Would you fancy going on a trip after spending a couple of nights at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa? We would like to recommend a tour, for those of you who are adventurous, to a place with marble mountains, caves and good vibes flowing through the elements of nature. We are bringing you to the Danang Mountains.

Danang, is the largest port city in Central and South Vietnam. In Vietnamese, its name translates as “birth of a large river”. However, in Chinese it means “port where there are plenty of mussels”.

There is a large number of limestone and marble mountains consisting of five marble rock hills erected on the plain of the city, which have become five mountains that represent the 5 elements in nature.

The group of 5 mountains in the centre of Danang, whose name is Ngu Hanh Son, is 2 kilometres long, 800 metres wide and 500 metres tall.
These mountains are known by their own names:

• KIM SON MOUNTAIN (Metal Mountain)

The metal mountain, by the bank of River Co Co, resembles a bell. Its most outstanding feature is the Quan Am pagoda and the Quan Am cave, called “mysterious cave” due to the strange shapes of its stalactites and stalagmites. Locals say they look like dragons and Buddha statues.

• MOC SON MOUNTAIN (Wooden Mountain)

This is the only mountain that cannot be visited by tourists or locals. It is very steep and there is no vegetation on it.

• HOA SON MOUNTAIN (Fire Mountain)

2 rivers used to run through the fire mountain zigzagging their way towards the beach. It is said that the rivers represented the ying-yang, bringing peace and harmony to this place.

• THO SON MOUNTAIN (Earth Mountain)

This clay and marble mountain is the smallest one. It is irregularly shaped like a rectangle which is why Vietnamese people say that it resembles a sleeping dragon.

Its most outstanding feature is a tunnel that was used during the war against the French and also during the Vietnam War against the American. Also, the Long Hoa pagoda, built in 1992.

•  THUY SON MOUNTAIN (Water Mountain)

The water mountain is the largest one and most beautiful, and it is, without a doubt, the greatest tourist attraction of the Danang marble mountain group. This mountain expands over 15 hectares, and it has 3 rocky peaks which look similar to the Ursa Major. The highest peak is known as Tam Thai, and its pagoda is named after it.

At the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we cannot offer you mountains but we can offer you the spectacular Mediterranean Sea right next to us. So if you are tired of rocks, we recommend you come to relax at the best luxury resort you could ever find, with 7 different swimming pools for you to enjoy. Come visit us!

Today, from the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are bringing you to one of the most luxurious and mysterious worlds known to men in Japan, the world of the katana, an object that represents cult, tradition and luxury to those who have it.

The katana, according to the Royal Spanish Academy means, sable in Japanese. However, the literal translation of the word is “Japanese sword”. This is a type of sable with a curved and unique blade traditionally used by samurais.

There are different types of katana, but the most known one is the “Oda Nobunaga”.

The origin of the Japanese katana  dates back to the 10th-12th Centuries, when the Chinese of the Song Dynasty introduced it in the country. This curved sword, known as sable, simply evolved until it became the Japanese katana.

The katana used to be carried only by samurai warriors in Japan. It was considered a symbol of status, and should a lower class citizen be seen carrying one, they would be sentenced to death.

For samurai warriors the sword was an extension of their souls, and it was only to be used when absolutely necessary. Traditionally, each samurai named their own sword because it was such an important part of their own being. When a samurai died honourably, he commited suicide using his katana or a “wakizashi”.

This is a katana:

• Hamon: differential line on the blade. Curved Notare style.
• Iori-Mune: type of blade, not sunken.
• Kissaki: point.
• Mei: warrior’s signature, generally on the Nakago.
• Mekugis: fasteners to hold the handle, Tsuka to the Nakago, often made out of bamboo.
• Mekugi-Ana: holes for the fasteners.
• Menuki: metal ornaments on the sides of the handle.
• Moto-Haba: width of the blade.
• Moto-Kasane: thickness of the blade on the Habaki.
• Mune: contre-point.
• Nagasa: length.
• Nakago: part of the blade that fits into the handle.
• Nike: sunken part.
• Saki-Haba: width of the blade at the start of the Kissaki.
• Same: lining of the Tsuka. Often made out of ray shark to avoid the Tsuka-Ito from being slippery.
• Sori: curvature.
• Sugata: type of blade.
• Tsuba: buckler, often decorated using natural motifs.
• Tsuka: handle.
• Tsuka-Ito: lining of handle.
• Yokote: part that separates the point from the rest of the blade.

If you like Asian objects and luxury, come visit us at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa where you will enjoy a great display of Asian culture and many objects brought straight from the Asian continent. Come visit us!

