As you already know, at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we are Asian lovers, and we specially love its cuisine. Today we are taking you to China to discover more about its delightful cuisine.

Chinese food is one of the richest cuisines in the world. And it is also one of the most ancient cuisines. Due to the different and unique characteristics its local dishes have, Chinese cuisine splits into eight regional cuisines.

Sichuan Cuisine or Chuan is the most widely served cuisine in China. It is very spicy and bold. The main ingredients used on Sichuan dishes are chilli, pepper, which is very common in Sichuan, garlic and ginger. Its most renowned dish is Kung Pao Chicken.

Shandong Cuisine or Lu Cuisine is fresh, light and healthy. It is known for its meat, seafood and soups. It dates back to Qin Dynasty. Its most representative dish is sweet and sour carp.

Yue Cuisine or Guangdong Cuisine (Cantonese food) is the most varied and international Chinese cuisine. This type of Chinese food has been popularized by Chinese restaurants around the world. The most popular ingredients are fish, soy sauce and ginger. It most famous dish is Dim Sum.

Fujian Cuisine, also known as Min cuisine, is famous for its soups, seafood dishes and light and sweet flavours. Noodles and rice, very common in Fujian, are also one of the main ingredients on its recipes. One of its most popular dishes is oyster omelette.

Su Cuisine or Jiangsu Cuisine is fresh and salty. Jiangsu dishes are simmered. Among its ingredients we can find duck and seafood. Braised spareribs and Nanjing duck are some of its most common dishes.

Hunan Cuisine or Xiang Cuisine is known for its spicy and sweet-and-sour flavours. Hunan cuisine places a great deal of emphasis on condiments and chilli. The special seasonings of its cuisine include honey, soy sauce, cinnamon, vinegar and ginger. Red-braised pork is its most renowned dish.

Anhui Cuisine or Hui Cuisine is characterized by stews. Among its ingredients we find duck, turtle and chicken. One of its most famous dishes is stewed soft shell turtle with ham.

Zhejiang Cuisine or Jing Cuisine is very fresh and healthy. Zhejiang dishes are very varied such as fish, all types of meat and vegetables. Its most popular dish is beggar´s chicken.

If you visit us, our Asian cuisine won´t leave you indifferent. Our suggestion is our Koh Samui restaurant. Quality and luxury are waiting for you…

At the 5 stars hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we keep travelling through the Asian continent to discover you Asia´s wonders. Today we are taking you to India to talk to about its traditional jewellery.

The love Indian women feel about jewellery has been a long-standing one. It has been an important part of Indian culture for centuries. Indian jewellery has been used through the history of the country. Indian jewellers were inspired by their ancestors to design presents with gold and silver, which were also inspired by flowers.

Traditional Indian jewellery is as varied as the country. There are designs for almost every part of the body. There are different types based on the region. Every state has its own style.

The different types of Indian jewellery include works in stone and pearl. Gold jewels are the most popular between Indian women; but emerald, rubies, gems and sapphires are very common too.

Traditional Indian jewellery can be divided into facial jewellery and body ornaments. Among the facial jewellery we can find the earrings or Jhumka. According to history, they were one of the most common accessories between men and women; but nowadays they are more popular between women, and in particular nose earrings, which are known as Nath.

Regarding body ornaments, known as Payal or Pajeb, traditionally the most popular ones were ankle braces or Bajuband, which were used by women of all ages. Currently, bracelets are the most famous ornaments.

But if there is a popular jewel between Indian women, that is the Mangalsutra. Mangalsutra symbolizes married women. It is a sacred necklace that is given as a wedding present and the Hindu groom must tie around his bride’s neck. It is a traditional ritual for Indian weddings.

At the luxury hotel Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are Asian culture lovers, and especially Indian culture. If you visit our Asian spot in the Mediterranean, don´t miss the chance to take part in our Bollywood Show. We are looking forward to see you!

In the middle of summer, who doesn´t want to travel and relax? Today, from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are taking you to an idyllic place in Indonesia, the spectacular Raja Ampat archipelago.

Raja Ampat islands, also known as Four Kings, are located off the northwest tip of Bird´s Head Peninsula, on the island of New Guinea.

