May 2016

Bach Ma National Park

We can´t imagine a better plan to say goodbye to this month that discovering a new Asian spot. Today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are travelling to Vietnam to visit the impressive Bach Ma National Park. Are you coming with us?

Bach Ma National Park is located near Hue, 40 kilometres away from the city, in central Vietnam. This protected area was established in 1991 to protect national endangered species.

Covering an area of 30,000 hectares, the park is famous all over the continent due to its astonishing biodiversity. Bach Ma National Park´s forest takes in more than 500 plant species, which are used for medicinal purposes.

If there is something that makes Bach Ma National Park so characteristic is the different birds we can find living there. The park is home to 359 bird species, represents around one-third of all the birds of the country. One of its most famous birds and the symbol of the park is Edward´s pheasant. Undoubtedly this is the ideal place for nature lovers, especially for ornithology lovers.

The best time to visit Bach Ma National Park is February, when the popular red azalea blooms. This month offers the tourists an excellent dry climate. Among the varied activities visitors can do when visiting the park we find hiking, mountain climbing and camping.

If you are looking for exploring new Asian landscapes, the resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is waiting for you. Our tropical gardens and mainly its varied flora, won´t leave you indifferent. Are you joining us?

Burmese cuisine

If there is something from the Asian continent that has won us over is its varied cuisine. Today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we want to take you to Myanmar to taste its most famous dishes.

Myanmar food is not very known for many people. It is a fusion of Chinese, Indian and Thai cuisines. Rice and curry are two of its main ingredients, as well as native fish and vegetables and fruits. Most Burmese people are vegetarian.

Let´s discover which Burmese dishes you can´t miss:

Hingyo. It is a traditional Burmese soup. This is a vegetable clear soup. All Burmese dishes are served with soup. There is a famous sour variety called chinyei.

Ohn no khao swè. Also known as Burmese Chicken Coconut Noodle Soup. Noodles are another essential part of Burmese diet. This noodle recipe is prepared with cocnout, chicken, curry and plenty of spices.

Mohinga. It is considered the national dish of Myanmar. This noodle soup is often eaten as breakfast. This recipe is made from thin rice noodles served in a thick fish and shallot broth and supplemented with the crunchy pith of the banana tree, lemongrass, ginger and saffron.

Lahpet thoke. There are many different types of salads, but this is one of the most famous ones. Also called pickled tea leaf salad, is always served at Burmese celebrations or ceremonies. It is cooked with fermented tea leaves and a dressing made with fried garlic, sesame seeds, roasted peanuts, dried shrimp floss, chilli and lime.

 Sa-Nwin-Ma-Kin. This is Burmese classic dessert. It is a semolina cake prepared with sugar, eggs, butter and coconut.

If you want to taste authentic Asian flavours, we suggest you enjoy a dinner at our Asiatic restaurant Koh Samui during your visit at our 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa. You will be looking forward to coming back!

Pha That Luang

One more week, we are discovering you a new Asian spot that doubtless, it is worth visiting. Today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are taking you to Laos to go to the famous Pha That Luang temple.

Pha That Luang, also known as Great Stupa, is located in the centre of Vientiane, the capital of Laos. It is the most important national monument in Laos and a symbol of Buddhist religion.

This gold-covered stupa is one of the most famous stupas in Southeast Asia. A stupa is an architectural structure housing relics of important saintly figures. It is considered the most important type of Buddhist monument. Its initial establishment is suggested to be in the 3rd century BC. Since then, Pha That Luang has undergone several reconstructions due to foreign invasions of the area. The French government in 1900s did the most important reconstruction of the stupa. It was an almost total reconstruction after the invasion of the Kingdom of Siam in 1928.

Pha That Luang stupa consists of three levels, which symbolize the ascent from earth to heaven. Each level is narrower than the previous level. The first level represents the material world, the second level symbolizes the 30 perfections of Buddhism, and the third and last level represents the prelude to the Kingdom of Heaven.

One of the most characteristic features of the temple is its huge golden spire on the top, which can be seen from any point of the city, as well as the Buddha sculptures and statues decorating it.

