The Asian continent still has much to offer us, especially when it comes to its food. Today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are travelling to Cambodia to discover some of its most famous dishes. Are you coming with us?

Cambodian cuisine is very tasty and strong-flavoured. It is very similar to Thai, Laotian and Vietnamese food. Rice and fish are the main ingredients of any Cambodian diet. Each meal consists of soup, a soup, a main dish and dessert.

Amok. It is considered as the national dish of Cambodia. It can either be served in banana leaves or in a coconut. It is made with fresh coconut milk, chicken, fish, vegetables and some spices.

Nom banh chok. Also known as Khmer noodles, this is a popular breakfast dish in Cambodia. It consists of rice noodles, topped with fish-based green curry gravy, and green beans, cucumbers and other greens heaped on top. There is also a red curry version of Nom banh chok that is usually reserved for important festivities.

Bai Saik Ch’rouk. This is another traditional breakfast food. This recipe is commonly known as pork and rice. It consists of a mix of rice and grilled pork. One of its most famous varieties is Saik Ch’rouk Cha Kn’yei, which is made with fried pork.

Kdam Chaa. Fried crab is a specialty of the Cambodian seaside town of Kep. This dish is prepared with the famous locally grown green Kampot pepper, which is considered as the best pepper in the world.

Sweets are also important in Cambodian food. You can´t leave Cambodia without tasting Tuk-a-loc, a blended drink of fruits, raw egg, sweetened condensed milk and ice.

If you are an Asian food lover, at the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we have the ideal restaurant for you. If you visit us, our Koh Samui restaurant will win you over with its choicest oriental crossover cuisine.

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we like to pamper ourselves from the inside out to find spiritual and physical balance. That´s why today we want to tell you about Asian medicinal plants.

Ginseng. This plant comes from traditional Chinese medicine. It has many health benefits such as boosting physical and mental performance, stimulating the immune system, fighting aging or protecting the cardiovascular system.

Turmeric. It is native to southwest India. It has been used as a spice for years. It is one of the stars of alternative medicine. It is one of the ingredients used to make curry. Among its main benefits we find: reducing heartburn, protecting the heart and boosting body´s defences.

Tarragon. This small plant is mainly used for culinary and medicinal purposes. It comes from Central Asia. Anciently it was famous for its healing properties against venomous animal bites. Some its most important health benefits are: great source of vitamin C, and stimulating the digestive system.

Gotu kola. This plant is native to India, where it is considered as the most spiritual herb. Ancient Indians used to chew two leaves a day to keep old age away. This medicinal herb is good for healing, anxiety disorders and for boosting the brain.

If you visit our 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you have a mandatory stop at our Thai Spa, where you will be able to live a unique wellness experience thanks to our Asian treatments.

Asian celebrations continue at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa. Today we want to take you to China, in particular to Hong Kong, to experience one of its most famous spring festivities: Tin Hau festival.

Tin Hau festival commemorates Tin Hau´s birthday, which usually falls in April or May. In 2016, it will be held on April 29. Tin Hau is the Goddess of the Sea, a very important deity in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is very tied to the ocean. Tin Hau is the patron saint of local sailors and fishermen, so it is a very significant day for them. In honour of Tin Hau sailors decorate their boats and make offerings to have a good fishing during the year.

Temples are also colorfully decorated. There are over 60 Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong. Yuen Long Temple becomes one of the offcial stops during Tin Hau festival. Thousands of people visit the temples to make offerings to Tin Hau, followed by playing a drum and a bell to attract good luck. The celebration ends with the famous lion dances around the streets.

Come to celebrate Early May Bank Holiday with us at our 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa. We have designed a very special programme for you to enjoy an unforgettable stay. Don´t miss the opportunity to visit Southeast Asia in the Mediterranean during the most spectacular time of the year!

We still have many Asian spots left to discover. That´s why today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we continue our trip around Asia travelling to the Philippines to get to know the amazing Kayangan Lake.

Kayangan Lake is located in Coron Island, in the province of Palawan. It has been considered as the cleanest lake in Asia.

This natural treasure doesn´t leave anyone indifferent. Its crystal-clear water, its limestone cliffs and its varied flora and fauna captivate every tourist that visits the lake.

Kayangan Lake is one of the two lakes in Coron Island (out of 8 lakes) that are open to the public. It is a mix of fresh water (70%) and salt water (30%), which makes it a natural pool perfect to swim in and dive into. Its crystal-clear water let see the limestone formation under it.

If you visit the 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, our Asian-style swimming pools will win you over. Our suggestion, if you are looking for a relaxing swim, is our Faces of Angkor pool, heated to 30º degrees all year and restricted to adults.

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa our microclimate never leaves us. We can´t imagine a better option to take care of ourselves and staying hydrated this spring than enjoying exotic Southeast Asian fruits.

