Ten must-dos in Thailand’s most popular vacation destination.

1. NAI HARN BEACH With a Thai temple sitting directly behind it, Nai Harn is one of Phuket’s least-developed beaches. It’s a perfect spot for those seeking peace and quiet on this bustling island.

2. SIMILAN ISLANDS Thailand’s must-dive destination, the uninhabited Similan Islands boast calm waters, pristine beaches and spectacular viz. Expect epic encounters with manta rays at the island of Koh Bon, just north of the Similans.

3. RICHELIEU ROCK Best reached by live-aboard, this huge horseshoe-shaped rock in the middle of the ocean forms a natural shelter for schools of fish, seahorses, and harlequin shrimp.

4. SIAM BAY UNDERWATER STATUES, KOH RACHA Off Phuket’s southern coast lies a surprise: giant, coral-encrusted statues of elephants and yaks, the mythological Thai guardian demons. The statues were placed in Siam Bay after the 2004 tsunami.

5. BOONSUNG A short drive up the coast from Phuket, the twisted remains of the Boonsung have become a thriving nursery for all manner of marine life.

6. THAI COOKERY SCHOOL Thai food might taste deliciously complex, but Phuket’s Thai Cookery School makes mastering a few classic Thai dishes easy with a one-day
 Thai cooking class. phuketthaicookery.com

7. KOH BIDA ISLANDS A couple of hours’ cruise from Phuket, Koh Bida features a riot of corals and critters beneath its waves. Sail past the stunning limestone karsts of nearby Koh Phi Phi, as immortalized in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach.

8. PHUCKET TOWN Away from the beaches are the overlooked architectural gems of Phuket Town. The graceful colonnades of the town’s Sino-Portuguese architecture are the well-preserved legacy of the original Chinese immigrant tin miners who settled in Phuket.

9. KING CRUISER A car ferry that sank off Phuket in 1997 (with no loss of life), the imposing King Cruiser sits upright
 in 100 feet of water and has become a flourishing artificial reef.

10. BIG BUDDHA Breathtaking in size at more than 147 feet high, and clad in gleaming white Burmese marble, Phuket’s Big Buddha also has a spectacular 360-degree view of Phuket and the Andaman Ocean.