7 Cool outdoor adventures you should try when you’re in Phuket

Phuket Island is more or less the perfect size to explore by bicycle—big enough to have all the terrain you’d want, from grassy plains to jungle and mountains, and small enough that you’ll have time to get there. You can hit up the sights of Phuket City with an electric bike courtesy of EXO Travel, or you can apply some real pedal power out on the country roads. The team at Amazing Bike Tours can lead you out on the dirt roads and grassy trails for a sightseeing adventure that runs right through the island’s natural beauty. Waterfalls, beaches, and plantations of rubber and pineapple trees are just waiting for you to cycle through.

With double the wheels and—no offense—a lot more horsepower than you can get out of the bicycle, there’s a level of excitement that you can only find on a 4-by-4. Tour East has you covered there, with a tour that takes you way off the roads as you motor through swamps and jungles all the way to the sea. Don’t let the rough ground on the most out-of-the-way trails hold you back as you try one of the most remarkable things to do in Phuket Island’s wilderness.

If speed is what you’re after, even an ATV can’t beat the rush you get from riding a zipline through the tangle of rubber trees in the middle of the island. The courses at Flying Hanuman offer up plenty of ways to plot your own adventure through the jungle, complete with sky bridges and hundreds of platforms built among the woods. Take some time to admire the views when you aren’t abseiling down from the treetops or zipping through the air.

Just across the Sarasin Bridge on the mainland, the Malay Peninsula has all kinds of adventure waiting for you. The rivers that drain out of the mountains might as well have been made for whitewater rafting, and are not to be missed if you like charging through rapids between rocky, tree-lined shores. Thrilling Thai Tours has put together a full day of excitement that lets you try out your options for adventure, from rafting to ziplines to the wildlife.

If you’re after some of the island’s best views, you’d do well to hike out to the monuments, temples and monasteries that fill the country. The giant white Buddha on top of Nakkard Hill looks down over the whole southern end of the island, and the brilliant gold-trimmed temples show off some real Southeast Asian grandeur. Diethelm Travel has picked out some of the grandest attractions for a day trip that explore Nakkard Hill.

The jungles of Thailand are some of the liveliest places on Earth, so you’ve got a chance to see nature on a whole new scale. The folks at CBS Travel can introduce you to the largest land mammals in Asia at an elephant camp on the mainland, where you get some time up close with some of the continent’s most famous residents. And Thrilling Thai Tours can pair a trip through the wilderness with a visit to a shelter that finds new lives for stray dogs and cats, for a look at one of the country’s most adorable causes.

In between the sandy beaches, tree-covered mountains, thick jungles, and lush plantations, Phuket Island packs a whole lot of sights. If you want a hand getting around to the sights, the guides have put together plenty of options. You can join Travstore Travel Management for an outing that takes you into the island’s grandest monastery and one of the best viewpoints in Phuket City, or let Asian Trails introduce you to the world of cashew nut farming and Chalong Bay rum, along with a great view at sunset.