At the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we are bringing you to celebrate a festival. Today, in Asia they celebrate the Double Nine Festival, on the 9th day of the 9th month.

China is a large and ancient country which is why there are many traditions, legends and festivals. One of these celebrations is the Double Nine Festival, also known as “Chong Yang Festival”.

Nine is a “yang” number and that is why on September 9th there are two “yang” superimposed, which is why it is called Chong Yang.

Chinese culture always follows the lunar calendar. This festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, and is a festival associated with numerology.

Ever since ancient times, numbers have been surrounded by an aura of mysticism and “magic”, as in past times everything was ruled by the principles of the universe, Ying and Yang, to classify everything that exists, including numbers.

The number nine is associated with masculinity and positivity. Ancient Chinese people thought it would be a good date to scare evil away.

Legend has it that you must climb a mountain, bring “zhuyu” leaves and drink chrysanthemum wine to scare evil spirits away, which will bring good fortune and progress in every aspect of your life.

Enjoying the chrysanthemum is also one of the main things to do during this festival, which takes place during the time of the year when the chrysanthemum flourishes. During the Song Dynasty, the chrysanthemum became an important part of this festival.

The chrysanthemum is a plant whose flower has wonderful natural, simple and effective properties, one of Chinese doctors’ favourites due to its many uses. It can be used as it is, or mixed with other herbs. It makes for delicious tea when adding a touch of honey. It is also effective to help you detox and to prevent colds that come when the autumn finishes.

If you also wish to celebrate this day and get some good fortune on your oncoming projects, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you can celebrate with us surrounded by the chrysanthemum in our gardens. Come visit us!

Although the summer is almost over, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we will continue travelling around Asia to show you the secrets of those hidden treasures and paradises we love. Today, we are bringing you to an island that used to be called “The Eastern Pearl”.

The island is Penang, one of the most popular islands among tourists in Malaysia, whose capital is Georgetown and is known as “The Eastern Pearl”. It used to be a virgin island in the Malacca Sea, with plenty of palm trees and coconuts that looked like pearls upon falling on the fine white sand.

It is said that Penang is like a miniature version of the Malaysian mainland as it is a melting pot of cultures, such as Chinese, Indian, Thai and Malayan.

Georgetown is also multicultural, and a visit to these emblematic places is a must:

– FLOATING MOSQUE: this is an important mosque built over the sea. Everyone who visits it is awestruck by its grandeur.

– KEK LOK SI TEMPLE (Hill Temple): Also known as Temple of Supreme Bliss. This is the largest Buddhist temple in South East Asia and one of the most popular ones in Penang. Its main attraction is its impressive seven-floor pagoda and the 10,000 bronze and alabaster Buddha statues placed all over the temple.

– URBAN ART: Penang is covered in street art. It is a city where urban art combines styles and messages.

– SNAKE TEMPLE: this temple was built by a healing Chinese monk. Legend has it that the monk offered shelter to the snakes that showed up and nowadays they still live there. The snakes that live in this temple are poisonous, but it is said that the monk’s spirit protects worshippers from getting bitten, although some tourists claim the snakes are well tamed.

– THE LEONG SAN TONG KHOO CHINESE CLAN HOUSE (KHOO KONGSI): The word kongsi means a house used as a gathering place for a Chinese clan, also used as a temple. There are many kongsi in Penang, and Khoo is by far the most stunning one of them all.

– BLUE HOUSE (CHEONG FATT TZE): many magnates of the region, Indonesian, Thai and Chinese, once built extravagant palaces in Penang, to show off their power and wealth. Currently, this is a very exclusive hotel based on Feng Shui philosophy.

– RED MARKET: buzzing “hawkers”, with live music, plenty of food stalls and crowds of people. A multicultural place in all its glory.

If you also wish to live an Asian luxury experience and get to know Asian cultures and cuisine, we recommend you visit the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, a luxury resort in the Mediterranean where we will bring you one step closer to Asia. Come and visit us.

One of the main things that make us stand out at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, is the fact that our luxury resort in the Mediterranean imitates Asian designs, inside and out. We are going to show you the inside of Japanese homes.

Traditional homes in Japan have a unique structure as their design is based on constant balance with the universe (Feng-Shui), an essential dogma in everything Japanese.

The colours black and white are the main colours in Asian decoration and they are used to define distinctive shapes and create a geometric and structural geometry. In addition, the materials used and finishing touches contrast with textures in order to reach balance and order. The symbol of the “Yin and Yang” clearly represents this idea.

Almost all traditional building materials in Japan are eco-friendly:

– Wood, commonly taken from perennial trees such as the pine tree, the cedar, the fir and cypress trees.

