Don’t let those smaller floppy ears fool you: Asian elephants are big. I stood next to my 10-foot-tall “ride” in Thailand’s Phuket Chalong highlands, wondering how I would ever get up into the seat on his back. As I checked out his wrinkled face, his tennis ball-sized eye met mine and, as if sensing my concern, he raised his massive trunk and patted me gently on the top of my head.

After introducing us to our rides, our guide took us up a hillside behind the greeting hut. A triangular-shaped ramp jutted out from the side of the hill to the edge of the path, and my giant friend sauntered up to the ramp. Having found the answer to my ‘‘how’’ question, I climbed on board, strapped myself in and, with a gentle nudge from the handler, we lumbered off into the rainforest.

Wispy waterfalls and tall trees with immense buttressed bases flanked the trail. As we ventured deeper into the forest, the handler pointed out various animals and plants along the trail. An hour later we were back at the ramp with everyone jabbering about how much fun it was. Then one of the guides called us over to the balcony of the main building, where we found the elephants lined up with their trunks reaching up at us.

The safari staff handed us big bunches of bananas, each with a dozen or more bananas. I stretched over the rail and my large, gentle friend deftly wrapped his trunk around the succulent offering and stuffed the entire treat into his mouth. A few chomps and a gulp, and the beast raised his trunk for seconds. After swallowing another bunch, the great elephant trumpeted his approval and ambled off.

On the way back to the resort from our Kok Chang Elephant Safari adventure, we stopped at Laem Prom Thep Cape to visit its small Hindu temple featuring hundreds of carved elephant statues and a breathtaking panoramic Andaman Sea sunset. As I soaked up the warm setting sun and reflected on my day, the previous day’s image of me crammed into the backseat of a tuk-tuk, stuck in a noisy Bangkok traffic jam, slowly melted away.

Warm ocean breezes and a “Welcome to The Pearl of The Andaman Sea” sign greet visitors as they step from the plane at Phuket International Airport. Manicured gardens, lush greenery and the azure Andaman Sea fringing the edge of the runway provided a stark contrast to my last visit in 2005, a few months after the entire area was submerged under three feet of saltwater for almost a day. In fact, the only reminders of the devastating tsunami that scoured the coastline of this tropical island are a few abandoned vegetation-covered buildings and the peeling big powder-blue sign along the roadside proclaiming, “Phuket Is Back.”

Separated from the mainland by a narrow sea channel, the idyllic 13-mile-wide by 29-mile-long teardrop-shaped island off Thailand’s southwest coast is only an 80-minute flight from Bangkok’s hustle and bustle. With its lush 100-foot-tall rainforests and curvaceous Andaman Sea beaches, it’s no wonder Phuket thrives as a popular destination for both local and international visitors. It’s an especially ideal add-on for anyone wishing to kick back in paradise after spending time in Bangkok. And since most businesses and resorts took advantage of the 2004 tragedy and the ensuing lull in tourism to completely rebuild and refurbish their properties, Phuket is definitely back, new and improved and more popular than ever.

My base for exploring the region was the sprawling 275-room Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, nestled on a hillside overlooking the sweeping arc of Siray Bay on Koh Siray Island. Only four miles from Phuket Town, it’s separated from the main island by a narrow bridge. All the guestrooms face the ocean, the Heavenly Spa is truly heavenly, the large infinity pool is completely addictive, and the six dining venues overwhelm your taste buds with a wide selection of mouthwatering Thai delicacies.

The day after my elephant adventure, I boarded a sleek Phuket Tours speedboat at Pakarang Beach near Khoa Lak on the mainland for a daytrip to the Similan Islands. Like giant emeralds trimmed in ivory, the Similans float in the turquoise Andaman Sea about 40 miles northwest of the umbrellas on Phuket’s Patong Beach. Without a doubt, they are the crown jewels of the Andaman Sea and were designated the Mu Ko Similan National Park in 1982. Their name actually comes from the Malay word sembilan, meaning “nine.”

