New Delhi, Oct. 31 -- The sky is a conflagration of amber and rose as I sit on the quiet beach, watching the tide curl in. The combined fragrance of salt and frangipani ride the breeze as the sun dips low and I think back on my Phuket trip: a well-curated mosaic of experiences. A morning spent walking with rescued elephants through a forest sanctuary, a full-day island-hopping adventure to the coves of Phi Phi, and an evening navigating the bright chaos of Phuket's Sunday Night Market. I had strolled through the pastel-hued streets of the Old Town, trekked the jungle paths of Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, paused in the tranquil halls of Wat Chalong-and even bonded with a lion cub over coffee at Phuket Lion Cafe.

Nature, food, culture, w...