Holidays to Phang Nga Thailand

It’s always a mixed blessing when a holiday location features prominently in a film – particularly a blockbuster such as The Beach or a Bond film. It can shine a potentially destructive media spotlight on a little-known hideaway, while bringing much-needed tourist dollars to a community. So it is with the now internationally famous landmark Koh Ping-gan, which first found fame in its starring role in the Bond movie The Man With the Golden Gun.

The monolith is known as James Bond Island – hardly an “island” but such is the power of Hollywood –lies in Phang Nga Bay - the most popular day trip for Phuket visitors, with two or three thousand visiting daily during peak season. The weathered rocky columns themselves may suggest ancient volcanoes but, in fact, the processes that created Phang Nga’s famed monoliths was much less violent and far more time-consuming.

In practice, the majority of visitors are bussed up the main highway on a well-worn itinerary whereas, in fact, the entire area surrounding this island with its signature rocky pinnacle is spectacular and well worth exploring.  A simple means of enjoying the spectacular scenery with only brief encounters with the crowds (who focus on two spots in the bay: James Bond Island and Koh Pannyi) is to take one of the boat trips from the northern end of Phuket.  A leisurely day trip cruising through the dramatic limestone islands, occasionally stopping to enjoy quiet beaches, is far more rewarding than the standard bus-boat tour.

After the “Bond” rock, the most popular place to visit in this province is perhaps the water village, Koh Pannyi. This community of several hundred fishing families is built on stilts protruding from the waters of the bay, with a huge rock mountain behind it – a dramatic setting indeed Most day tours to the bay stop here for lunch then, when the tourists have left, the villagers quietly get on with their lives.

But beyond the bay, Phang Nga offers equally stunning, but less visited scenery, as the rocky limestone mountains, (called karst) punctuate the landscape here, too. The craggy, cave-pocked rocks often rise from lush forest and tangles of vines.  Phang Nga town itself is set in a valley amongst such protective sentinels.

Typical of upcountry towns across Thailand, Phang Nga has a fresh food market, a few Buddhist monasteries, lots of restaurants and streets of “shop houses”, their contents often spilling out on to the streets, creating the bazaar-like atmosphere common in the heart of Thai communities.

It is an easy drive through this part of Thailand – good roads, friendly and helpful people – so the two-day journey from Phuket to Krabi is a great ride. Phang Nga Bay is excellent for boating, with the unique backdrop of the limestone cliffs, many safe places to anchor and calm waters throughout the year.

The place is full of surprises, too. Aerial surveys revealed “rooms” or Hong inside some of Phang Nga's islands. These hidden realms rich in unspoiled flora and fauna, are collapsed cave systems open to the sky and surrounded by towering limestone walls. Sea canoeing, paddling sturdy inflatable boats, enables you to pass through the caves into the mysterious hearts of islands such as Koh Panak and Koh Hong - an unforgettable experience.

To get the most from a holiday to Phang Nga just contact one of our experts below and they will be happy to help.