Phang Nga Bay is known for its limestone cliffs and rock formations that come vertically out of the water. You can also visit the famous James Bond Island here!
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Getting There
There are many ways of getting to Phang Nga Bay. You can drive, take a boat, or go on a tour.
Tours
We decided to take a private tour to visit Phang Nga Bay and we used the same company as the one for the Phi Phi Islands. They picked us up at our Airbnb in an air conditioned van and we drove about 2 hours to the dock.
The tour cost 8,300 baht but it doesn’t include the fee to the national park (300 baht) and the fee for the kayak (also 300 baht).
Food is included in the cost.
Before you leave on the tour, make sure to use the restroom! This will be the only one available on the tour. It’s also available when you come back from the islands for lunch.
Destinations
James Bond Island
The first stop is James Bond Island. This is one of the many landmarks that you can see in Phang Nga Bay. The name came from the 1974 James Bond movie – The Man with the Golden Gun. You’ll be able to get a good view of this vertical limestone rock either from the boat or the small island next to it.
Kayaking
This was probably the best part of our Phang Nga Bay trip! After leaving James Bond Island, they will ask if you want to go on a kayaking tour. You can pay a small fee to use the kayak (someone paddles for you) and you go through several caves. You are not able to kayak yourself.
We went under rock formations to reveal some opening in the rock formations. It was amazing. Something you wouldn’t expect at all. It’s like opening up another world.
Would highly recommend a GoPro or something with super wide angle to get great shots in this part of the tour.
If you’re hungry or thirsty, they have people selling fruit, beverages and other food items along the way. Brea was very excited for the pineapples.
Super fresh and tasty.
They take a touristy photo for you at the beginning and it is available for purchase. If you have your own camera, feel free to use it and they can take the photo for you.
Once you’re done with the tour, you will be back on the long-tail boat on the way to the Fishing Village.
Koh Panyee (Fishing Villages)
At the fishing villages, you will walk through rows and rows of small shops. You can purchase souvenirs here as well as more food.
Our tour guide explained more about the village and their culture. Their city is on water. They build more houses and buildings only when the tide is low. They have a church and a small school in the village. You will pass by these and can provide a donation.
On the way back, you will go back on the long-tail boat to head back to the mainland and eat lunch at the restaurant where the dock was at. This is also another good time to use the restroom.
Ample food was already ordered for us and it was great!
After eating, we went back in the car and headed for the Monkey Temple.
Monkey Temple
The Monkey Temple is known for the endless amount of monkeys freely running around making this area their home. This temple is also the home to homeless dogs.
You can feed them fruits that you can purchase from some vendors nearby. Brea was feeding the monkeys bananas but be careful because sometimes they will just snatch it from your hand. They can also snatch other items from you as well and they will bring it with them to the mountain.
They ask you to feed the monkeys in specific areas to keep them away from the Reclining Buddha.
The Cave of the Reclining Buddha
As you walk around, you will find the entrance to the cave. When you enter this cave, you need to make sure to dress appropriately since it is also a temple. They had garments for you to borrow at the entrance if you were not dressed appropriately. Our tour guide got us shawls that covered our shoulders and legs. It wasn’t too big of a cave but it was still nice (although hot inside).
This tour around Phang Nga Bay was different than the tour we did of the Phi Phi Islands but it was still a great experience. We got to see more of the Thailand culture and visit famous landmarks as well. It does get hot so be aware of that. We would highly recommend doing the kayak though!
