “MassKara Queen”, along with carnivals, competitions and raffles, cooking contests, sport events, concerts, agricultural and trade fairs, gardening programmes and other special events.

If you like festivals and celebrations, there is no better place than the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa 5*, a luxury resort where you will be able to enjoy Asian traditions from the word go.

At the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we love to look after the wellbeing of our guests, which is why, at our luxury resort in the Mediterranean, we have several restaurants where you can enjoy Asian cuisine.

That is why we would like to dedicate a whole section to talk about the most exotic and dangerous fish in the world, a delicacy in Asia, the FUGU or puffer fish.

The fugu is a Japanese dish made from puffer fish, a fatally poisonous fish due to its toxins, which is why it must be carefully cooked.

Eating this fish is so dangerous that only some expert chefs who have undergone a prior 3-year training, can cook or serve it, as it is essential that its toxic parts don’t contaminate the rest of the fish. Only 35% of the candidates pass the final exam.

Fortunately, in Japan a lot of care is put into this technique, and it has been so for many years. Currently, it is fully regulated from the beginning of the process, permits are given only to experts, and it is prepared in authorised restaurants where they make sure that all toxic waste is duly disposed of in special containers allocated to each of the restaurants.

The largest fugu wholesaler in Japan is in Shimonoseki, where there are plenty of specialised restaurants that serve dishes prepared with different parts of this fish.

If you prefer not to take risks when it comes to what you eat, and you’d rather enjoy the experience, in our restaurants at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you will find all kinds of safe and traditional Asian delicacies.

Would you like to come and try them all?

At the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we love places that awaken our senses, interest and emotions, and that is why today we are bringing you to one of the most unknown places to tourists, the temple-caves located in Myanmar.

We are talking about the Powintaung caves or “Pho Win Taung”, a group of 492 Buddhist caverns (947 caves) north of Burma (Myanmar), whose name means “Solitary and Isolated Meditation Mountain”.

Most caves date back to the 15^th Century, however, many of them are not natural caves but caves dug by men. Despite this, it is an important place for pilgrims and Buddhists which is why not all the caves may be visited by non-believers.

On the inside of these caves there are Buddha-related works of art. The caves are believed to hold around 2,600 statues, not including some paintings on walls also depicting Buddha.

One of the most significant caves is “The Labyrinth Cave”, which dates back to the 18^th Century, which has more than 70 images of Buddha.

Legend has it that an alchemist with supernatural powers called U Po Win (hence its current name), lived in the cave. According to the popular tradition in Myanmar, he was a “Zawgyis” considered all powerful as he could fly, breath under water, heal, was able to use teleportation, etc… That is the reason why people believe there is a special aura there of mysticism, power and magic.

If you also enjoy discovering places with an Asian mysticism, we recommend you come visit us at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa where you will have a fully Asian experience.

Today, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we are visiting Asia in a traditional and very original way, hard to find elsewhere, the Tuk-Tuk.

The tuk-tuk is a motor tricycle broadly used in some parts of Asia. Also known as “autorickshaw”, “auto ricksha”, auto, tuk-tuk, and moto-taxi. They are often used as taxies and delivery vehicles, although in some places they are mainly used by tourists.

The first tuk-tuks started back in the 60’s combining rickshaws and motorcycles, made in Japan. A few years later, they were exported to many other Asian countries. They quickly made it in countries like India and Thailand.

Tuk-tuks are very commonly used in Bangkok.

However, there is also another kind, a light motor tricycle vehicle, whose top part is used to carry load. These cargo vehicles were already used in Italy in 1948, and were known as “ape” (made by Piaggio Ape) and sometimes used to carry passengers.

It is common to haggle before agreeing on a price, to make free use of them, but in return you will be brought to shops around Bangkok that pay tuk-tuk drivers with fuel vouchers for bringing customers to them.