The most important local and national festivities usually take place at Pha That Luang stupa. That is why the temple is differently decorated throughout the year with many offerings and colourful flowers.

If you love Asia and its culture, you have a mandatory stop at our 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa. Plan your summer in Thai paradise and enjoy an unforgettable holiday.

The Fountain of Wealth

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we love following Asian traditions. That´s why today we continue our tour around Asia to discover the famous Fountain of Wealth in Singapore. Are you joining us?

The Fountain of Wealth is considered the largest fountain in the world, specifically; in 1998 it was recognized by the Guinness Book Of World Records as the largest fountain in the world. It is located in the hub of one of the largest shopping centres in Singapore, the Suntec City. And it is one of the most visited places in the country.

The fountain was built in 1995. It occupies an area of almost 1,700 square metres and with a height about 14 metres, although the water thrown into the air reaches a height of 30 metres. It was built following the Feng Shui doctrine. Its impressive structure consists of a huge circular ring supported by four columns. It is made of 85 tonnes of silicon bronze.

For Chinese culture, water symbolizes wealth and life. And the harmonious combination of water and metal attracts success.

During certain periods of the day, the Fountain of Wealth is turned off so Singaporeans and tourists are able to walk around a smaller fountain located in the centre. It is said that walking around the fountain three times in a clockwise direction, while touching the water attracts good luck. And it is also claimed that if this is done between 4 and 6 am for nine days in a row, good lucks and wealth will be attract for a longer period of time.

At night the Fountain of Wealth offers spectacular laser performances and live music. Precisely, one of the special features of the fountain is that it lets visitors do song and laser message dedications. Therefore so many couples visit this place and that has become a famous spot to propose marriage.

At the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we also have our own fountain where every Saturday the Wishing Fountain Ceremony takes place in the Hotel Hall. Participate in this tradition and make all your wishes come true at our Asian paradise in the Mediterranean!

Thai foot massage

Summer is coming and at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are getting ready to feel good on the inside and look good on the outside. Our secret is pampering ourselves with the best Asian treatments, such as our Thai foot massage. Let´s learn a little bit more about this relaxation technique…

Thai foot massage is an ancient art and technique, which has evolved over the years. It helps balance the organism´s functions and especially relax body and mind.

According to the principles of Thai foot reflexology, the soles of the feet represent the human body organs. Therefore the effects of massage are felt all over the body; through a slight movement you can identify any disorder.

There are two types of foot reflexology, a relaxing one and another one specialized on specific diseases. For this last one, special lotions and a tool called stick are used, which helps locate and work on some pressure points with more precision. Besides, it also significantly improves our sleep.

Thai foot massage ends with a legs massage, an arms massage and a head one.

If you visit our Asian paradise in the Mediterranean Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa don´t hesitate to book our Nuad Thao foot massage. An essential luxury…

The Shwedagon Pagoda

We keep growing our list of Asian spots to discover. Today from our luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we want to take you to Myanmar to visit the impressive Shwedagon Pagoda.

The Shwedagon Pagoda is the most symbolic place in Yangon, and also one of the symbols of the country. This is one of the 3 temples in Myanmar that are considered as sacred pilgrimage sites along with the Golden Rock, in Bago, and Mahamuni Buddha, in Mandalay.

It is one of the most ancient pagodas in the world. According to the legend, around 2,500 years ago, two merchant brothers met the Lord Gautama Buddha, who gave them eight of his hairs. The brothers went back to Okkalapa and gave the hairs to the King, who ordered to build a temple to enclose this sacred offering.

The Shwedagon Pagoda sits atop Singuttara hill and is 110 metres high. It is famous for being covered with hundreds of gold plates; the temple is made up of 27 tonnes of gold. Besides, the crown of the stupa is tipped with over 5,000 diamonds and over 2,000 rubies.

People all over the country have donated gold to maintain the pagoda. This practice dates back to the 15th century, when the Queen Shinsawbu gave her weight in gold to re-cover the stupa. Burmese keep donating all type of jewellery.

