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Published: January 14th 2009
James Bond Island, known originally and locally as Ko Tapu or Nail Island, found fame through the 1974 Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun". The film starred Roger Moore and Christopher Lee (as the three nippled arch-villain Scaramanga) but it was the scenic topography that helped make the film into a firm Bond favourite. It also turned the previously unknown Phang Nga Bay into a major tourist attraction.
The island as a tourist attraction Everyday tour buses packed with thousands of tourists leave Phuket for the daylong sightseeing trip driving two hours to Phang Nga Bay, often stopping at the popular Monkey Caves (Wat Suwankuha) to see the large reclining golden Buddha inside the caves and the large flocks of monkeys outside.
After this the bus takes them to Phang Nga Bay where they travel by long tail boat for lunch at Koh Pannyi, a floating Muslim fishing village that is referred to by some locals as "Bin Laden Village". After exploring the floating fishing village everybody gets back onto the long tail boat and heads for the prime attraction, James Bond Island.
A 15-minute boat ride later and the island comes into view.
The island that you disembark onto is crowded with stalls selling seashells and trinkets but unfortunately nobody has taken the initiative to create or sell anything of interest to Bond fans. No replica golden guns, no postcards of the film, not even a DVD of the film. The people on the stalls are pushy but easy to avoid, just don't go near them.
Beer is pretty expensive on the island at double the market price but it is not available at the Muslim fishing village so this is the place to get it if you fancy a can. Confusing signs are placed around the island that try to explain how the rock was formed but these are written in "Tinglish" so make very little sense. The tour guides normally give you 30 minutes on the island; just long enough take some pictures, have a drink and go to the toilet.
Other Islands in Phang Nga Bay Most of the islands are uninhabited. Many of them have spectacular caves (hongs in Thai) which you can only reach by an inflatable kayak. Koh Hong is one of the most popular of these islands.
Phang Nga Bay is also a great place to sail. The interesting limestone cliffs create a picturesque backdrop and there are many safe places to anchor all year round.
Rocky Cliffs The cliffs are streaked with hues of black, tan, ivory, gray and red. Where do the streaks of red come from? According to some geologists, these stains are the result of iron deposits leached by ground water from ancient river beds. The tops of those islands were once part of a continuous land mass covered with forested hills and carved streams. That would have been long before human beings appeared on the scene. But sea levels have fluctuated significantly in more recent times. Approximately 10,000 years ago, for example, you could have walked between Phuket, Phang Nga or Krabi. And still, at that time, you would have seen these cliffs streaked with red and, perhaps, wondered why.
Limestone is calcium carbonate, which is generally white. Over millions of years, the skeletons from a constant rain of marine organisms, plus the chemical precipitation of yet more calcium carbonate build thick layers of sediment. Eventually, the heat and pressure of their own weight turn these
strata, hundreds of metres thick, to stone. A variety of geological forces have then fractured the limestone beds and pushed up the 40 steep-sided islands that provide the exotic scenery for which this shallow bay is noted. Mineral oxides from various sources paint the vari-coloured streaks that characterise the cliffs of Phang Nga Bay.
This area is a sailor's paradise. The fact that it's protected from both the Northeast and the Southwest monsoon seasons means that its waters remain calm year-round, which adds to the appeal of its scenic wonders and abundant wildlife.
Rooms with a View And there are lost worlds awaiting discovery. It wasn't many years ago that aerial surveys first revealed the Hong, or "rooms", that lie inside some of Phang Nga's islands. These fabulous microcosms, hidden realms rich in unspoiled flora and fauna, are collapsed cave systems open to the sky and surrounded by towering limestone walls. Try sea-canoeing, where you paddle sturdy inflatable boats through caves into the mysterious hearts of islands such as Koh Panak and Koh Hong.
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Carol Friend
non-member comment
Where do you find the time????
Your days and nights seem so full, adventure by day . . . .not much slack been witnessed on a decent bevvy by night . . . .no change there then! Lol. Where on earth do you find the time to send so many amazing blogs??? Just booked my holiday flights, Portugal again, bit tame in comparison, but i loved it so much last year . . . .only 179 sleeps till i fly!! Lol. Keep em coming, stay safe and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. XXX