Phuket

Perched high on the dramatic granite cliffs of Kamala’s 'Millionaire’s Mile', my cliffside ocean villa at Amanpuri (roughly 65,000 THB per night) overlooked the secluded turquoise waters of Pansea Beach. Waking to the gentle murmur of Andaman waves breaking against private white sands, coconut palms swaying in the morning breeze, Phuket instantly cemented its place as the luxury benchmark of Southeast Asia.

I began my days chartering a private 45-foot catamaran from the Royal Phuket Marina (55,000 THB) to sail into Phang Nga Bay. We slipped through towering limestone karsts rising like emerald monoliths from emerald-green waters, kayaking through secluded sea caves (hongs) where untouched mangrove lagoons opened up inside hollowed mountains. Dropping anchor off Koh Hong for a swim, the scenery felt like something from Avatar.

Inland, Phuket surprised me with its rich cultural heritage. In Phuket Old Town, along Thalang and Soi Romanee, I strolled past beautifully restored 19th-century Sino-Portuguese shophouses painted in pastel turquoise, coral pink, and custard yellow. For lunch, I visited Raya Restaurant, a heritage mansion serving legendary Crab Meat Curry with Cha-Ploo leaves and rice noodles (750 THB)—the curry rich with coconut cream and bursting with enormous sweet crab chunks.

As the sun began to dip, Phuket's world-famous social scene took over. I reclined on a VIP daybed at Café del Mar in Kamala, sipping passionfruit mojitos (480 THB) while deep house beats blended with the crashing surf. For dinner, I secured a cliffside table at PRU—Phuket's first Michelin-starred restaurant—where a 7-course farm-to-table feast showcasing locally foraged Andaman ingredients (6,500 THB) provided a sublime finish to every golden day.