JAMES BOND ISLAND TRAVEL GUIDE & THINGS TO DO
If Eden had an ocean, it would look a little like James Bond Island. Ko Phing Kan, as it name by Thais, located off the Phang Nga, a turquoise bay, peppered with craggy limestone rock towers, soda-white beaches and tumbledown fishing villages, the famous island is one of the region’s most spectacular great escapes and full of picture-postcard flavour.
It’s pretty easy to see why James Bond choose this locale to set up a location for the 1974’s movie, among towering cliffs and swifts’ nests, to build his lair in The Man with the Golden Gun.
Much of the bay, along with portions of the coastline, have now been incorporated into the Ao Phang-Nga Marine National Park and can be explored by speed-boat tours. The area is desperately in lack of quality accommodation, so it may be best to visit on a day trip – there are heaps of tours out of Phuket.
Most trips are advertised on chalkboards and posters as ‘trips to James Bond Island.’ Check out best deal Private Thailand Tours & Trips
Is James Bond Island Worth To Go?
Trust me, the day trip to visit James Bond Island is well worth to go.
In addition, the boat trips off the islands taking tourists along to the Ao Phang Nga National park to see the photo-snapping rocky formation along with the several dotted islands around.
The speedboats then take you through the turquoise waved waters to see James Bond Island that was a setting location for the famous movie I mentioned above.
The trip is suitable for families and kids too and it offers with most stunning and majestic sceneries. There are countless small islands around the bay and some other villages off Koh Khai Nok island with its sandy beach and beautiful sandy beach to stop and get drenched or swim.
Just remember, it’s illegal to feed the fishes – so, be a cool tourist and Don’t Do It!
Why is James Bond Island that Famous?
Famous for few things. More than anywhere else in Thailand, the Phang-Nga coastline including James Bond Island was reeling from the devastation of the 2004 tsunami (Not sure if you guys remember it). In fact about 6, 000 of the deaths – well over half the national count – occurred along this section of the Andaman coast, particularly in the Thai Muang, Khao Lak, Bang Niang and Bang Sak regions.
However, if you’re into action packed movies, you definitely heard about the 007, the James Bond & now you’re curious how is it to be in the same location. Whatever, you will feel the majestic beauty and the karst landscapes in and around the Phong Nga.
The little limestone tower island of Ko Phing Kan, Renamed as James Bond Island since the movie location filmed here.
The more touristy side of the Phang Nga is the locations between James Bond Island and the muslim minority villages with their stilt buses around Koh Panyi.
It seems more tours are only taking visitors to this part of the bay, whereas some other tours, specially private trips including canoeing BBQ party swimming and more will take tourists to visit more islands as well as the mangroves along the beautiful coast.
I spoke with a Thai friend and he admitted that while Koh Phing Kan, the “official” name of what tourist call it James Bond island, may not rank as the most stunning area in Thailand’s Andaman Sea, its easily recognizable name, particularly associated with a legendary film character, has significantly influenced visitor numbers over the decades.
How to Visit Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island?
The day tours from to Sea Caves Canoeing & James Bond Island by Big Boat all starts from Pracharat Pier, just in the Phang Nga. In addition, if you’re heading from Phuket, Krabi, surin or even Khao Lak National Park, you’ll first need to present in the pier in Phang Nga.
upon departure, there will be a transfer with long tail boat through the large areas of mangrove forests, to be honest, the transfer and the first leg of the boat trips doesn’t really seems to be interesting since the long-tail boat just taking you to the islands now. My wife was like “James Bond Island doesn’t worth a trip” as soon as she hop on a long tail boat – but hey, that’s not all, wait for it.
Start with Canoeing through Sea & Caves
Top ways to experience James Bond Island & Phang Nga would start with a canoeing and kayaking to which, it takes tourists through caves and mangroves at Koh Panak and surreal rock karst at Hong Island. This is a great time for instagram snap photos and soak up views of James Bond Island then lounge on the beach at Lawa Island. The tours are usually offering a BBQ lunch or anything that is set before departure
Visiting the actual James Bond Island
Once you done with kayaking and all the fun things, it’s now time to head toward the actual part of the trip, the visit to Koh Khao Phing Kan – the local name of the James Bond Island will last about 2 hours or less.
