Today at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are saying goodbye to April as we like: travelling around the Asian continent. We are leaving Alicante behind to discover the famous Qinghai Lake in China.

Qinghai Lake is the largest salt-water lake in China and also one of the most beautiful ones in the country. It is about 3,200 metres above sea level and it is located in Qinghai province. This is one of the most popular Chinese attractions.

Anciently, local people used to confuse the lake with a sea due to its width and area. It is surrounded by four huge mountains, each of them is over 3,000 metres high, enclosing the lake like a shield.

Qinghai Lake is not monochromatic. The colour of the water changes depending on the weather: light blue, emerald, dark purple and silver. Summer and autumn are the best time of the year to visit the lake. The landscape is spectacular during these seasons.

The lake is located at the crossroads of several bird migration routes across Asia. Precisely, on the western side of the lake are the islands known as “Bird Islands”: Dandao Island and Haixipi Island, which have been bird sanctuaries of the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone since 1997.

Qinghai Lake is linked to tales and legends about women. According to Chinese mythology, the lake is also known as the “Pond of Fairy Mother´s Abode”, whose owner was a prestigious goddess, the Queen Mother of the Western Heaven. The legend tells that the Queen Mother held grand banquets in the lake to entertain other gods and goddesses in the heaven. And every July 18, on Queen Mother´s birthday, local people would visit the lake to hold grand rituals of worship. Currently, the ceremonies taking place around the lake have become a very popular event. People all over the country and the rest of the continent get together to dance, sing, plat and have fun at Qinghai Lake.

The famous Tour of Qinghai Lake takes place every year in July, at the same time that the Tour de France.

If you visit the luxury resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, you will be able to enjoy our spectacular Asian-style pools. The Asian continent has never been closer…

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we still have many Asian spots left to discover. Today we are travelling to Thailand to visit Doi Inthanon National Park. Are you joining us?

Doi Inthanon is a beautiful national park located about 90 kilometres away from Chiang Mai. It is one of the most important parks in Thailand; it is home to Thailand´s highest peak, Doi Inthanon, which soars to 2565 metres above sea level.

The park is surrounded by an incredible landscape. Any real nature lover can´t miss some important Doi Inthanon´s spots.

Among the park´s main attractions we find its waterfalls. The best time of the year to contemplate them is between July and December, coinciding with the rainy season and the first months of the dry season; when the waterfalls have more water. The most important ones are: Wachirathan Waterfall, located at the entrance of the park is the most spectacular one; Sirithan Waterfall; Siriphum Waterfall and Mae Ya Waterfall.

Doi Inthanon´s two modern pagodas are another of its treasures. Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon and Phra Mahathat Naphaphon Bhum were built in honour of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit.

Besides enjoying the nature surrounding the park, visitors can also get to know the different ethnic groups who live in Doi Inthanon. The most popular ones are the Mon tribe and Karen tribe, dedicated to the cultivation of flowers and vegetables.

 The Asian paradise is much closer than you think! Enjoy a getaway to our 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa. Experience the luxury of getting lost in the Mediterranean…

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we never get tired of discovering and tasting new flavours of Asian gastronomy. Today we are travelling to Indonesia to find out which are its most famous sweets and desserts.

Coconut is one of the main ingredients of Indonesian food. Let´s go over the sweet dishes you can´t miss during your visit to the insular country.

Klepon. This is one of the favourite desserts of Indonesian people. It is a traditional recipe from Javanese cuisine. It consists in a rice cake, a mix of glutinous rice and regular rice, stuffed with palm sugar and rolled in grated coconut. Its green colour is due to a paste made from pandan. It is usually served with a cup of jasmine tea.

Pisang Goreng. Known as Indonesian banana fritters, this is one of locals´ favourite snacks. It is consumed as an appetiser in the morning or in the afternoon. It is prepared with banana or plantain, which is battered and then deep-fried in hot cooking oil.

Kolak. It is one of the most typical Indonesian desserts. It is cooked with coconut milk, plam sugar, and other ingredients such as fruits or beans. If the recipe includes banana, the dish is known as Kolak Pisang. It can either be served cold or hot.

Dadar Gulung. This is a traditional Balinese dessert. It is a rolled crepe of pandan leaves, therefore its bright green colour, and stuffed with grated coconut, brown sugar and cinnamon. The mix of grated coconut and sugar gives the recipe a similar taste to peanuts.

If you want to live a full Asian experience, during your visit to the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, you have a mandatory dinner at our Koh Samui restaurant. Enjoy a blend of the most select Oriental cuisine!

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we like pampering ourselves from the inside out. That is why today we keep travelling around Asia to discover which are the main Asian beauty rituals.

Asian beauty rituals provide the skin many benefits, making it look radiant and beautiful. These techniques have been transmitted from one generation to another, and nowadays they are still considered very effective.

Rice water. This is an ancient beauty ritual. It consists in boiling a ½ cup of rice for 15 minutes. Once the time has passed, the rice it´s strained and cool before applying on the body after bathing. It is recommended doing this four times a week. Its main benefits are: softening, moisturising and lightening the skin.

Cold towels. This is very popular technique in Japan. It consists in wetting a towel in frozen water and put it on the clean face for 5 minutes. It helps toning the skin, giving it more firmness and getting rid of oily skin.

Green tea. This drink is included in most Japanese women´s diet. Its components help regenerating skin as well as preventing premature aging, thanks to tea´s antioxidants. It is recommended having 1 or 2 cups of tea a day.

Otefuki. This Asian beauty ritual consists in dampening a towel into hot water and rosemary or lavender oil to open pores and moisturise the skin. The ideal would be doing this ritual once a week, preferably at night, it works better at this time of the day.

