Phang Nga Bay Tour (Phuket)

Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay is loaded with unique island surroundings, and top-of-the-line issues to see within the bay must be the well-known James Bond Island, with its uncommon balanced rock.

Often known as Nail Island or ‘Ko Ta Pu’ within the Thai language, James Bond Island obtained its present nickname when the placement was featured within the 1974 Bond film ‘The Man with the Golden Gun.’

These days, Phang Nga Bay is a nationwide park in Thailand the place you may go kayaking and see dozens of fantastic islands with caves, mangroves, wildlife, and even a floating village known as Koh Panyee.

It’s straightforward to go to Phang Nga Bay on a day journey (by boat) from Phuket, Krabi, or Khao Lak, and that provides you adequate time to see James Bond Island and the opposite foremost sights within the bay.

This journey information for Phang Nga Bay will clarify how you can get there, prime issues to see and do, greatest tour packages to make use of, the place to remain, and every thing else it’s good to know earlier than you go!

Finest Phang Nga Bay Tour Packages

The one option to go to James Bond Island is with a tour, and GetYourGuide has prearranged day excursions from Phuket or related day journeys from Khao Lak or Krabi, full with lodge transfers, boat experience, island tour, lunch, and identical day return.

These day excursions go to all the prime sights in Phang Nga Bay, together with James Bond Island, Hong island, and the Koh Panyee floating village, and so they additionally allow you to use a canoe or kayak to discover a few of the limestone caves up shut.

We’ve used GetYourGuide for many day excursions and actions around the globe, and so they’re nice. Extremely beneficial!

Guide Now: James Bond Island Tour From Phuket / Khao Lak / Krabi

 

The place Is James Bond Island?

James Bond Island is positioned in Phang Nga Bay, in southern Thailand.

There’s no airport, resorts, or lodging within the bay because it’s a nationwide park, however you may simply go to from different locations in Thailand.

 

How To Get To James Bond Island Thailand

The one option to get to James Bond Island is to e-book a tour of Phang Nga Bay by boat. You possibly can select between a Thai longtail boat, massive picket boat, or speedboat, and any of those are good choices.

The speedboat is quickest and also you’re normally in a smaller and extra personal tour group, but it surely prices extra. We’ve finished the James Bond Island tour with every kind of boats, and at all times had a superb expertise with every of them.

The closest place to fly for that is the worldwide airport in Phuket (HKT) or the one in Krabi (KBV). Each of those airports have low cost flights from Bangkok. You possibly can store for flights to Thailand on Skyscanner.

There are a bunch of boat corporations making the journey to James Bond Island every day from Phuket, Krabi, or Khao Lak, and so they normally embrace lodge pickup and drop-off. Once more, we suggest GetYourGuide!

The boat journey by means of Phang Nga Bay is gorgeous in its personal proper, with dozens of rocky islands rising out of the ocean in all instructions. Nonetheless, top-of-the-line elements of the journey is kayaking by means of the limestone caves. It’s most likely one of the crucial superb kayaking experiences I’ve had wherever on the planet!

 

 

Visiting James Bond Island: What To Anticipate

If you first arrive at James Bond Island, the boat will park on the again aspect of the principle island (Khao Phing Kan) after which you may disembark and stroll round on the island for awhile.

It’s a really uncommon island coated with limestone hills, and the principle attraction is the sharp balanced rock, which appears to drift on the ocean. In contrast to different locations in Thailand, the snorkeling isn’t any good at Phang Nga Bay as a result of the water is murky and there’s no coral.

Nonetheless, when you’re fortunate, you continue to would possibly see some wildlife right here. We noticed a hawk flying round, and afterward we noticed a child monitor lizard close to the seaside. We took a couple of footage of him earlier than he climbed a tree and disappeared.

Most Phang Nga tour packages provide you with 1 hour at James Bond Island, which is loads of time to swim on the seaside, see the well-known floating rock, and try your greatest James Bond pose for images.

In fact, due to its surroundings, this island has grow to be one of the crucial well-known spots in Thailand, so it’s very crowded with vacationers at most instances of the day except you arrive early within the morning.

There are a bunch of makeshift memento stalls on the island making the most of this, however the costs are a bit greater than regular so it’s not a good suggestion to do any procuring right here.

