Rose Garden

The Rose Garden, 32 km (20 mi.) south-west of Bangkok on the way to Nakhon Pathom, covers 20 ha (49 acres), and its mainly Italian gardens are popular with golfers (18-hole golf course) and tired city-dwellers. There are restaurants on the Menam Chao Phraya serving western, Chinese and Thai food, and bungalow hotels, some with swimming pools and tennis courts. These need to be booked in good time, especially for Christmas and Easter.

The entertainment at 3 o'clock every afternoon gives visitors an opportunity to watch - and above all photograph - domestic and rural Thai ceremonies, elephants at work, traditional Thai dancing, sports and games, and to follow this with an elephant ride.