Glimpses of the past
Queen Savang Vadhana Museum inside Bangkok’s Sra Pathum Palace is open to the public until March 31. The museum, once a residence of Queen Savang Vadhana, consort of King Chulalongkorn and the grandmother of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, has been beautifully restored and offers an insight into the way the Royal family lived in the not-so-distant past. Visitors are given an audio guide in English. The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm, and advance booking is required. The entrance fee is Bt150 (Bt50 student). Dress code is proper black clothing for mourning. To book a visit, call (02) 252 1965-67 between 8.30am and 6.30pm. Find out more at www.QueenSavang.org.
Cherry blossoms are turning the valley pink at Angkhang Royal Project just in time for the holiday season. The trees have bloomed around the 80 Anniversary Park and English Rose Garden, where some other cold-climate flowers also add colour to the agriculture station. One of the late King’s agricultural research and development projects, Chiang Mai’s Angkhang is a much-loved winter destination.
Thai Smile will be celebrating Christmas and New Year with Mocha Caramel Cake and Fruit Cake from After You Dessert Cafe. Meticulously selected and created with the finest ingredients, mocha caramel cake is a delicious bite, with caramel packed into each layer while the fruit cake is the perfect combination of a wide variety of fruits and finest selected ingredients. The sweet treats will be served from Sunday through January 1 on most flights.
If art is a feast for the eyes, then the restaurant Italics Bangkok is the right place to go to feed the vision and the tummy. The restaurant, which is on Soi Ruam Rudee, is now exhibiting the work of Samantha Marion, a self-taught American artist who lives in Bangkok. Marion explores her curiosity through acrylic, watercolour, oil paints, permanent markers and recycled canvases, preferring to use her hands instead of paint brushes to create the fluid shapes and bright, bold colours that can be seen in most of her work. Book a table at (02) 253 2410 or email info@italicsrestaurant. Visit www.ItalicsRestaurant.com