Which ones are the most famous and peculiar ones? Keep reading…

Dragon fruit. Also known as pitaya, this is an unusually shaped fruit. It is dark red, pink or yellow. It is juicy and sweet; it tastes like a mix between a strawberry and a pear. You can find it all over Southeast Asia.

Mangosteen. This is Bali´s national fruit. It is also known as the “queen of fruits” due to a famous legend, which says Queen Victoria offered a great reward to the person capable of taking her this fruit to England. Its flavour is sweet and sour, a mix of peach and raspberry flavour. It is very healthy.

Rambutan. Along with Dragon fruit, Rambutan is one of the most strange shaped fruits. It looks like a sea urchin. Its white flesh is very sweet, kind of like an exotic grape. Some Asian cultures consider this fruit medicinal.

Snake fruit. Also known as Salak, this is a traditional Indonesian fruit. The name comes from its scaly brownish-red skin, which looks like the skin of a snake. It has a sweet and tangy taste like the apple.

Plan a getaway to Southeast Asia in the Mediterranean and enjoy a few days off at the 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa. During your trip, you must visit our Koh Samui restaurant, where you will be able to taste a wide variety of delicious exotic fruits.

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa as you already know, we never say no to any Asian celebration. Today we are travelling to Cambodia to celebrate its famous New Year.

Kmer New Year is the most famous Cambodian festivity. It is a three-day public holiday in Cambodia. It usually falls on mid-April. This year is held on 13-15 April. Besides celebrating entering the New Year, this day marks the end of the growing season.

Kmer New Year´s celebrations are one of the best experiences to enjoy the vitality of Cambodian culture. The three days of celebration have their own name and associated traditions: Maha Songkran, Vanabot and Leang Saka.

Maha Songkran. The first day of the Khmer New Year is called Maha Songkran. Cambodian people wear new clothes and offer candles and incense on Buddhist altars. Families must kneel three times before Buddha as a gesture of respect.

Virak Wanabat. Also known as Vanabot, the second day of celebration is a time to think of charity. People offer donations to the poor and homeless people. Families also go to pagodas to pay respect to their ancestors.

Leang Saka. On the third and last day of New Year celebrations, families meet at pagodas to wash and clean statues of Buddha with holy water. Another tradition is that children wash their parents and grandparents. This act symbolizes a long and healthy life. Cambodian people finish the day playing traditional games, dances and eating traditional food in the countryside.

Come celebrate Oriental Spring with us. Experience the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa during the most spectacular time of year. Feeling that you are in Asia in the month of flowers is easy…

Can you imagine a better plan to enjoy this spring than walking around one of the Asian continent´s amazing gardens? Today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we want to take you to Shanghai to discover the wonderful Yuyuan Garden.

Yuyuan Garden is located in Shanghai, next to the famous Yuyuan Tourist Mart in the centre of Shanghai’s Old City. Declared a national monument in 1982, it is one of the most famous gardens in China.

It was built during the Ming Dynasty by Pan Yunduan. Its construction took 18 years, the garden wasn´t finished until 1577. Due to the damages caused by different wars through the years, Yuyuan Garden had to be restored several times. The last one was in 1961, when it was open back to public.

It occupies an area of 20,000 square meters and represents the traditional Chinese garden. These types of Chinese gardens are distinguished by having rockeries, ponds, incense burners, woods, bamboo, different types of sculptures and plants and flowers such as the famous chrysanthemums.

The main entrance of Yuyuan Garden is located in front of the beautiful building of Huxinting Tea House, which anciently was part of the garden. Among the main elements you will find when you get into Yuyuan are the Five–Dragon wall and the Exquisite Jade Rock.

If you visit the 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, our tropical gardens won´t leave you indifferent. Our suggestion: our Botanical Route to enjoy a relaxing walk through beautiful flowers.

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we keep exploring the different spots in the Asian continent. Today we want to take you to Japan to discover Himeji Castle. Are you joining us on this trip?

Himeji Castle, also known as White Heron Castle due to its brilliant white exterior, is one the most ancient surviving buildings of Medieval Japan. Located in Himeji, it is one of the “Three Famous Castles of Japan”, along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle. It is also the most visited castle in Japan and one of the most spectacular ones.

The castle was constructed on Himeyama hill, in the north of Himeji. It is Flatland-Mountain castle or hirayamajiro, a castle built on large hills where a plain spread out before them. Himeji Castle dates back to 1333, when Akamatsu Norimura built a fort on top of Himeyama hill.

Currently Himeji Castle complex comprises the tenshukaku or main tower, the shotenshu or minor tower and its eight watari-yagura or towers. The castle is also made up of hundreds of doors, passages and walls.

Travel to Southeast Asia in a few hours. Can you imagine a better plan for spring? Visit our 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa in the Mediterranean. A paradise at your fingertips…