Dry skin brushing. Another remedy developed by Asian women is using a wood brush with soft bristles to massage the skin, stimulate its circulation and get rid of dead skin cells. It is recommended to follow this ritual three times a week, without pressing very hard and avoiding eye area.

Chamomile tea. Rinsing your face with cold chamomile tea helps balancing your pH, as well as moisturising and toning your skin.

If you visit our 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you have a mandatory stop at our Thai Spa. Book one of our treatments, an essential luxury.

Today at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we have reasons to celebrate. We are going to India to commemorate the famous Baisakhi festival. Are you coming?

Baisakhi is an ancient festival, which marks the Solar New Year in India. It takes place every year on April 13 or 14. According to the English calendar, it is celebrated every year on April 13 and on April 14 once every 36 years.

This day is celebrated in the whole country by different names and celebrations. Baisakhi´s date coincides with the “Rongali Bihu” in Assam, the “Naba Barsha” in Bengal, “Puthandu” in Tamil Nadu and “Pooram Vishu” in Kerala.

Baisakhi has a very special meaning for the Sikh community. On April 13, 1699 Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa. During this day it´s a tradition visiting the Gurdwaras. Many people also take a bath in the sacred river to celebrate Baisakhi. At the end of the day, Sikhs receive the Karah Prasad, a traditional dish consisting of sweet flour, followed by a community lunch.

Baisakhi is also celebrated with lots of enthusiasm in the north of the country, especially in the state of Punjab, where people thank God for the good harvest of rabi crops. People wear new clothes during the celebration and have fun dancing Bhangra dances.

Come celebrate Oriental Spring at the Zen Paradise. Experience the resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa during the most spectacular time of year. Exclusivity and Thai rituals with the colours and aromas of Asia. Are you going to miss it?

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we never get tired of discovering and trying new flavours of the Asian continent. Today we are travelling to Japan to find out more about the different types of ramen. Are you joining us?

Ramen is one of the most famous Japanese dishes. Each region prepares it and eats it in a different way, according to their preferences, traditions and the products their lands grow. These are the main types of ramen:

Hakata Ramen. This type of ramen is perfect for those who love the taste of thick soup. Its speciality is the soup, which is made with broken pork bones. The noodles used are thin and straight and it is usually seasoned with chashu, chives, pickled ginger, wood ear mushrooms and spicy mustard greens.

Kyoto Ramen. In Kyoto the ramen is prepared with chicken soup, thin noodles and it is seasoned with green onion and spicy beans pastry.

Tokyo Ramen. Also known as Shoyu ramen, this is the most popular ramen. This soup is lighter than the other ones. It is made from pork and chicken soup and seasoned with lost of soy sauce, roasted pork, chives, bamboo shoots and boiled egg.

Muroran Ramen. This Japanese region is known for its cold temperatures, making Muroran ramen a traditional recipe to warm up. The most popular ramen in Muroran is a spicy curry ramen seasoned with chashu, chives and mustard greens.

Sapporo Ramen. The city of Sappor is best known as the birthplace of miso. And precisely this is its main ingredient. Many people called it miso ramen. It is prepared with thick noodles, pork or fish, chicken and red miso. The key ingredient used to thicken the soup is walnut butter.

Tsukemen Ramen. This is a traditional Japanese summer dish. It is served in two different bowls: one for undressed noodles and another one for the soup. The noodles are dipped into the soup accompanying the rest of ingredients.

Shio Ramen. This is the most simple ramen recipe. It is very popular in Hokkaido. It is prepared with sea salt.

If you would like to know more about Asian gastronomy, during your visit to the luxury resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, you can´t miss the Asian Cookshow. Learn the differences and nuances between the cooking methods in the Asian continent!

As you already know, at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we love spring and the flowers it brings. That´s why today we want to take you to Thailand to discover some of its most beautiful flowers. Are you coming?

Since ancient times, there has been an important flower culture in Thailand. This is directly related to offerings to Buddha and religious symbols. However, which are the most popular flowers in the country?

Thai Lotus. Also known as Nelumbo, it has many different meanings for Thai culture. This is one of the oldest known flowers in Thailand. Since this plant is a symbol of purity and innocence in Buddhism, it can be found in all the Thai sanctuaries and temples.

Thai Bougainvillea. This is one of the most famous flowers in Thailand. Thanks to the country´s tropical climate, it blooms all year long; producing different colour flowers: pink, orange, red, purple and white. Bougainvillea may reach 8 metres high.

Orchid. Throughout the years, this flower has become very popular, and it is already considered one of Thailand´s symbols. We can find more kinds of this flower in Thailand than any other Asian country. It is usually used as an ornamental plant.

Have you ever visited the Pool of Flowers at the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa? If you are staying in one of our Suites, don´t miss enjoying this exclusive pool surrounded by beautiful bougainvillea.

We can´t imagine a better way to welcome April than travelling around the Asian continent. Today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are taking you to Indonesia to visit the amazing Uluwatu Temple.

Luhur Uluwatu Temple is one of the most beautiful and famous temples in Bali. Located on top of a steep cliff 75 metres above sea level, it is one of the main cult places in the island.

The temple, built with black rock, dates back to the tenth century and it is one of the oldest temples in Bali. It is one of the nine directional temples of Bali, located in strategic places of the island to protect it from evil spirits.

Uluwatu Temple has a huge religious importance for being the traveller Dhang Hyang Dwijendra´s last residence, who developed the current dharma branch of knowledge in the fifteenth century.

Any time of the day is good for visiting the temple, but the light during twilight makes it even more special. It is considered one of the best spots to contemplate the incredible sunsets, overlooking the Indian Ocean. Besides, in the evening natives perform the Kecak Dance every day.

If you also love beautiful Asian landscapes, at the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, you will travel to the Asian continent in a couple hours. Are you joining us?