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A whole week in sun-kissed, sea breeze blessed, Phuket sounds heavenly. You can spend hours on the beach – swimming, soaking up the sun and chasing thrills with watersports. Phuket is also home to an ethical elephant sanctuary, and it is a UNESCO creative city for gastronomy. Hence, you can enjoy good food, visit gentle giants and a great nightlife.

Once you get to your Phuket luxury hotel from the airport, take some time to wind down from jet lag, and get into holiday mode. Hotels like the Anantara Layan Phuket Resort offer spa facilities. You can book a spa session to allow yourself to relax. Take some time to linger over meals, use the pool and simply come into your own holiday vibe. You can go to a nearby beach in the evening to catch a sunset with cocktails and a platter of seafood.

After a lavish hotel breakfast, make your way to the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary (PSE). It is an ethical sanctuary for elephants in the last years of their lives – a sort of retirement home for elephants. The sanctuary rescues older elephants from the logging industry or similar places. The elephants roam free in this 30 acres space, and they are well looked after. You can watch them roam free from a safe distance from the canopy walkway. After lunch, take some time to rest and then go to Kata Beach or Patong Beach.

The Old Phuket Town received the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy status. You can get to know Phuket through its street food. Spend the day in the town, strolling along the enchanting streets, observing Sino-Portuguese architecture, and quirky boutique stores. You can go to the local markets to feast on bowls of Thai noodles in broth, grilled meat dishes, crispy vegetables, spicy rice and sides and butterfly pea sticky rice with custard. The Wat Chalong and the Big Buddha are popular historical sites in the town.

Choose your islands wisely. You can either go to the gorgeous and popular Phi Islands or Coral Island with a pit stop at the famous James Bond Island. Alternatively, you can go to Ko Racha Yai to spend an entire day of island hopping. You can rent a private catamaran along with the crew for your adventure. If you join with a few friends or fellow travellers, the trip won’t be too expensive. Make sure that the catamaran is equipped with all you need for a day in the sea. Here is a brief checklist:

The Bong Bong village is a 200-year-old rural community, enveloped by a mangrove forest. You can visit the village to catch a glimpse of a traditional Thai village and learn all about growing food and catching fish for a living. You can ease into the slow pace of life as they work the land or fish in close harmony with nature. If this is not really your kettle of fish, sign up for an organic cooking lesson at a farm. You can cook Thai dishes using ingredients sourced from the farm, and of course, relish your own food.

You can gear up to go trekking in the tropical jungle, and try zip-lining and ATV riding. If watersports are more your thing, try your hand at paddleboarding or go on a kayak ride in the salty waters. You can even scuba dive to meet and greet creatures deep beneath the turquoise waters. In the evening, find a nice spot by a lovely beach and forget the world or go for a dip in the salty waves.

Reserve your last day to seek bliss at the spa. Go for an invigorating Thai massage or choose an Ayurvedic spa session to completely let go of the mundane world. On your last day, drink in the beauty of Phuket’s beaches, breathe the sea breeze and catch a sunset to take back that soothing glow from the holidays back home.

Thai food is famous the world over, and when in Thailand, you can indulge the foodie in you with a variety of cuisine incorporating the perfect blend of spices, herbs and flavours designed to tantalis e the tastebuds. Eating is also an art and part of the ancient culture in Thailand, and there are rules you must follow to enjoy a fully immersive experience as this article on how to eat like a local in Thailand explains.

Sitting down for a meal in Thailand is different to what you may be used to if you come from a western nation. To begin with, the senior most person does not sit at the head of the table, instead, they are offered a seat in the middle area. As a guest it is best to wait politely until you are offered your place, thus avoiding any confusion.

Some homes in Thailand will have low tables and cushions for sitting on instead of chairs – in this case, you must sit in a position where your feet do not point at anyone and are not visible; it is considered impolite to show your feet to other diners. Do not begin eating until the senior-most person at your table has started.

When dining at a restaurant, you may find strangers sitting at your table – this is quite normal, and it does not mean you are supposed to engage in conversation with them. Simply carry on with your meal as though you were seated all alone. Busy tourist centres like Phuket in Thailand offer some of the best eateries in the nation. And some popular resorts like Anantara Layan Phuket Resort will include several in-house eateries for the convenience of guests. These eateries are among the best restaurants in Phuket and are ideal for learning a thing or two about Thai dining etiquette.

While combined eating is a thing when dining in Thailand, it does not mean you must compromise your dietary requirements. Do not feel obliged to try various dishes just because everyone else is eating them. Some dishes may be extremely spicy, and others may contain ingredients you don’t eat or are allergic to; therefore, inquire about the ingredient and the dish before you heap your plate with them.

You are by no means required to serve yourself every dish that is being passed around; it is quite alright to politely decline food containing ingredients you don’t eat. This is considered alright as opposed to leaving food on your plate, which is seen as disrespectful. Avoid serving food you won’t eat, and when not sure, try very small portions at first. Do not pile your plate with every food from every dish on the table. Taste a little at a time and reserve only what you like.

It is quite alright to add sauces and condiments to your food. Unlike in some cultures, it is not considered rude to add extra flavour to your food in Thailand.

Unlike some of their South Asian contemporaries, Thais do not use chopsticks for eating. The fork and spoon are the popular choices. If you must cut food, use the edge of the spoon to do so. You hold the spoon in the right hand and the fork in the left. Do not put the fork in your mouth as it is used to heap the food onto the spoon, which is what you put in your mouth.

When serving from the main dishes, do not use the spoon you are eating with, there will be separate serving spoons for each dish and that is what you must use.