If you have a bit more time to spend exploring Phuket, take a trip to Khao Sok National Park. It’s a 3-hour car ride away, but the landscape is totally worth it. Thailand’s largest areas of virgin forest are here, and parts of it are among the oldest rainforest in the world, even older than the Amazon.
Home to many species of exotic wildlife, including Asian elephants, deer, bears, cats, boars and birds, Khao Sok National Park is teemed with breathtaking sights everywhere you look. Here you can hike, go wildlife watching, explore caves and waterfalls, and enjoy the water around the many lakes within. You can even engage in an ethical, chain-free elephant encounter that is more respectful to the majestic animals than other riding or feeding activities that go on elsewhere around Thailand. There’s a lot to see, so most tours are 2-3 days long for the best experience.