If you wish to escape the crowds and take some good footage, you may stroll up the concrete steps and there are normally much less individuals on the viewpoints above the rock, whereas the realm near the seaside at all times tends to be the busiest and most crowded a part of the island.

James Bond Island was popularized and obtained its present nickname after being featured because the villain’s hideout within the 1974 Bond film ‘The Man with the Golden Gun.’ The film bombed with critics, however the location turned a success.

Despite the crowds, we have been completely happy to see that the island has been saved fairly clear, and we didn’t discover any rubbish on the bottom or within the water. Total, it’s an incredible place and it’s a must to see it a minimum of as soon as!

 

Visiting Phang Nga Bay – Vacationer Charges

The Phang Nga Bay is a nationwide park in Thailand, in order that they cost a vacationer charge of 300 Baht (~$9 USD) for adults, and 150 baht for teenagers 3-14 years previous.

Some Phang Nga Bay excursions might already embrace these charges within the complete value once you e-book, however normally you pay them individually in money once you first begin the tour, or else once you get off the boat at James Bond Island.
 

Extra Issues To See In Phang Nga Bay

Right here’s a listing of a few of the prime sights in Phang Nga Bay. You possibly can see most of those locations (together with James Bond Island) in a single day tour:

• Koh Hong Island: To not be confused with Koh Hong island within the Krabi province, this can be a stunning island in Phang Nga with a sandy seaside and a number of other limestone caves that you could discover by kayak. It’s one of the crucial spectacular kayaking spots in Thailand, so don’t miss it!
• Koh Phanak Island: One other massive limestone island with a number of caves, together with the Bat Cave and Ice Cream Cave, which obtained its title from the brilliant white stalactite rocks inside. You can too see mangroves and wild monkeys right here.
• Koh Panyee Floating Village: A really attention-grabbing little fishing village with a inhabitants of about 1,700 individuals. This floating village was based about 200 years in the past by Malay muslims, and the spot typically serves as a lunch cease on James Bond boat excursions.
• Samet Nangshe Viewpoint: This superb viewpoint is technically positioned outdoors of the nationwide park, and you may solely go to it by land (not on the James Bond boat tour). Nonetheless, it has jaw dropping views of Phang Nga Bay, together with its many mangroves and islands. It’s top-of-the-line views I’ve seen wherever on the planet, and the dawn can be spectacular. I’ll be writing a separate journey information for this viewpoint quickly!

 

1-Day Itinerary For The James Bond Island Tour

Right here’s a pattern itinerary for what the James Bond Island tour usually seems like:

• 7:30 AM – Resort pickup and drive to the pier by bus or minivan
• 8:30 AM – Switch to boat and begin the journey to Phang Nga Bay
• 9:30 AM – Begin sightseeing in Phang Nga Bay
• 12:00 PM – Lunch on the boat or on the floating village (Koh Panyee)
• 1:00 PM – Extra sightseeing in Phang Nga Bay
• 5:00 PM – Arrive on the pier and switch again to your lodge by bus or minivan

Consider each tour is completely different, so your schedule might not observe this precisely. You possibly can verify along with your tour supplier concerning the itinerary earlier than you go.

 

Is James Bond Island Open / Closed?

Sure, James Bond Island is OPEN for vacationers as of 2023!

The Thai authorities likes to shut a few of their islands for conservation through the wet season, however Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island stays open all yr.
 

 

Finest Time To Go to James Bond Island Thailand

Any time is nice to go to James Bond Island, though there are some seasonal variations.

The climate within the Andaman Sea space of Thailand (together with Phang Nga Bay) is greatest from November to April, when it’s extra dry and sunny. Nonetheless, that is additionally the height vacationer season, so it’s a bit extra crowded with day excursions.

The climate shouldn’t be pretty much as good from Might to October. There are extra wet days, and there are frequent storms within the evenings. Nonetheless, there are much less vacationers in these months and it’s nonetheless attainable to have an ideal journey.

It’s very uncommon for boat excursions to be canceled at James Bond Island as a result of it’s inside of a big bay that protects it from tough waves coming from the ocean.

We witnessed some massive storms within the wet season, however these have been normally within the evenings after we have been again at our lodge, so it wasn’t an issue. Many of the footage on this James Bond Island journey information have been really taken in July, through the wet season.

