James Bond Island
The slender Ko Tapu rock in the water.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0 · BerryJ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wanjak Atikomchakorn — CC BY-SA 4.0 · The original uploader was Maxmajestic at Turkish Wikipedia. — CC BY-SA 2.5
One of Thailand's most spectacular landscapes: a broad bay north-east of Phuket scattered with dozens of towering limestone islands with sheer walls, draped in green and rising from calm green water. It is a national park that also protects the largest native mangrove forest left in Thailand. Its most famous island is Khao Phing Kan, known as James Bond Island since a 1974 film was shot there, with the slender rock of Ko Tapu, some twenty metres tall, standing in the water before it like a nail. Tours usually include kayaking into caves and hidden lagoons inside the islands, and a visit to Ko Panyi, a Muslim fishing village built on stilts over the water, with a mosque and seafood restaurants. Park entry for foreigners is about three hundred baht per adult and one hundred and fifty per child, on top of the tour price, and tours from Phuket by speedboat or longtail boat usually take a full day. Trips are sometimes reduced or cancelled in the monsoon. Ko Panyi is a special stop for Muslim visitors: a halal seafood lunch and prayer in the floating village's mosque. Bring sun cream and clothes that can get wet, and book a tour that includes the park fee to avoid surprises.
The slender Ko Tapu rock in the water.
Hidden lagoons inside the islands.
A floating Muslim village with a mosque.
Ao Phang Nga National Park, north-east of Phuket
Yes, it is one of Phuket's finest trips, and the kayaks are paddled by local guides so no effort is needed. Choose a boat with enough life jackets; a large wooden boat is gentler for children than a speedboat.