Hidden away in the backstreets of Phuket Old Town, the Shrine of the Serene Light is one of the area’s most underrated sights. It’s a Taoist temple with plenty of Chinese influence, and there’s always incense burning and fresh flowers on the altar.

This 21st-century alabaster Buddha stands at 45m tall and towers over Phuket on a hill between Chalong and Kata. Head here to marvel at its sheer scale and enjoy some of the best views on the entire island.

Take a tour to the towering limestone cliffs and stacks of Phang Nga Bay. This striking place has beautiful beaches, mangroves and even some small islands where you can stay. Ko Tapu, also known as James Bond Island after it starred in The Man With The Golden Gun, is one of the bay’s most beautiful spots.

Home to Phuket’s last remaining virgin rainforest, this beautiful park is ideal for wildlife lovers and those looking for a day away from the beach. Hire a guide and keep an eye out for some rare species.

This marine national park is stunning. Visitors can stay here in simple, government-owned accommodation and explore the gorgeous mangrove forests and saltwater swamps. Nature trails and well-marked paths make it easy to explore.

In the east of Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, this centre aims to rehabilitate and reintroduce pet gibbons into the wild. The focus is on educating people about the abuse of these beautiful animals, as well as giving them a chance to see them up close.

Phuket’s best-known diving spot. Coral forests and rocky reefs make this great for first timers, as well as those who’d rather snorkel. Be careful choosing an operator for diving tours. Make sure guides are PADI accredited and check equipment before diving. Super Divers are one of Phuket’s best.

Colonial architecture, sleepy backstreets and great restaurants make Old Phuket Town well worth exploring. The area is much quieter than the chaos of Patong, with its bars and clubs, and offers a fascinating insight into the Chinese and Portuguese influence on the island.

Another Old Town gem, Jui Tui shrine is a Chinese temple that comes alive during the island’s vegetarian festival in late September and early October. Colourful and bright, this temple attracts locals celebrating birthdays, weddings and everything in between.

Phuket’s most important Buddhist temple. Its towering spires can be seen for miles, while its peaceful halls are the place to come if you’re looking to ease off a heavy evening’s excess in one of the island’s many nightlife spots.

Relaxed, upmarket and serving mean cocktails, Joe’s is perfect for an evening of kicking back.

Loud, brash and often boozy, this complex is close to the beach and has a massive 25 bars to choose from.

One of Phuket’s original nightspots (and definitely one for younger revellers), this place is jumping every evening.

Opened in late 2013 and achingly hip, this place is a tad classier than most other beachside clubs.

Just as the name says – head here for sundowners and a chilled vibe.

One of Phuket’s hottest fine dining restaurants, with a constantly changing menu focusing on fresh seafood.

French and Asian dishes are served in this boutique hotel’s highly rated restaurant.

Come here for fancy takes on Thai and Western classics, right on Kata Beach.

Set in a colonial building in Phuket Old Town, Raya is one of the best places for traditional Thai food on the island.

Great for cheap eats and plentiful options without having to leave the sand behind.

Hippies head east to Ko Phangan, the party island in the Gulf of Thailand, and complain about the parties. In the west, there’s the tourist hell hole Phuket, and next to it Ko Yao Noi (“small, long island”), a getaway for stars like Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé and Cristiano Ronaldo, and famous for its unspoilt beaches. The islanders earn their living with coconuts and rubber plants. The food here is really good, for example at the „Je T’aime“, a French/Thai fusion restaurant. Neighboring Ko Yao Yai (big, long island) is even more peaceful and enchanting.

If the authentic hippie Thailand is what you’re after, go to Ko Phayam (preferably via Ranong). It’s a small island roughly 35 kilometers off the northwest coast of Thailand and still one of the few remaining idylls on earth, with sandy beaches that stretch for miles, bamboo cabins and devoted sunworshippers. It’s one of those islands, where people spend the evening eating, drinking and talking between palmtrees and weird timber structures like the Hippie Bar. Minor downside: overcrowded ferries make for an uneasy crossing.

Located close to the Cambodian border, the provincial capital is largely ignored by tourists, or at best used as a stopover. Their loss! Chanthaburi has all that is quintessentially Thai. Religious differences are amiably set aside, and Christians (there is an imposing replica of Paris’ Notre-Dame here), Buddhists and Muslims live together in harmony – so there’s always some feast to celebrate. Just 20 kilometers from the ocean and with so few tourists, it’s hardly surprising that Chanthaburi – and not an island – is where some of Thailand’s loveliest undiscovered beaches are found. The city lives off its exports of fruit and precious stones, has mines to visit, malodorously tasty durians to sample, dense jungle to explore and Buddhist holy sites to see. Its tourism infrastructure is geared almost exclusively to Thai visitors; prices have barely changed in 20 years. Chanthaburi is Thailand’s last insider tip.

It is easy to lose your way in the capital, so it’s a good idea to hire a guide. As most city guides show tourists only what they want to see, a specialist is the answer, someone like Michael Biedassek, who is half-Thai, half-German. “I came here to find my Thai roots,” he says. He ended up staying. Finding the city hard to navigate, he began making maps as a teenager. Later, he started offering visitors bicycle tours of the “real” Bangkok. His most popular tour is the Bangkok Three-sixty, which takes visitors by bicycle, boat and local buses to see the sights people generally overlook: a tiny icecream parlor or the fabulous home of a once wealthy Chinese family with a huge swimming pool. Small groups and one enthusiastic guide – that’s all it takes to feel at home in possibly the most confusing city in the world.

The country’s tallest peak at 2565 meters, Doi Inthanon is high in the north of Thailand. Making your way up it is far more satisfying than being at the top, though. Motorcycles can be rented in the town of Chiang Mai, which is a good starting point for an exhilarating ride through deserted streets, dense jungle and villages untouched by time in a country that seems all but unchanged. Your trip through the mountains brings you to the virtually tourism-free heart of Thailand. If you have time, take a tour of the Golden Triangle via Laos and Myanmar down to the mountain 100 kilometers southwest of Chiang Mai. Doing the tour on foot takes six days and is as good as a detox – promise!

This is it – paradise. No, truly it is! There is absolutely nothing here but a broad sandy beach, a small area for campfires and a bamboo-covered hill. The island is just about the size of a noi (see tip 1) and perfect for a night spent far from the madding crowd, like Robinson Crusoe. Ask for Mr. Bean on Ko Yao Noi. He will help you to cross to the island, to build yourself a Thai minihouse, to fish and to lead the life we all secretly long for: a simple, decelerated life without distractions and with achievable goals – amid the most beautiful natural scenery in Phang Nga Bay.