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| Crimson needle-like flowers, giant blue butterflies, winged-god statue-these are just some of the many exotic sights you will see in Aochalong tropical botanical garden.When you enter our resort, the abundant plant and flower species is a vision worth putting in a frame. You will have fun taking photographs and learning about the many different kinds of flora and fauna native to Phuket island. |
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Thailand's lilawadee, also known as frangipani in English, is a lightly-scented white flower with a stroke of pale yellow hue in the center. The lilawadee is a symbol of feminine, grace and humility. It represents an ideal woman in the Thai culture. The trees that bear this flower have been rooted on this land long before Aochalong resort was constructed. This flower later became the icon of our resort and its image can be seen on various items from photographs hanging on walls to the room key tags. The soft fragrance of the |
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| Lilawadee engulfs the tropical garden creating an area of natural sweet aroma. |
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Apart from lilawadee, our garden sprouts an assorted array of flowers and plants-all with a story behind them. The resort's owner is very careful with details. He wanted to give life to the garden by carefully selecting the plants and flowers that have an important historical meaning behind them. The night jasmine tree for instance, can be spotted on the right side of our dining room when standing facing the swimming pool. Night jasmine is called kannika in Thai and its prominent part is the saffron-colored receptacle underneath the tiny white petals . In the olden days, the saffron pigment of this flower was used to dye the monks' robes. As the name suggests, night jasmine will bloom at night but the stem will wither and fall out the following morning. Night jasmine is also used for many medical purposes.
To name a few, tea derived from night jasmine is said to help clear the skin complexion and asisstin reducing |
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| mild nausea and headache symptoms. In addition, our spa uses the night jasmine from our garden as part of the ingredients in the herbal massage ball for rejuvinating the skin and creating a soothing fragrance. |
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The lotus (or dok bua) is a sacred flower in Thailand. It is associated with Buddhism and is the symbol of purity. The lotus with the stalk attached is often offered to monks during their almsround. The lotus is a versatile plant and every single parts of it can be used in culinary. For instance, the leaves are used as wraps for herbal steamed rice while the roots are boiled in soup and the seeds are made into sweets. Lotus grows in water and the guests can randomly find this flower growing in pots across the resort.
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As the logo for one of the Thai airlines, orchid is a well-known flowering plant in this country.In Thai, it is called klua mai. Orchids come in variety of colors and the magenta shade is the most widely seen. There are a few lime-colored orchids on the tree on the path leading to the lobby. The orchid is the depiction of luxury and beauty. This flower is often used for decorative purposes or arranged into a bouquet. |
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If you take a walk around the garden, you will notice many stone statues of children and women dressed in traditional Thai outfit. They tell the story of the hisotrical time-how the Thai people dressed during that period. The garden would not be complete without these human statues. They are posed in different position from slumbering to reclining. When you walk around the trees near the dinning room area, remmeber to take notice of the charming children figures climbing a tree or swinging happily on the branches.
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Aside from the delightful stone statues of children, our garden also has a more serious replica of mythical characters from the Thai folklore. The garuda for instance, is present in both the Hindu and Buddhism mythology. The garuda is half-man half-eagle divinity and Thai people incorporate it as part of their national symbol as can be seen on the government offical seal. At Aochalong, the garuda is spewing out jet of water into one of the swimming pools.
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