SHANGHAI

Modern Art

In the heart of Shanghai’s business hub, Pudong, you will find the artsy Radisson Hotel Pudong Century Park (1199 Ying Chuan Rd., Pudong, Shanghai, 86-21-5130-0000, www.radisson.com/shanghaicn_pudong), which welcomes business travelers as well as active vacationers. Brought to you by the owner of the Zendai Museum of Modern Art, the 362-room hotel boasts tasteful minimalist decoration enshrining works from well-known Chinese artists. During their winter promotion, RMB888 (B3,886) gets you a night in a superior room (their rack rate is RMB2,000 [B8,751]) with buffet breakfast, 30% discount on their dining outlets and late check-out till 4pm. Through Feb 29. If you can’t catch this, they also have a weekend package of RMB1,888 (B7,881) that includes a two-night stay, a bottle of wine, roundtrip airport limousine service and late check out till 4pm. Through Apr 30.

RATCHABURI

Community Art

Patravadi Theater has made its Suan Silp Baan Din a desination for art lovers and a retreat for those in search of a little peace and quiet. Just a two-hour drive from Bangkok, at Chet Samian Train Station, Ratchaburi, this creative center provides a theater, art school and rooms. Every last weekend of the month, 4pm onward, they organize an All About Arts event with the community behind Ratchaburi’s old train station. At the event, there are performances by local traditional and contemporary artists and you can try local delicacies in the 100-year-old market, too. Feb 22-24. For more information, call Patravadi Theater at 02-412-7287.

HONG KONG

High-brow Art

Hong Kong is welcoming culture vultures to the four-week 2008 Hong Kong Arts Festival. The event features 31 artist groups—22 international and 9 local—including such big international acts as the Peking Opera House, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Hungarian State Folk Ensemble and jazz legend Ornette Coleman. Performances include ballet, opera, orchestra, choir, musical, Chinese opera and more. Feb 14-Mar 16. Tickets and schedule available at http://urbtix.cityline.com.hk. Or visit www.hk.artsfestival.org.

AIRLINES

Close to Nothing

This one is going to be hard to beat, unless low-cost airlines start to pay us to fly. This time AirAsia (www.airasia.com) allows you to fly for prices as low as B0 (that’s zero baht) on 40,000 seats on domestic and international flights. You have to book by Feb 17—that means till this Sun—and fly from Feb 27 to Jun 3. B0 air ticket fares are available on the Hanoi route, while you can fly to Hat Yai, Surat Thani and Chiang Rai for B4 (hmm… kinda pricey). Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Phuket, Krabi, Narathiwat and Ranong are 10 times more expensive, at a whopping B40, while Chinese cities like Shenzhen and Macau are completly off-limits at B144. OK, it’s cheap, but don’t forget we’re talking one-way trips exclusive of taxes and surcharges. Usually tickets from Bangkok to Hanoi can cost you B999-3,500 one way.

Go Northwest

Northwest Airlines (02-660-6900, www.nwa.com/th) is offering promotions to get you to the US between Feb 29 and Mar 29. Roundtrip airfares from Bangkok to LA and San Francisco are a mere B24,000, excluding extra charges and taxes. It’s B25,000 for Portland, Seattle, San Jose, San Diego and Las Vegas, and B34,115 for New York. For more routes and prices, call 02-660-9900. If you book online, you will get a 3 percent discount.