Late last year, Chiang Rai saw the opening of Happy Nest Inspiring Hostel (053-715-031, www.facebook.com/happynestchiangrai), a cute hostel that aims to present traditional art and culture in a modern setting. Furnished with local materials like Northern-style pottery, Happy Nest offers rates of B2,200 for a family room for four and B1,200 for a private room for two. For a shared room, it’s B450 per bed per person. This March, it’ll open a coffee shop called Neighbor Goods, offering all-day breakfast, baked goods and local coffee. Packages like bike tours are also available. 

Cocktail lounge Wonderland (104 Yaowarat Road, Ban Talat Yai. Open daily 6pm-1am. www.wonderlandphuket.com), set in a 100-year old shophouse in the old quarter of Phuket Town, looks to live up to its name, wowing visitors with its décor of artsy pieces like metal rhino heads, gothic furnishings, black chandeliers and vivid red walls. Offering selections of cocktails and sushi, it has quickly made a name among locals as a new hip hangout. 

Oh So Samui