After an exhilarating 70-minute dash across the strait, we beached our boat on a long strand of white coral sand on Koh Similan, largest of the archipelago’s nine islands. Giant boulders, some the size of small houses, littered the long beach, and the lush fringing jungle hosted a profusion of wildlife including rare crab-eating monkeys, large monitor lizards and 70 bird species. Some of the well-marked walking trails that crisscross the island lead to more secluded beaches where you can while away a few intimate hours amid a backdrop of song birds and the gentle lapping of surf.

Always seeking a new photo op, I hiked a trail up through luxuriant stands of tall bamboo and huge ironwood and gum trees smothered in philodendrons and wild orchids to the top of Sailboat Rock at the north end of the bay. During my hike a large clipper ship anchored off the beach, adding to the stunning island vistas.

Koh Similan’s beautiful beaches © Michael Defreitas

But the Similan Islands’ main attractions are its pristine waters and multicolored reefs. Most international diving magazines consistently rank the Similan Islands as one of the world’s top 10 diving destinations. So after a hearty Thai lunch of pad Thai goong (Thai fried rice noodles with prawns) and satay gai (grilled chicken marinated in herbs and honey and served with peanut sauce), I donned my snorkel gear and headed out to Fantasy Reef, a few fin kicks offshore. The beautiful marine gardens that sit in only 20 feet of water feature more than 200 species of coral — a great place for divers and snorkelers to spot shy clownfish and nine-foot manta rays.

The next day, I boarded another bullet-shaped speedboat to snake our way through the jagged karst rock islets of Phang Nga Bay, made famous in the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. Pushed by three 250-horsepower engines, it wasn’t long before we arrived at the Koh Phi Phi Islands off Phuket’s southeast coast. The group’s main island, H-shaped Phi Phi Don, is little more than a sandy 200-yard-wide isthmus spanning two parallel limestone ridges.

Tucked away amid the coconut trees between the two luxurious strands of white sand on each side of the isthmus sits the quiet Muslim fishing village of Ton Sai (or “banyan tree”) with its eclectic Thai- Malay culture and its brightly decorated long-tail fishing boats bobbing in the calm bay. It seemed like the village had been there for centuries — a big surprise, since I saw it totally destroyed on TV back in 2004 when the giant tsunami scoured the island, sweeping 3,000 residents and tourists out to sea.

Thai delicacies © Michael Defreitas

Today, the bustling little village is home to about 4,000 residents, where the fusion of cultures manifests itself in the island’s unique cuisine, music and handicrafts. A smorgasbord of aromas, sounds and colors dazzled my senses as I strolled the town’s narrow streets. Fresh fish and chicken satay, a Malay specialty, sizzled on barbecues in front of small restaurants while, inside, woks filled with spicy Thai noodle and dumpling soups simmered on open fires. Malay and Thai music filled the air, and vendors selling brightly colored silk sarongs, head coverings and costume shell jewelry lined the narrow streets.

Thai delicacies © Michael Defreitas

After another taste bud-boggling lunch, I spent the afternoon relaxing on the island’s luxurious beach before heading back to Phuket under another unforgettable Andaman Sea sunset.

My week of memorable Phuket experiences ended all too quickly, but I took comfort in knowing there were still plenty of things to see and do on my next visit.

Phuket Info to Go

Don’t be fooled by the small size of Phuket International Airport. It’s Thailand’s second-busiest after Bangkok and handles about 3 million visitors annually. The government totally rebuilt and upgraded the airport after the tsunami. Besides 20 Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways flights from Bangkok each day, the airport also welcomes many international carriers with direct flights from dozens of major international gateways. Getting around the small island is fairly simple. Official taxis from the airport to Phuket resorts run $26 to $32. Or you can rent a car at the airport for about $40 per day or a full-day car rental with driver/guide for about $100.

Read more about wats in Phuket.