Koh Phing Kan & Koh Tapu

Koh Phing Kan, or Ko Khao Phing Kan, is the most famous landmark in Phang Nga Bay. Better known as James Bond Island, the tiny island itself and the surrounding area has become famous since when some scenes of the James Bond film " The Man with the Golden Gun" were filmed here. A distinctive feature of island is the great number of sheer limestone cliffs, which vertically jut out of the emerald green water just a few meters from the beach. The most famous one, that in the movie houses a laser gun, is Koh Tapu, generally known as James Bond Rock, placed about 40 metres from the shores of Koh Phing Kan. The tiny island of a breathtaking beauty is just a limestone tower high 20 metres above sea level. All the area is now under the protection of the National Park, so you should pay a park entrance fee. If you are on a tour the park fee is included in your tour price, if you arrive privately the rangers collect a fee of 200 THB. The stop on Koh Tapu is not allowed, and any kind of boats can not approach very close to the pinnacle cliffs, for their precarious position. The two ways to view Koh Tapu are from a boat, at a safe distance, or from the beach on James Bond Island. The island is another wonderful example of what can do Mother Nature. Koh Phing Kan is a tropical paradise, with a beautiful white sand beach to the east, often crowded in high season, crystal clear water and some small caves inside. All the area is a popular destination among tourists for sailing as well as kayaking.
Admission fee: 300 THB for adult and 100 THB for children.
Get to Koh Phing Kan: If you want to visit Koh Phing Kan and Koh Tapu regardless you must reach before the Surakul Pier in Phang Nga and then rent a long-tail boat which will take you there within 30 minutes. Rent yourself a long-tail for half a day it's not cheap, around 1,500-2,000 THB, but it is worth it if you want to have a lot of time in front of you to visit the small island. The boat day trips to Koh Phing Kan and Koh Tapu depart from the Mhak Prok Pier, in the northeast of Phuket, from Klong Jilad Krabi Pier and Nopparat Thara Pier in Ao Nang. Most of the tours include visits to the other islands of the bay as James Bond. You can buy tour packages to any tourist agency of Phuket or Krabi with varied possibility of choices. Price varies depending on the option chosen, roughly range from 1,600 to 1,800 THB for a trip by large boat, 2,200-3,000 THB for speedboat tour, and about 3,500-4,000 THB for a cruise on junk.Read More