We’ve visited Phang Nga Bay within the dry season and in addition within the wet season, on separate journeys. In each instances, we had an incredible time and the climate was largely nice for weeks.

So in conclusion, there’s actually no unhealthy time to go to James Bond Island!

 

What To Carry To Phang Nga Bay

Listed below are some packing ideas in your go to to James Bond Island Thailand:

• Waterproof Bag. Important for conserving your electronics secure on the boats round Ko Ta Pu and Koh Hong island. I introduced a 30 liter bag and was capable of match my drone, pill, digital camera, cellphone, and a bunch of different stuff inside. All the pieces was saved dry, even once I took the bag swimming a couple of instances!
• Waterproof Telephone Pouch. Similar as above, however these are in your cellphone solely. Nice when you don’t produce other electronics and simply want one thing small to guard your cellphone.
• Sunscreen. There may be normally some shade within the speedboats and longtail boats, however you may nonetheless get roasted whereas swimming or strolling on the seaside at Ko Ta Pu, so that you’ll need to carry a hat and sunscreen for the boat excursions.
• Snacks & Drinks. You would possibly need to pack some snacks and drinks within the boat when touring the islands. You possibly can carry these from Phuket or Krabi. There are additionally snacks and drinks in the stores within the nationwide park, however the costs are greater.

 

Can You Fly A Drone At Phang Nga Bay?

Sure and no. Thailand is fairly relaxed about drones, and you may fly them in a lot of the islands, however you aren’t allowed to fly within the nationwide parks.

That features James Bond Island, which is patrolled by park rangers who will wonderful you when you’re caught flying a drone. They’re particularly strict there, and the rangers are watching all areas of the island always.

Nonetheless, when you’re discreet it’s nonetheless attainable to fly from different areas in or close to the bay. The very best place to do that is on the Samet Nangshe Viewpoint, which has nice visibility of Phang Nga Bay. You’ll nonetheless need to be thoughtful and solely fly in locations the place it gained’t hassle individuals, in fact.
 

Different Ideas For Phang Nga Bay

• Loos: There are bogs on James Bond Island, though you will have to pay a small charge in Thai baht (carry some money for that). In case you e-book the tour with a giant picket boat, these even have bogs within the boat, though the Thai longtail boats and speedboats normally don’t.
• Cell Service: We had good cellphone reception on the boat whereas touring throughout Phang Nga Bay, however it’s possible you’ll lose sign once you go ashore on James Bond Island due to the steep mountains surrounding Ko Ta Pu.
• Mosquitoes: We didn’t actually see any mosquitoes in Phang Nga Bay or James Bond Island, however you should purchase bug repellent in Phuket, Krabi, or different locations in Thailand if you would like it. Malaria isn’t current on this space.

 

Phi Phi Or James Bond Island: Which Is Higher?

So which is healthier, Phi Phi or James Bond Island? That’s an essential query.

They’re each nice, however I’ve to say Phi Phi island is healthier. No offense to James Bond island, however Phi Phi has the very best surroundings above and beneath the ocean, with clear blue water and many fish and coral to see whereas snorkeling or scuba diving.

There’s additionally extra to see and do in Phi Phi general. Even when you don’t care about snorkeling, it’s onerous to beat Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, and the opposite epic sights within the Phi Phi islands. They’re actually world class.

Don’t get me flawed, Phang Nga Bay continues to be superb and it’s best to positively see James Bond island when you’re in a position. Attempt to see each Phi Phi and James Bond if in case you have time!

Learn Extra: Phi Phi Island

 

Is James Bond Island Value It?

Sure, James Bond Island is completely value it in my e-book! There may be a great deal of superb surroundings in Phang Nga Bay, and the costs for every thing are very reasonably priced.

Despite the crowds, that is nonetheless top-of-the-line day journeys in Thailand, and it’s very accessible due to its location between Phuket and Krabi.
 

Phuket Accommodations

 

Extra Thailand Journey Guides

Thanks for wanting! I hope you loved this journey information for Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island Thailand.

Don’t neglect to take a look at my full Thailand journey information for extra tips about Phuket, Krabi, Koh Tao, and the opposite Thai islands.

Pleased travels!