There are a series of rites and traditions that Burmese do while visiting Shwedagon Pagoda. The two most popular ones are: pouring water on the image of Buddha and walking around the stupa clockwise (let ya yit).

If you are already planning your summer holidays, book In Advance at our 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa and get a 15% off. You deserve a few days off in Southeast Asia in the Mediterranean.

Ryoan-ji Temple

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we keep enjoying spring as we like it: travelling around the Asian continent. Today we want to take you to Japan to discover one of its most fantastic temples: Ryoanji Temple.

Ryoanji Temple is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, close to another famous temple in Japan, Kinkakuji Temple. The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

It was built as an aristocratic residence in the late 700s during Heian period, and in 1450, it was transformed into a Zen Buddhist Temple.

One of Ryoanji´s main attractions is its karesansui, which is also one of the most famous Japanese rock gardens. Both its date of construction and its designer are unknown, although it is thought it was built in the late 15th century.

This garden consists of a rectangular plot of pebbles, with 15 rocks laid out on patches of moss surrounded by white gravel and three earthen walls. It is located in front of the main building.

There are many different theories on the garden’s meaning. For many years, it was said that this Japanese rock garden represented a tiger carrying cubs across a pond. But a recent theory argues that the stones are hiding the figure of a tree. It is said that our subconscious is able to see the tree without even noticing, that´s why its so relaxing watching the garden.

Ryoanji Temple also includes a large pond, Kyoyo-chi pond, which dates back to the Heian period, and features a small shrine. The best time of the year to contemplate it is autumn.

If you are planning a relaxing getaway, our 5 stars resort in the Mediterranean Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is your destination. Don´t hesitate to visit our Thai Spa to enjoy one of our Asian treatments or taking part in one of our activities, courtesy of the hotel, which are perfect for a relaxation session. What are you waiting for? Come see us!

Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival

Let´s start the month the best way travelling around Southeast Asia. Today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are going to Thailand to celebrate Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival. Are you up for it?

The famous Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival takes place in Yasothon, a province in Thailand’s northeast. It is held every year on May 12 and 13. It is celebrated to ask for rainfall from the master of the skies. It is also known as the Rocket Festival.

This tradition, together with the festivals in honour of good harvest are very important for Thai people, due to over 70% of the population are agricultural workers. They believe that if this celebration is

not held, Vassakan, God of Rain, won´t bring rain and they won´t be able to grow anything.

During Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival everyone around town joins the festivities. On the first day of the festival, there is a Bang Fai parade where people dance and sing in the streets. Bang Fai are homemade rockets built up out of bamboos. Performances of folklore bands and a beauty queen contest also take place.

The second and last day of Bun Bang Fai is the highlight of the festival. The rockets are fired and launch to the sky to ask for rain. According to the legend, Vassakan liked fireworks.

If you are looking for a place to host a special event, our 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is the right location. Our Conference Centre is the ideal venue for amazing family or employees.

Sun Moon Lake

We never get tired of discovering new Asian spots. Today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we pack our suitcases again for Taiwan to visit Sun Moon Lake. Are you coming with us?

Sun Moon Lake is the largest body of water in Taiwan as well as one of its main tourist attractions. It is located in Nantou County. The east side of the lake resembles a sun while the west side resembles a moon, hence the name, that´s where the name of the lake comes from.

This clear blue water lake is located 748 metres above sea level and it is 27 metres deep. Swimming is not allowed in Sun Moon Lake, but every year the lake holds the race Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival during the famous Moon Festival.

Sun Moon Lake and its surroundings have been designated one of the National Scenic Areas in Taiwan. Precisely, what makes this lake such a magic place is the group of temples and sanctuaries surrounding it: Ci En Pagoda, Jianjing Temple, Syuentzang Temple or Syuanguang Temple.

Sun Moon Lake is also popular due to the Thao tribe, one of aboriginal tribes of Taiwan, which lives there. This is the smallest of Taiwan´s ethnic groups, who has been living around the lake for a century.

At the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you have 7 outdoor pools, 2 of them heated, that will make you feel you are in Asia and where you will be able to enjoy a few days off by the sun. Are you joining us at our Asian paradise in the Mediterranean?

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