Dial back to the golden days of 007 and you will find yourself on a limestone beach with emerald green waters. It’s the very Island that once James Bond walked upon. The beach has since inherited the name of the Bond. It has now become one of the most famous landmarks in Phang Nga Bay. Though it shot to claim and found its place on the international tourist map after the James Bond gig. It was, indeed, the star in the James Bond movie, ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’. Behold the treasures of scenery here, look at the lime-stone cliffs, sizzling, vertically aligned by the emerald green waters.
This landmark Island, located at the Phang Nga Bay, falls under a national park, hence you need to get your entry pass before you enter the premises. You can pay the park entrance fee at the Island itself. Since this Island makes for the most visited spot in the national park and almost all of the travelers come to James Bond Island at least once, this is where the park management collects the fee. If you arrive individually at the island then they will collect 200-baht entrance fee but if you have already signed up for a tour package, the entrance fee is included in your bill.
Best time to visit: Avoid the wet season as the waters are unpredictable. Best time to visit James Bond Island is in during the late fall and winters through the early spring. Avoid monsoon.
Entry Fee: 200 Baht
Entry Timings: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
How to reach James Bond Island
The best way to reach James Bond Island is traveling via Phuket. All you need to do is book a flight to Phuket International Airport. James Bond Island from Phuket is just about 32 km. Sure, it’s an Island but apart from the flight services people also commute via buses. There are no Train services available though. You can either travel on a bus or even a ferry from Bangkok up to Phuket. The distance from Phuket to Bangkok is about 840 km. Depending on your budget chose a flight or a bus if you are traveling from Bangkok. Given below are some information about how to reach Phuket and travel to James Bond Island.
By Air:
Flight from the major cities to Phuket is the way to go. There are many flights available from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other main cities of India at a reasonable price. Reach Phuket and ride a sailboat, or drive down to James Bond Island.
By Train:
Phuket doesn’t have a railway station; hence traveling via train is not an option. However, if you absolutely want to experience a train journey in Thailand, after you reach Bangkok, take a train to Singapore and get off at Phun Phin Railway Station. Take a five-hour bus from there and you’ll reach Phuket and then you have to drive down to James Bond Island or get a tailboat.
By Road:
If you are commuting from within Thailand, the road trip is quite refreshing. Phuket offers a number of public conveyances available for people. You can book a car and drive down. Reaching James Bond Island from Krabi is quite easy. You can easily avail the free pickups from your hotel. Or you can easily cruise off, in an appropriate James Bond style to the island by a long tail boat.
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The incredible flora and fauna of James Bond Island
The island is a jungle of deciduous limestone, a shrub-land covered with evergreen trees. The incredible species of Flora and Fauna in the island will give you a glimpse of exoticism in all its glory. You can see the plants like Pandanus, cycads, euphorbs alongside prickly pear cactus that grow on the soil-free cliffs upon the island. One such species is the Ko Ta Pu, these plants penetrate their roots through the cracks of the stones and survive on the rainwater.
The shallow depth of the waters and the warm and stable underwater temperature is rich in nutrients and makes for the ideal condition for the mangrove forests. There are a number of rivers and streams that join the Phang Nga Bay. The ideal weather conditions result in an abundance of the plankton population and other marine life. To give you a better understanding, the bay island hosts 26 species of reptiles, 24 species of fish, 15 species of crab, 14 species of shrimp, and 16 species of manta rays, sharks, and game fish.
Most of these fishes are typically found in the ecosystem of coral reefs. One such is the butterflyfish. Others include blue crab, mudskipper, swimming crab, humpback shrimp, pomfret, mud lobster, sole, scad, rock cod, anchovy, soft cuttlefish, rainbow cuttlefish, musk crab, moray eel, mackerel rabbitfish, puffer fish, groupers, black sea cucumber, staghorn coral, brain coral and flowerlike soft coral.
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Then there is this gorgeous population of amphibians including Fejervarya raja, cricket frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) alongside of course the common tree frog. The population of the aquatic plants includes the weeding underwater forests of red algae, Seagrass, Halimeda, and plant plankton. Not to forget the humongous population of more than 100 species of bay area birds which lists as the striated heron, Pacific reef heron, little egret and others.
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Things to do in James Bond Island
Once you have reached James Bond Island you can do a thousand things. Check out the outdoors, the limestone rocks and the coral reefs, behold an island that has no beach but is a hollow, quite a sponge of an island, and try out those amazing water sports. There are plenty of James Bond Island activities to indulge in.
From James Bond Island just about 11 KMs away is Phang Nga Bay, resting between the island of Phuket and the Malay Peninsula of Thailand. Explore the Sights and visit the Museums. The outdoors are breathtaking, take a sip of the scenic.
Not too far away is Koh Panyi. It’s the best place to have a taste of the locale and get to know the culture. Check out the street food; don’t forget to have a bite of the deep-fried banana and tofu. This is the place to get some souvenirs.
Try out diving with the Similan Diving team. Let the dive masters unlock the treasures of the underwater for you.
Try out the Krabi Cave Kayaking, it definitely should be on your bucket list. There is a James Bond Island tour if you would like to join.
James Bond Island Tour Price: Adults INR 8257, Kids INR 5600
Suggested Read: 10 Bizarre National Parks In Thailand For A Rare Encounter With The Wild
Where to stay in James Bond Island
SiamIs Hotel, Phang Nga Bay Resort Hotel, Katathong Golf and Resort, Paradise KohYao, Nernkhao Resort, Six Senses Yao Noi, Koyao Island Resor, Coastal Escape Koh Yao Noi, Supalai Resort & Spa Phuket, Cape Kudu Hotel, Mookdamun, Chandara Resort & Spa, Koyao Bay Pavilions, Baba Beach Club Phuket Luxury Hotel, Aleenta Phuket Resort & Spa, and Akyra Beach Club Phuket are a few options.
James Bond Island Map
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Further Read: 12 Tips For Backpacking In Thailand: A List Of Do’s & Don’ts
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Frequently Asked Questions About James Bond Island
Is Phi Phi Island and James Bond Island the same?
No, they are not. James Bons Island is interchangeable called Phang Nga Bay.
What James Bond movie was filmed in Thailand?
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) starring Roger Moore was filmed in Thailand.
What is James Bond Island Castle?
Not a castle, it is in fact a limestone karst on the island which posed as a great location for the castle in the movie.
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