South of Phuket through the Malacca Straits lies one of the busiest and most modern ports-of-call in the world, the island state of Singapore, with many fascinating points to see along the way in Malaysian waters.

For a completely different experience, sail northwest to Myanmar's Mergui Archipelago or further still to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands of India - both of these remote areas remain largely undiscovered sailing paradises. Aspiring adventurers take note.