James Bond island, Phuket

Would recommend without hesitation the trip to James Bond Island. If you are staying in South Phuket (we were at Kata Beach) it is a couple of hours on a coach, but absolutely worth it (and I hate long coach journeys!!) The journey out there through Phang Nga Bay is breathtaking and James Bond island is just stunning. You can swim out the the rock at high tide, and explore around the tiny island. A fantastic day out.

We were picked up from the hotel at about 12pm and had quite a long 1-11/2 hour coach ride to Suwankuha Temple(Monkey Cave), our first stop.

We did not really enjoy the place as there were lots of wild monkeys always following us around to try to get food or grab food fom you.

Next we had the long boat ride to see the 32 sea mountains of Phang nga bay. These mountains are really magnificent and awesome. Beautiful!

Then we stop at the amazing James Bond Island. The mountains and rock formations are incridible.A must see to really see the beautiful unspoilt side of Phuket which Phuket town and Patong are not able to offer.

Then we were taken to Panyee Island or the floating fishing village. This is a muslim village so the first thing we did was tucked in for late lunch. The whole village is build on water and its quite an experience! Wish I had more time to explore the place.

I managed to get good bargains on some materials and bracelets here. Bargaining is a must. Always lower 1/2 or better 3/4 of the price quoted, walk away and you will get the price you want.

Price for this trip: 700 baht adults
500 baht kids
Got a discount for 2 kids-free.

Definitely a must go!

James Bond Island is a small stretch of land in the Andaman Sea that can be reached from Phuket on a day trip. The island was named after James Bond, the British spy who conquered his nemesis, the Man with the Golden Gun, in these islands. The island is even more attractive in reality than portrayed in that movie. As the boat closes in on the island, the dramatic scenery really hits you hard and takes your breath away. The island has a very small beach on one side which has clear unmuddied waters. Its very pleasant to walk along this beach though during the summer season, the throng of tour boats might make it difficult to walk freely.

As you climb the rocks and cross over to the other side, there is a long walking bridge which also acts as a pier for the boats. On one side of this walking bridge is a huge rock formation that acts as a refuge from the sun when it gets really hot. This is another location for some scintillating photography.

There are no accomodation facilities here and so no overnight stay is possible. Since the island is very tiny, there are not many shops either, so its better to carry food and other items while visiting this place. There are also no visible remnants in this place about the James Bond movie that was filmed here many years ago. However, the island is still pristine and unspoilt which makes it very pleasant to visit and enjoy.

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James Bond Island, famous for the James Bond film "Man with the Golden Gun" is another example of the dramatic limestone 'karsts' of the Phang Nga Bay area. Huge, sheer limestone cliffs rising out of the ocean. Somehow trees and other foliage plants have managed to take root on these rocky outcrops. Streaked with orange colours, they make a vivid contrast against the green sea and blue sky.

The beach on James Bond Island is like many of the beaches on the Phang Nga islands in that it is covered in shells rather than sand.

Be prepared for the children sent to sell you postcards. They follow you around, begging you to buy. They start at 100 baht and end up at 1 baht. They wouldn't believe us when we said we had no money, but we had indeed left it on the boat and were just carrying our cameras.

There is a tourist area there which we didn't visit as we didn't have the energy to fight off people trying to 'flog' tourist junk to us and it was down on the beach. We had a better view of the bay from the top of the hill.

You have to go cannoing .... the tour people take you to different caves, where you can take amazing photos, they will give you lunch and then take you for a swim.
I paid 105BAHT per person (it goes from about 9am to 5.30pm) - Be aware that I actually paid an overpriced tour - you can get them cheaper from the locals.

Its a cutural theme park. Lots of souvenir shops and games await. The ticket can include dinner. Then you will see the Phuket Show. It's spectacular, acribatics, live elephants, amazing laser lights effect, rain, costumes and just the actors performing in the Kamala epic... It was truly unforgettable.

There are lots of booking agents that can book you a ticket. Or you can just buy your ticket when you get there.

This spectacular region is about 90 minutes drive from Phuket on the Thai mainland. Boats can be found at a jetty of the Phang Nga Bay Hotel, board a motorboat and begin an unforgettable trip through the surrealist landscape of limestone stacks and green-clad outcrops. The rock’s dramatic colouring of ochre and amber hues contrasts vividly with the startling blue of the ocean. The unparalleled scenery of Phang Nga Bay presents a magical attraction for Phuket visitors and is well worth the trip. While exploring this wondrous region, the following attractions are of special interest:
KAO PING GUN ISLAND
Make sure to cruise past a distinct-looking rocky islet, popularly known as James Bond Island, where the filming of the final scenes of The Man with the Golden Gun took place.
KOH PANYI
A stop at this stilt village allows for a look at the villagers’ activities. From a floating jetty, wooden stairs lead up to the small community. The immediate area is full of stands offering souvenirs and handicraft items. Past this veritable shopping mecca, are some 400 houses, including a school for the village children.

The cost was about $35 each for this trip to James bond Island and several others including lunch. We were told there would be 15 or so other people on the boat with us, there were 80. Still a fun day.