But rest assure, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you will not need to be transported anywhere. Just go for a stroll around our gardens and swimming pools and you will feel as if you were in Asia. Come and see for yourself. We await your visit.

At the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we have 7 very different swimming pools where you can relax. Today, we are going to Indonesia, where there are three different colour lakes in a volcano.

We are talking about Flower Island, an island part of the Sunda Islands, east of Sumbawa and Komodo.

The Kelimutu Volcano (active, although its latest eruption was in 1968) it is 1639 high, and its 3 different colour lakes in its three craters make it unique as they change colour at different times of the year.

According to scientists, the change in colour is due to the mix of steam and gas on the inside at high temperatures causes a chemical reaction which results in changes in the oxidation of the elements present in the lakes and other elements are in turn released.

The inhabitants of Flower Island believe that when someone dies, their spirit is immersed in one of the three lakes depending on their personality and age:

• Tiwu Ata Mbupu: the lake for the souls of parents and the elderly, black.

• Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai: the lake for the souls of young people. This is the largest of the three of them. It is generally turquoise or light blue.

• Tiwu Ata Polo or Enchanted Lake: the lake for those who have committed a crime. This lake is the one with the most changing colour. It is sometimes red, turquoise or white.

If you also feel like swimming in crystal clear waters, come visit us at Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, a luxury resort in the Mediterranean where you can enjoy all we have to offer and our 7 swimming pools. We look forward to welcoming you!

Today, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are showing you the world of Thai theatre. Did you know that there are different types of drama dances? We are going to tell you all about them here.

In Thailand there are different types of drama dances:

• “Khon” or Masked Dance: Was a result of the evolution of the shadow theatre. All dancers wear masks representing the main characters of the Ramayana: Ogres, monkeys, demons, Rama and Sidha, the heroin.

• “Lakhon” or Danced Theatre: In ancient times this type of dance was only represented in the royal palace by women. There was another outdoor version of the dance, the “lakhon nok” that used to be danced anywhere, in front of an audience, and represented by mixed-sex performers.

• “Likay” or Popular Theatre: Is the village version of danced theatre. The topics were about legends, feelings, everyday life, wars, etc. The spectacular costumes of the performers stand out.

• “Nang Talung” or Shadow Theatre: It also represents the Ranayama. The characters are made of buffalo skin and stuck on bamboo sticks held by the performers over their heads. This type of dance has a strong Indonesian influence as it is their tradition to also use this type of puppets.

• “Hun Krabok” or Puppet Theatre: These performances are a must in Thai festivals, in pagodas and weddings. They often tell epic stories about Thai mythology, and the puppets are held from the bottom with bamboo sticks.

Come and enjoy a true Asian experience at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, a luxury resort in the Mediterranean where you will experience Asian culture without leaving your country.

We love relaxation and wellbeing at Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, and beauty, a subjective and volatile luxury which is part of us and can be found in the small things we all like.

Today, we are going to talk about the beauty of Thai Traditional Dance, a type of art which is beautiful by nature.

Thailand is a culturally rich place, full of artistic displays and performing arts. One of the most stunning forms of expression that can be seen in this Asian country is its traditional dance.

Nowadays, there are different types of Traditional Thai Dance, there are dances that are more than 400 years old that have barely changed over time, and there are other types of dances that have been more influenced by other cultures.

This is a popular type of art, danced at parties and weddings, a graceful and expressive dance associated with Thai traditions, religion, social activities and popular beliefs. The delicate movements of the dancers, their hairdos, and their outfits stand out as they are attractive, ornamented and colourful.

This is a way to express feelings, a dance in which the posture of the performers is key.

Thai dancers stand straight from neck to hip and move up and down using only their knees as they follow the rhythm of the music. Their arms and hands are held in curvatures at different levels, but not like in ballet. The beauty of the dancers depends on how these curves and angles are held in relation to the proportion of their bodies.
If you also enjoy beautiful Asia, come visit us at Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, an Asian luxury resort where you will enjoy a unique experience.