Phuket Day Trips

This idyllic bay filled with limestone outcroppings is the perfect day trip from Phuket. Discover eerie mangrove swamps and secret tidal lagoons hidden inside karsts that seem straight out of a James Bond movie. Explore via sea kayak or a two-day excursion on longtail boats.

This string of serene beaches is still associated with the 2004 tsunami, though the area has been completely rebuilt. Go elephant trekking in jungles, sample fresh seafood from fishermen's huts, and stay in breathtaking boutique resorts.

Far out in the Andaman Sea, this group of islands offers spectacular diving and snorkelling sites. As it’s a national park, the only accommodations are in rustic park-owned bungalows, but a handful of trustworthy Phuket-based agencies, including Diving Phuket (www.diving.phuket.com), organize great-value, all-inclusive excursions.

These two limestone islands rising from the Andaman Sea are most recognized from The Beach, the Leonardo DiCaprio film shot on the beach connecting resorty Ph Phi Don and uninhabited Phi Phi Lek.

Southern Thailand's most impressive national park boasts native rainforests, towering limestone crags, a mountain-ringed lake and long, rewarding hikes. The wildlife sanctuary is home to elephants, bears, tigers and Rafflesia, the world's largest flower.