After a slow start, this trendy market in Hua Hin is picking up the pace and popularity, thanks to its funky selection of lovely handicrafts and chilled-out garden vibe. From furniture to fashion, as well as some quirky Hua Hin souvenirs, you can find it here. Even just sitting and snacking at the alfresco food court under the illuminated trees is a pleasurable experience. Music lovers should head here for bossanova on Friday and jazz on Sunday, while Saturdays currently see stand-up comedians take to the open-air stage.

There is no doubting Cicada's chic factor. Cicada is a favorite haunt amongst expats, trendy professionals and the jet set. Situated in off-the-beaten-track Portsdown Road, this joint serves up casual French-Californian bistro cuisine in an alfresco dining concept. There's also a decent wine list and bar menu for those who might want to chill out among the lush greenery of the area.

Restaurateur-of-the-moment Michel Lu’s latest baby is the very far-out, but very worth visiting Cicada. After being seated by the warm, attentive wait staff, we started with a mojito—a refreshing concoction of tart rum perfectly balanced with minty sweetness. What blew us away, though, was our choice of mains—the infamous cicada burger, which deservedly bears the namesake of the whole establishment. The Wagyu beef patty (we asked for medium rare) was extremely juicy and perfectly textured with melted gruyere, gongonzola cheese and mushrooms. The next clincher was the dessert, a spot-on recommendation from the wait staff—peanut butter chocolate brownie crunch cake, an absolutely divine slice of crispy peanut butter center wedged in between thick layers of chocolate fudge, served with bourbon vanilla ice-cream. Our only regret was that we were just too stuffed to finish it. Yes, Cicada is definitely worth the pain getting to, be it for a full course meal or just its killer desserts.