At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we always have reasons to celebrate. Today we are travelling to Vietnam to commemorate the famous Trung Nguyen festival. Are you joining us?

Trung Nguyen or Wandering Souls’ Day is one of the most popular national religious celebrations in Vietnam and the second largest festival of the year.

Vietnamese people venerate the spirits of ancestors with regularity, but especially when it´s the anniversary of the death of one of them.

Many Vietnamese believe that there is life after death, and the souls of the ones who passed away are the ones in charge of protecting their descendants from the hereafter. According to their beliefs, a soul without descendants will eternally roam because he won´t receive any tribute.

During Trung Nguyen, ancestors´ spirits are worshipped with food offerings and gifts at their houses and pagodas. They believe these actions make easier their path to the other world.

This summer make your wishes come true at the 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa. Take part in our Wishing Fountain Ceremony, every Saturday at 20:00 h. at the fountain in the Hotel Hall.

As every Tuesday, at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we are discovering a new curiosity about Asian culture. Today we are travelling to China to find out the role of dragons in Chinese culture. Are you coming with us?

Chinese dragons are legendary and mythological creatures in Chinese culture as well as other Asian cultures. It is related to the weather as having power over the rain and water.

They are strongly related to water in popular beliefs. People believe they control water bodies such as waterfalls, rivers and seas.

There are four main dragon kings, the four Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, which symbolize the four seas: the East Sea (corresponding to the East China Sea), the South Sea (corresponding to the South China Sea), the West Sea (Qinghai Lake), and the North Sea (Lake Baikal).

Precisely, due to this relationship, they are sometimes considered responsible for the meteorological phenomenon related to the water. In Antiquity, many Chinese populations, especially coastal ones, had temples in honour of their local Dragon King.

The Han Dynasty described dragons as animals made up of parts of nine animals: the eyes of a lobster, horns of deer, mouth of a camel, claws of an eagle, scales of a fish, trunk of a snake, tail of a whale, ears of a bull and paws of a tiger.

Currently, the worship of the Dragon Kings as responsible for the water and the weather persists in many regions and it is very rooted in Chinese cultural traditions, such as Chinese New Year´s Eve celebrations. Dragons symbolize strength, health, harmony and good luck.

We are looking forward to seeing you this summer in the 5 stars resort in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa. Can you imagine a better plan for these holidays than enjoying a few days of in Southeast Asia in the Mediterranean?

As the nature lovers we are, today from the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are travelling to Indonesia to discover its most representative flowers. Do you want to know which are they? Keep reading!

There are about 28,000 species of flowering plants in Indonesia: 2,500 different types of orchids, 6,000 traditional medicinal plants and 122 species of bamboo.

Jasminum sambac. This is the national flower of Indonesia. It is a Jasmine flower. Also called Mealti, it is a small white flower with a sweet fragrance. It has one of the most intense and nice scents of nature. It is a very ornamental flower.

Rafflesia arnoldii. It is considered one of the world´s largest flowers. It can grow to a diameter of about one meter and weigh up to eleven kilograms. It is endemic to the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. This is a reddish fleshy flower, which has a very strong odour. As usual, when it comes to large flowers, they only blossom every once in a while.

Frangipani flower. This flower is native to Central America. It is mainly used for decorating temples, Buddhist and Hindu temples. Devoted Balinese people take them as offerings to the temples. They also make flower necklaces for the tourists who visit the island. Frangipani flower has five big petals; it comes in white colour with gold in the centre or in dark pink with orange in the centre. There are three-color flowers too: white, orange and pink.

If you are a nature lover, at the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you will enjoy the luxury of losing yourself in tropical gardens. Are you joining our Botanical Route?

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are making the most of this summer. As every Tuesday, we are travelling to Asia, in this case to Japan, to find out more about Ukai.

 Ukai or cormorant fishing is an ancient Japanese fishing technique, which dates back to the 5th century. It is practiced on the Nagara River, in Gifu, between May 11th and October 15th.

Cormorants are marine birds, very similar to pelicans. They are fish-eating birds, freshwater fish and saltwater fish. Ukai is based on cormorant breeding and training. Fishermen put a ring around the birds´ throats in order to restrict their ability to swallow the larger fish. Ukai always takes place at night and each boat a large fire that hangs from its bow to provide light. During the 158 days Ukai lasts, fishermen only rest on full moon nights or in heavy rain ones.

Ukai is a must-see show when it is contemplated with Mount Kinka and Gifu Castle lighten up as background.

Goryo Ukai or Imperial Cormorant Fishing takes place eight times each year. Foreign ambassadors resided in Japan and their spouses are invited to attend and being introduced to this traditional Japanese culture.

If you visit us this summer in our Asian paradise in the Mediterranean Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, you will be able to enjoy seven spectacular Asian-style pools. It´s your choice!

If there is something we love about the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is trying the most famous desserts of Asian gastronomy. That is why; today we are travelling to India to discover its most traditional desserts.

Indian desserts, also known as mithai, are different types of cakes made with sugar, flour and milk. There are many varieties: different shapes, colours and sizes. They are very important for Hindu culture.

