Phang Nga
James Bond Island
Anyone who has ever been to Thailand before will know that Phang Nga Bay was the location for the 1974 James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. All the local tour companies and guides capitalize on this by encourage thousands of holiday makers to take the day trip from Phuket to see this famous landmark. No doubt you couldn't ask for a more exquisite and seductive retreat than these islands and bays found around here.
Arriving at James Bond island
The best ways to travel to this bay is in a long-tail boat as they can be real fun. A word of caution though is that once you arrive here, you will undoubtedly be surrounded by loads of local traders who will try and sell you souvenirs that you more than likely don't want or need. Also you will find the prices to be more than four to five times the price for the same items on the main land. It matters not when these traders try reducing the prices as you would still be able to purchase the same items elsewhere at a far better price. To be quite honest I only found this out for myself much later. Best to either ignore the traders altogether or just give a small donation as a kind gesture. You will probable feel much better afterwards.
Souvenir Hunting on James Bond Island
Travel south-east from Phang Nga for approximately 50 kilometers or 30 miles and you will come across Thanbok Koranee National Park. Truly a most beautiful part of Thailand. The park which is dominated by limestone cliffs is open daily.
Thanbok Koranee National Park
For a unique alternative form of sea going transport on these waters, why not take a trip in a Chinese junk or the Sampan called June Bahtra. There are three of them that cruise these waters and you cannot mistake them for their huge colourful sails. They are very solid and offer a very smooth ride. The lunch that is severed on board is without a doubt superb. Well worth this trip.
Sampans in the Bay
The most out-standing (no pun intended) feature around Phang Nga Bay are the spectacular limestone peaks often reaching as high as 300 meters or 1,000 feet.
Limestone Karst Formations
Some of the tours on offer will take you to the Gypsy village at Koh Pannyi as a stop over for lunch. What an absolute remarkable village built right out over the sea on stilts with a huge limestone mountain as a back-drop. Most of the sea gypsies who live here are from the Muslim faith and earn their keep as fishermen.Apart from the excellent lunch that is severed, vegetarians are also well catered for. All you need to do is to make arrangements with your tour operator prior to your journey. Throughout the seasons thousands of tourists are catered for at Koh Pannyi every single day. Once the lunches are over for the day, these Gypsy islanders will close up shop and settle into their every day commune. Again you can purchase handicrafts here but keep in mind the higher prices.
Sea Gypsy stilt village on Koh Pannyi
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