Remember, the James Bond Island is surrounded by over 100 other smaller islands that are dotted around the protected marine bay. So, no matter what tour are you booking, the boats aren’t allowed to get close to the limestone towers. You can take photos of the James Bond Island from a boat or a little beautiful beach on Koh Ping Ghan (If your tour boat would stop for it).
Is James Bond Island Worth the Hype? I still say yes, and now wife too.
However, all those boat tours are packed with 50-60 or more tourists (depending the boat size), now, if you want to have more vistas and freedom, there would be an option to go with private tour and or charter a long tail small boat right from the pier in Phang Nga and the whole trip last about 5 hours or a bit less.
In addition, if you’re on a group fo 10 friends, this is absolutely worth the money. book a smaller boat and control the time and places to visit.
Koh Panyee Floating Muslim Village on Stilt
Time to say goodbye to the James Bond Island – the sailing, canoeing and photo snapping would never allow you to leave. Moreover, on most organized boat tours, you’ll visit some other renowned islands in the Andaman coast, such as Koh Panyee, a a fishing Muslim minority village on stilts where a delicious seafood lunch is served.
There are few souvenir shops here, before depart, you may buy something small to help and support the community whom lives on the water.
How to get to Koh Panyi?
There are several long tail boats departing Surakul pier in Krasom to Koh Panyi with 170 Baht for a 20 minutes journey. The boat however won’t depart until it gets full capacity of 10 people.
Can you get to James Bond Island without a tour?
Simply NOT possible since the majestic island and its towering limestone karst are part of the Phang Nga marine and they all are national protected areas. So, to get to the “Koh Phing Kan”, or the James Bond Island, you only need to book a group tour, or pay more and go private with a smelt boat.
Most of the boat tours heading to visit James Bond Island are departing from Phuket & Krabi or if you take a private boat, then take one from Phang Nga.
What are the highlights of James Bond Island day tour?
Highlits of James Bond Island day tour → Located in Ao Phang-Nga Marine National Park ,the biggest tourist’s highlights in the park is the so-called James Bond Island, or as locally called “Ko Phing Kan” (literally ‘Leaning on Itself Island’).
The Phang Nga Bay itself is covering a vast area of over 402 SQ KM, with over 100 islands towering up the turquoise bay making it a dreamy place for tourists to go and a highlights of a day trip from Phuket would be a visit to the marine national park that is including a visit to the infamous James Bond Island. Find out more on Phang Nga Bay on Wikipedia
In addition, the Koh Ping kan itself is a highly towered limestone tower that is leaning a little backward, there are also a numbers os grottoes and small caves that are worth to canoe and or kayak through them. If you’re booking a tour to visit the bay, make sure to check the schedule, what is included and what islands are including a visit.
Here is the detailed map of Koh Phing Kan day tour including stops for each visits.
Comparison: Phi Phi Vs James Bond & Phang Nga Bay – Which one is Better?
Which tour is right for you? Phi Phi is a good choice if you’re into snorkeling & swimming while James Bond Island is great choice for a day tours to visit caves, limestone karst all with amazing views.
In addition, i certainly can’t decide on whether James Bond or Phi Phi since each tourist has different expectations and interests.
I myself didn’t expect much about James Bond Island and I was just a curious traveler, so I book a boat tour and to be honest, it’s worth to visit James Bond Island.
However, the Phi Phi Islands is a better choice if you’re looking for a place to say for 2-3 days, its developed, there are good choices of hotels and resorts and you can get to the beach and relax and have fun.
In short, it is not a matter of which is better, it is a matter of what you like to see and to do.
Once at Phi Phi & specially at Maya Bay, there are best options for swimming or snorkeling and great sand beaches all around.
Book 5 Star Tours to visit Thailand – Find the Best Things to Do, Flexible Activities, Food Tours & Excursions & EVEN More
Copyright 2013-2017 Vietnamese Private Tours Ltd With Vietnam Luxury Travel