– Paper, taken from mulberry trees, is traditionally used to make “shoji paper” to build the moving walls of traditional homes.

– The use of Bamboo adds structural and decorative integrity and they weave tatami.

– The stone makes a traditional base for Japanese homes, mainly used in modern buildings.

Proportion and hierarchy are of great significance when designing a traditional Japanese home. Tatamis are designed to be approximately as tall as a person. When designing homes, the first thing to do is to establish the total number of tatamis that will be necessary.

When designing the inside of Japanese-style homes, no sumptuous details are necessary, the decoration of all the rooms is basic. The tatamis on floors and mats are used to sit on and sleep. This is a living room and place to socialise.

Low and small tables are a main feature of these homes, but secondary in relation to the floor.

Something called “Shoji screens” can also be used on windows and to divide spaces and add privacy to the different rooms.  They are very fragile, so they must be handled carefully. They are often made of white paper so the light comes in, which is essential in Feng-Shui.

If you also wish to be in balance with the universe, come and visit us at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa and enjoy a true Asian experience in the best luxury resort in the Mediterranean. You will feel the effects of our Feng-Shui.

One of the things we love at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is to enjoy our 7 swimming pools are our Asian luxury resort. However, today we are going to bring you to the Philippines to an enchanted place, the River Hinatuan.

This river is also known as Jinatuan, located in the northeast of the island of Mindanao, in the Philippines, and it runs through the heart of a dense jungle.

However, it is not a normal river, as it is a salt water river and most of its riverbeds run underground, for that reason it is not considered a river by many, especially local people, as they think the river is enchanted due to it “coming out of nowhere” and its salt water.

The Hinatuan river rises to the surface just before flowing into the Pacific Ocean, and its water is a clear turquoise blue. It looks like a piece of paradise resembling a small beach where the people of the area swim and believe its water to be magic.

It is not exactly known why this river carries salt water, although many people think that it is due to its complex underground cave system which takes water from the sea, cleanses it but keeps its salt and that explains such pristine water.

Legend has it, and the locals believe, that the river was created by what we know in the west as fairies and elves.

Another one of its main attractions are the wide range of fish and other creatures that live in its deep waters. This is a very popular area for divers, scuba divers and explorers.

An interesting thing for swimmers, divers and scuba divers to take into account, is that at 12 p.m. a bell rings for everyone to exit the water, as it is when the fish living in the area get fed.

In order to reach this spectacular and “magical” place, you must travel 14 kilometres from Surigao, over land and jungle that up until very recently was untouched by men and that nowadays has been altered to accommodate tourists. Now, there is a wooden bridge, a small pier and some parasols.

After this, you probably feel like swimming in pristine waters. We invite you to come to the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, an Asian luxury resort where there are a range of pools for you to enjoy and relax. Come in for a cool dip!

In the summer you feel like relaxing, having fun, eating, travelling, living new experiences, and at the Asia Gardens & Thai Spa you can do all that in our luxury resort; unwind drinking an exotic cocktail. A few weeks ago we told you about the most traditional and popular drink in Asia: tea, today, we are going to tell you about another one with a high degree of alcohol content: sake.

In Japan, any alcoholic drink is called “SAKE”, however, in the west, sake is a very strong alcoholic drink made from fermented rice and known as “the Japanese rice wine” or “nihonshi”.

It is generally taken before meals or with sushi, although the drink par excellence taken with sushi is green tea.

The alcohol content in Sake ranges between 14° and 16° and although its story is not documented, it is known to have come from Asia. Sake has played an important role in the life and culture of the Asian continent, mainly in China and Japan. Currently, there are more than 10,000 brands of sake available.

It is made from fermented rice and semi hard water. After a long fermenting process, three or four times more than wine, a wide range of amino acids is produced which is what gives sake a fresh and balanced flavour.

There are different types of sake:

– Honjozo-shu: it contains a low degree of distilled alcohol which makes the bran in it more noticeable.

– Junmai-shu: it translates as “pure rice wine”. In order for it to be considered Junmai sake, the Japanese government dictated that at least 30% of the polished rice had to be extracted and that it should not contain alcohol.

– Ginjo-shu: this type of sake is made from extracting 30% – 50% polished rice

– Daiginjo_shu: contains polished rice up to 50% and 70%.

How to drink sake:

Sake can be drunk cold, warm or at room temperature, depending on the time of the year and food it goes with. When taken warm, it should not be over 60ºC. It is not advisable to boil it. It is said that warm sake is absorbed faster by the organism which made it very popular during the Second World War.