Among the most traditional ones we find:

Khaja. It dates back to 2,000 years ago, when it was originated in the region of Bihar. Currently it is eaten in practically over the whole Indian Territory. There are many different versions of Khaja, but its main ingredients are: refined wheat flour, sugar and edible oils.

Laddu. This is considered Ganesha´s favourite dessert. It is also one of the most popular Indian sweets. It is made with flour and other ingredients such as milk, coconut or raisins. It is a ball-shaped sweet fill with syrup. It is usually served in festivals and all type of festivities, such as weddings or other family events.

Jalebi. It is one of the most famous Hindu sweets. This is a pretzel made with rice flour and yeast. It is made by deep-frying and covered with sugar syrup and Tartar sauce. It is served warm or cold in any area of the country. It is one of the favourite desserts of Diwali or Festival of lights.

Barfi. It is very popular in North India. It is prepared with condensed milk with sugar, and seasoned with fruit and nuts. Its most famous variations are: besan barfi, made with chickpea flour; kaaju barfi, prepared with cardamom; and pista barfi, made with grinded pistachio.

If you want to keep discovering more curiosities about Asian food, during your visit to the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, you can´t miss our Asian Cookshow, courtesy of the hotel.

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we still have many secrets left to discover around the Asian continent. Today we are travelling to Korea to find out everything about traditional Korean dance. Are you coming with us?

Traditional Korean dance originated in ancient religious rituals. It is an evolution of the songs and dances the tribes performed during the religious ceremonies in honour of the deities. Currently there are many different dances in Korea, which go from folk and court dance to new contemporary dance.

The first signs of Korean dance come from the Three Kingdoms period. During the later Korean kingdoms, the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) and the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), the dance benefited from the support of the royal court, numerous academies, and an official ministry of the government dedicated exclusively to dance.

The main traditional dances are: Geommu, sword dance; Talchum, mask dance; Seungmu, monk dance; Taepyeongmu, dance to wish great peace; Salpuri, spirit-cleansing dance; Janggucgum, dance with janggu, hourglass-shaped drum; Buchaechum, fan dance; Hallyangmu, one of the most popular folk dances and Barachum, ritual dance performed in Buddhist ceremonies.

The props used in traditional Korean dances are the billowing silk scarf of pure white used in the Salpuri dance, drums, hats, swords, among others.

There are many reasons to come to our Asian paradise in the Mediterranean and many options for enjoying your stay. If you visit us this summer at Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, enjoy the wonderful program of activities, courtesy of the hotel, designed to live a full Asian experience. We are looking forward to seeing you!

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we are already enjoying the month of July. That is why today we are taking you to China to cool ourselves off in the incredible Huangguoshu Waterfall.

Huangguoshu Waterfall is considered the largest waterfall in China and East Asia. It is located on the Baishui River, 45 minutes away from the city of Anshun, in Guizhou province. It is one of the most tourist places in the area.

Belonging to the group of karst waterfalls, it is one of the most spectacular and famous ones within this group. It is almost 80 metres high and 100 metres wide. The main waterfall is 67 metres high. Its roar can be heard several kilometres away from the area.

Huangguoshu Waterfall, along with 18 minor waterfalls, was included into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999 as the world’s largest waterfall cluster. It is the only waterfall on the planet that can be viewed from any angle: from above, below, front, behind, left and right.

Huangguoshu Waterfall´s flow is seasonally adjusted. It changes during the rainy season (May-October) and the wet season (November-April). It usually reaches its highest peak between July and August.

Shuiliandong cave or Water Curtain Cave, located behind Huangguoshu Waterfall, allows visitors to watch, hear and touch the fall, thanks to its 134 metres long. On sunny days, a colorful rainbow adds an extra touch of beauty to this splendid waterfall.

At the 5 stars resort Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we also have our own falls. Have you ever seen our spectacular Faces of Angkor pool? Exclusive swimming pool for adults only, it will take you to the Far Cambodia in the twinkling of an eye.

Today at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are dolling ourselves up to talk about Hindu women makeup and her beauty tips.

The features that would define Hindu makeup are: intensity, mystery, simplicity, romanticism and sensuality.

Attention is focused on women´s look, by using very flashy colours. Gold and beige tones are mixed with other stronger colours such as maroon ones, green ones, yellow ones, purple ones and blue ones. Hindu women highlight their look with a smoked-eye effect, using darker eye shadows and a Kohl pencil, which lets delineating the eye on the inside and on the outside.

Then we will focus on the face and the lips. For making up their faces, Hindu women use cream concealers and liquid foundations, according to their skin tone. They use them to hide skin imperfections such as zits, face stains or black dots. Additionally, they slightly apply blush on their cheeks.

When it comes to their lips, they delineate then with a darker tone than the lip. This is always a brown or cherry tone.

The final touch is given by the bindi, which symbolizes the hidden wisdom.

At our luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you will enjoy the best Asian treatments to pamper yourself from the inside out. We are looking forward to seeing you!