This splendid archipelago comprises over 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Batanta, Misool, Salawati and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Kofiau.

The islands, which encompass more than 40,000 square kilometres of land and sea, contain the famous place known as Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indosesia.

In the 18th century, Raja Ampat was one of the main spots for the spice trade. In the mid-nineteenth century, Alfred Russel Wallace, identified and classified hundreds of animals and plants species during his seventy expeditions. In 1860, Wallace decided to live alone for three months in Waigeo jungle on a voluntary retirement to observe the birds of paradise, species that can only be found in this archipelago.

Raja Ampat is a great destination to contemplate its lush and tropical nature, and one of the best places in the world for diving. It has 75% of all the coral species in the world and a large diversity of marine life.

Diving through Raja Ampat´s underwater world, we can find over 40 unique species of reef fish, more than 600 species of hard coral and five different species of endangered sea turtles.

Bedises, more than 10 native tribes live in Raja Ampat, letting tourists enjoy their culture through their exotic arts and dances.

If you want to stretch your summer, the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is the perfect choice. Plan a getaway to our Asian paradise and enjoy a few unforgettable days by the Mediterranean.

Many celebrations take place in the month of August. And at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we always have things to celebrate. Today we are taking you to Sri Lanka to experience the Esala Perahera festival.

The Kandy Esala Perahera is one of Sri Lanka´s most famous religious festival, and one of the most important Buddhist celebrations in Asia. It takes place every year in the hill-capital Kandy, in the full-moon month of August and lasts 10 days.

It is held to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha, which is housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa temple, which is known as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The Kandy Esala Perahera also pays homage to its four deities: Kataragama, Natha, Pattin and Vishnu.

According to the legend, Buddha´s tooth was brought to Sri Lanka during the 3^rd century BC, hidden inside a princess´ hair. From then on, every year after twilight for ten days the Sacred Tooth Relics of the Lord Buddha are carried through the streets of Kandy. A huge elephant is in charge of carrying the chest where the famous tooth is kept.

The main deities of the city walk from four different sanctuaries, accompanied by over one hundred elephants adorned with beautiful lights and colours, while dancers, musicians and acrobats adorned with silver ornaments and jewellery move to the rhythm of the music performing perfectly synchronise movements.

Over these ten days, Kandy´s streets are crowded with pilgrims from all over the country and tourists who doesn´t want to miss the Kandy Esala Perahera.

If you also love festivals and celebrations, Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is your place. A luxury resort where you will be able to feel the Asian tradition from the very first moment.

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we keep enjoying summer travelling around the Asian continent. Today we are taking you to Vietnam to swim in the beautiful Halong Bay.

Halong Bay is considered one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. It is located in Vietnam in Quang Ninh Province, 200 kilometres away from Hanoi. It features thousands of islands and limestone karsts in different sizes and shapes. It is one the main tourist attractions in the country.

Halong Bay hides a famous legend behind its name. According to this legend, when Vietnamese had to fight against Chinese invaders coming from the sea, the Jade Emperor sent the Mother Dragon and her children to help them. These dragons incinerated the enemies with giant pearls and emeralds and these emeralds from the dragon’s mouth formed an invincible defensive wall against the enemies. After thousands of years, the wall of emerald turned into island and islets of different sizes and shapes. This is why to remember the help of Mother Dragon and her children the people who lived there named the bay where the Mother Dragon descended “Ha Long or Halong”.

There are other stories behind the origin of the name of the bay. According to them, Halong Bay emerged after a dragon fell over the sea hittig it with its tale.

Over 2,000 islands make up Halong Bay. Although most of them are uninhabited, they do have pagodas. And in every single island, we can find different types of animals and vegetation.

The bay´s seabed is a must see for scuba diving lovers. Other activities tourists can do during their visits are climbing or taking a boat ride on a traditional Vietnamese wood boat. Doubtless, sailing around these ancient islands is an unforgettable and unique experience.

If you visit our 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa this summer, you will also love our Asian-style design pools. The beautiful Balinese style pool Faces of Angkor is perfect for those who are looking for a relaxed moment.