Almost all of our school holidays were spent in our hometown, as my dad wanted us kids to be acquainted with where we come from and our extended family and cousins there. As kids you hardly have a choice where you want to go on a holiday, so we would run around the fields in the sweltering heat of Latur. But I knew it even then that I am a complete water baby, and for me holidays mean relaxing, freedom and the beach. When I was studying in the States, we used to go on road trips across the east coast and enjoy the beautiful coastline. And Goa used to be the "it" place once upon a time. But then I discovered Phuket and I am completely in love with it. The best part is, it’s not even that far and you can plan a quick getaway from 4-5 days to Phuket.Phuket is the biggest island in Bangkok and on your first trip it’s difficult to explore the whole of it. You cannot imagine the vastness of the island when you see it on the map. There are several beaches, which offer everything for everybody. If you desire a quiet and relaxing time, you can stay put on the Bang Tao beach. It’s one of the most serene and peaceful beaches I have ever been to. Contrary to the popular belief that you often get hassled in Thailand if you are a tourist, Bang Tao provides you total privacy. Nobody really bothers you, as even the locals know that the tourists who come to this beach are looking for a quiet time. Then there is the Surin beach, which is getting increasingly popular with the tourists and the younger generation. You will find a lot of fellow Indian travellers on this beach. For me, when I go there it’s a toss up between Bang Tao and the buzzing Patong beach, depending on the mood I am in. If I am in the mood to party and enjoy the nightlife, beach shacks and great music, I would stay at Patong beach, stay up all night and sleep through the day on the beach. It’s just the opposite on the Bang Tao beach, it’s a good place to detox really, take in the fresh air, go to the spas, enjoy the massages and rejuvenate yourself.Although there are frequent buses running through Phuket connecting the beaches, it can be fun to rent a bike and roam around the island at your leisure. Like all tourist spots, taxis are horribly expensive and unreliable. On the other hand, people on the streets are extremely helpful and will always guide you in the right direction. You can explore the more unseen and quieter places on your own. Phuket isn’t really a place for sightseeing, but you can visit the Buddhist monastery situated in the heart of the city. There is also a wild life sanctuary, which is a popular picnic spot because it’s situated right next to a waterfall, which has a breathtaking view. You can indulge in water sports, like river rafting, kayaking there. Just make sure you get your thrills from licensed professionals for adventure sports, because there are lots of touts around, who are not skilled enough for their jobs. A friend of mine almost had his head split river rafting on one occasion. Another treat in the sanctuary is that you can go on an elephant safari and enjoy the wildlife king style.While working on Heyy Babyy when I was telling Akshay Kumar about my love for Phuket he was surprised that I still hadn’t gone scuba diving there.He is a trained scuba diver and taking inspiration from him, I went scuba diving on my last trip there and had an out of this world experience. Everyone should try it once. There is a beautiful coral island close to Phuket and the view is astonishing underwater. You can also try snorkeling whilst you are at it.What I like about Phuket is you can get out of there with ease and get to Krabbi Island via a speedboat. It’s easy to make friends with other tourists on the beach, but if you are bored of seeing the same people, you can hop onto a speedboat and head to Krabbi for some change in scenario.As told to Chhaya S.