Phuket

Thailand's largest island has the scale and infrastructure to support world-class resorts, yet its west coast, a succession of wide, white-sand bays separated by jungle-covered headlands, retains a wild beauty that no amount of development has managed to diminish. Phuket delivers more than scenery: exceptional spas, kitchens helmed by serious chefs, and a service culture rooted in Thai warmth.

The island's resort corridor reads like a roll call of the world's most discerning hotel brands. Amanpuri, set among coconut palms on a private peninsula above Pansea Beach, essentially invented the modern Asian luxury resort and remains the benchmark three decades on. Trisara, meaning "third garden of heaven" in Sanskrit, offers pool villas with uninterrupted ocean views and one of the island's finest restaurants. Rosewood Phuket occupies Emerald Bay at Tri Trang Beach, a secluded cove just south of Patong, while Four Seasons and Six Senses Yao Noi (technically on a neighbouring island but firmly within Phuket's orbit) round out a concentration of five-star resorts. The where to stay guide covers the best resorts and which beach to base yourself on.

Beyond the resort gates, Phuket rewards exploration. Rise early for a visit to the Big Buddha, where the hilltop temple offers panoramic views before the heat settles in. Spend a morning at the weekend market in Phuket Town, whose Sino-Portuguese shophouses and street-food stalls reveal the island's layered cultural heritage. Charter a longtail boat to the limestone karsts of Phang Nga Bay, or book a cooking class where you'll pound your own curry paste from scratch. The Thai kitchen is one of the world's great culinary traditions, and eating your way across Phuket, from PRU's Michelin star to the Bib Gourmand crab curry at One Chun in Phuket Town, is reason enough to visit. Every restaurant and hotel we cover is listed in the Phuket directory. Book the west coast for sunset, the quieter east for mangroves and kayaking, and allow enough days to do both properly.