You can go shopping for anything from souvenirs to fine jewelry, rent a car and explore the island, perhaps drive up Buddha Mountain to the Big Buddha for the view, enjoy a relaxing massage or a full-day spa treatment, or even try something new, such as kite surfing! There is a wealth of choice for what to do on Phuket beyond diving. We have suggestions both for things to do on your own or on a join-in basis. Take advantage of your no-fly day in the way that suits you best! Let us know if you'd like us to help with bookings or car rentals!

Our six favorite nature and culture activities:

Exploring the "hong" (interior lagoon) of a Phang Nga Bay island

Nature: Phang Nga Bay and its hundreds of karst islands is listed as a United Nations World Heritage site due to its unique beauty and ecology. The best way to visit this wonderful place is by sea kayak. You are guided by a trained naturalist though caves that penetrate the island from the sea to secluded interior lagoons, where mudskippers, monkeys, sea eagles and other wildlife make their homes among the mangroves. A magical experience.

A baby gibbon born to rescued parents at the center

Nature: Infant gibbons are kidnapped from their parents in the wild and forced to work as tourist attractions throughout Thailand, despite the fact that this practice is illegal and inhumane. The Gibbon Rehabilitation Center works to find and rescue young gibbons and to reintroduce them to the wild in the protected area of the national park where the center is located. You can visit the center, learn about its work, and perhaps even support it by adopting a gibbon.

An example of a restored Straits Baba (or Sino-Portuguese) style house in Phuket City

Culture: Phuket was once a center of tin mining, an activity that funded the expansion of Phuket Town to include mansions and streets lined with covered walkways. The distinct architecture of the Straits Chinese is much in evidence, especially along streets such as Soi Romanee. An hour-long walking tour of the area is well worth your time, and can be followed up by a meal at one of the restored houses, such as that pictured here.

The art of the eight limbs

Culture: Even people who don't normally enjoy boxing contests find going to a Thai boxing match fascinating. There is a small ensemble of traditional musicians who play rhythmic tunes at the beginning of each bout, and there is a great deal of ritual surrounding the bouts themselves. Blessings are sought by the fighters and bestowed by their teachers, and a graceful warm-up sequence is performed. And of course, there's the excitement of the match itself!

Buddha images in various poses inside the chedi (main pagoda)

Culture: Wat Chalong is the largest and most ornate of Phuket's 29 Buddhist temples. Entrance is free but a contribution for upkeep of the shrine is customary. Wander around, learn your fortune by shaking out a bamboo stick with your lucky number or get help with a difficult decison by tossing a pair of red-painted bamboo blocks into the air and seeing how they fall. An especially interesting time to visit is on the morning of the weekly holy day (new, quarter, and full moon days) when monks chant sacred scriptures.

The floating home of a Sea Gypsy family with its attached fish farm

Nature + Culture: If you would like to see the "other side" of Phuket, away from the standard tourist fare, explore Chalong Bay on a small boat. There are a number of islands in the bay with deserted beaches within easy reach, and there are streams within the mangroves that can be navigated, with monkeys and other wildlife in evidence. A highlight is stopping off at the floating home of a Sea Gypsy family where the "lady of the raft" prepares a delicious lunch featuring the family's home-farmed seafood.