It is worth noting that sake is also used as part of purifying rituals in some Asian ceremonies.

If you wish to try this drink and eat some exotic Asian dishes, come to the Asia Gardens & Thai Spa, and live a full Asian experience in the best luxury resort of the Mediterranean. You will be amazed!

Today, from the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, we are bringing you to a city that once was a great trade and cultural destination, ruled by a woman who is remembered for her beauty and intelligence.

We are talking about Palmira. This city was an ancient Nabataean city located in the Syrian Desert. In Aramean, its name means “date palm city”. Palmira was the capital of the Empire of Palmira, ruled by Zenobia between 266 – 272.

It is said that Zenobia was a very intelligent and educated beautiful brunette with piercing eyes, well able to understand Greek philosophers, Latin jurists and Syrian priests who spoke Egyptian. She was very politically savvy and was exceptionally persuasive; she was the woman who for a long time kept Rome on their toes.

Palmira, in the centre of the current Syria, was located in a crossroads between the West and the East, between the Mediterranean run by Rome and the Asian Empires.

However, despite the great splendour the city reached, mainly thanks to its location between two cultures on the rise and thanks to being in the midst of busy trade areas, nowadays only ruins remain, Heritage of Humanity sites of UNESCO in 1980.

Palmira is, without a doubt, one of the most emblematic tourist places to see the history of Europe and Asia, as large architectural and architectural sites can be visited there.

Here are some places you should not miss out on during your visit:

– Decumanus: this was a word used in the urban planning of the Roman Empire to appoint a main street or avenue. Traders gathered on that street and it was considered the city centre of the city.

– Tetrapylon: a square Hellenic monument with a door on all four sides. It used to be built in the intersection of two important roads.

– The Roman Theatre: the unfinished theatre dates back to the 2^nd Century B.C. The theatre has been restored and now holds Palmira’s annual festival.

– The Monumental Arch: what is left of the great arch over the main street of the city and its majestic pillars that flanked this city is evidence in itself of the Roman power in these eastern regions.

– The Bel Temple: this temple was consecrated to Semitic god Bell and is the construction which is best preserved in Palmira, with a synthesis of architectural styles in Ancient Near East and the Greek Roman world.

If after this tour around the Far East, you feel like continuing this Asian experience, come to the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa to relax, here we offer comfort and luxury similar to that enjoyed by the queen of Palmira. Come and visit us!

We have talked at large about Asian food at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, however, there is a drink that is very popular in Asia and is drunk in winter and summer, rain or shine, this drink is tea.

Traditionally, it is said that all types of tea come from China, as the origin of tea is thought to date back 5,000. The Japanese however, do not fully accept that theory, and think that tea was brought from India to China in the year 520.

There are different types of Chinese tea, the following are the most popular ones:

– BLACK TEA: This type of tea is the one with the highest content of theine and often has a strong taste. It is believed to be the best type to add milk and sugar to.

Different types:

• Keemu black tea, sweet and fruity.
• Lapsang Souchong black tea, with a strong smoky flavour.

– GREEN TEA: China is the main green tea manufacturer and this is also the most natural type of tea. It is proven to help prevent cardiovascular diseases, obesity, cancer and diabetes when drunk regularly.

Different types:

• White tea, despite its name, this tea is within the green tea category, and its seed is white and delicate.
• Gunpowder Chinese tea, was one of the first teas exported to Europe at the beginning of the 17th Century. Its name comes from its appearance, it looks like gunpowder.
• Dragon’s Well or Lung Ching, is one of the most popular teas in China, it’s soft and has a refined scent.

– RED TEA OR PU ERH: The fermentation process of this type of tea is the most complex of them all. There are even different vintages like there is with wine, and it can sometimes be kept for 60 years in oak barrels.

Different types:

• Pu Erh green tea or Sheng tea, naturally fermented for several years.
• Shou Pu Erh, its process is faster in order to be used without having to be kept for too long.

– BLUE TEA OR OOLONG: Oolong means “dead dragon”, and it is also known as “black snake”. Legend has it that there was a sighting of a snake in a tea plantation and the owner of the plantation fled full of fear. When he returned, his tea was more aromatic due to the exposure of the tea leaves to the sun.

Different types:

• Oolong Pouchong tea, flowery and aromatic.
• Zhen Cha Oolong tea, darker and more flowery.
• Oolong Thi Guin tea, its scent is similar to the scent of orchids, it is very popular especially in the Fujian province.

If you wish to sample some of these exotic drinks, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we offer a wide range of teas. Come to enjoy Asian flavours in the best luxury resort in the Mediterranean!