SDEKLK004: PHANG NGA BAY – JAMES BOND ISLAND DAY TOUR

Pick up from your hotel in the Khao Lak area:
Your friendly guide and driver will pick you up in an air-conditioned minibus in front of your hotel lobby around 7:30 am. Your exact pick-up time depends on the location of your hotel. We will confirm the pick-up time with you when you book.

Arrive at the pier:
Hop aboard a traditional Thai Longtail boat to begin the scenic journey into Phang Nga Bay! Have your camera ready to capture the breathtaking karst islands that earned Phang Nga Bay UNESCO World Heritage status!

James Bond Island:
Before long, Ko Tapu will appear in the distance. Ko Tapu received the nickname James Bond Island after being used as a filming location for the 007 movie, The Man with the Golden Gun. Once you have arrived on the neighboring island, Ko Khao Phing Kan, your tour guide will lead you to a viewing area where you can photograph the iconic 20-meter-tall monolithic islet, Ko Tapu. Khao Phing Kan translates to English as the Island of Mountains Leaning Against Each Other. While you are there, be sure not to miss the opportunity to photograph the intricately scribbled cliff face leaning on the neighboring peak.

Sea Cave canoeing:
The captain will stop at a location where an experienced paddle guide will take you by canoe into sea caves to witness the ever-changing formations up close and personal. Over the ages, water erosion and sedimentary deposits have sculpted the limestone islands into unique shapes with numerous sinkholes, caves, and caverns. Stalactites hang precariously from the cave ceilings over your head, and stalagmites rise from the shoreline. Without the need to paddle yourself, your hands are free to capture stunning photographs of the interior of the caves at your leisure.

Lunch at Panyi (Panyee) Floating Village:
The residents of Ko Panyi proudly welcome visitors to their village, which, when viewed from a distance, appears to float on the surface of the sea. Panyi Village may appear to float, yet nearly all the structures are supported columns embedded in the sea bed. One notable exception is the football pitch, made famous when the local youth football club won six back-to-back Southern Thailand Championships from 2004 to 2010. Panyi Village is currently home to around 1,600 residents who can trace their lineage to a few Javanese families that settled on Ko Panyi in the eighteenth century. You will dine on a traditional Thai lunch prepared by the Panyi people, with plenty of time afterward to explore their village, shop for souvenirs, and learn a little about their proud history and culture.

Return to the pier:
When the tour of Phang Nga Bay is complete, the captain will return to the pier, where your driver and minibus await. Please make sure that you have all of your personal belongings with you when you disembark.

Visit a Thai Buddhist Temple:
On your return journey to Khao Lak, your guide will decide to visit Wat Prachum Sueksa Temple or Wat Tham Suwan Kuha Temple. Wat Tham Suwan Kuha tends to get uncomfortably overcrowded because it is a popular destination for large tour buses carrying tourists from Phuket who come to feed the resident monkeys and view the reclining Buddha statue inside the cave. Your guide will take you to Wat Prachum Sueksa for a more intimate experience if Wat Tham Suwan Kuha is going to be overcrowded. The temple grounds will be the subject of your photos at Wat Prachum Sueksa, not a hoard of tourists, albeit without the monkeys. If you have your heart set on seeing monkeys and we go to Wat Prachum Sueksa, don't worry! We have it covered. We will take you to view the monkeys at a picturesque public park in Phang Nga!

Visit resident monkey at a Phang Nga park:
If you have your heart set on seeing monkeys and we go to Wat Prachum Sueksa, don't worry! We have it covered. We will take you to view the monkeys at a picturesque public park in Phang Nga! Be aware that monkeys love to collect shiny things, so we highly suggest leaving loose jewelry, such as necklaces and bracelets, in the minivan while in the presence of monkeys.

Return to your hotel in the Khao Lak area:
We will have you back at your resort around 5 pm, just in time to watch the sunset over the North Andaman Sea. Once again, please be sure you have all your belongings when you exit the minibus. We thank you for joining us and hope to see you again soon!