Phang Nga Bay national park - A tropical state of mind

A perfect day trip from Phuket

An early morning pickup from our Phuket hostel and an hour-long minibus ride later, we arrived at the Ao Po Pier, the launching pad of our day-long Phang Nga Bay excursion. From the Ao Po Pier, the boat would take us to the three islands:

James Bond island (Khao Phing Kan) – farthest from Ao Po pier Panak island – nearest Hong island – somewhere in between the two

The plan was to get to the farthest James bond island first, and set on the return journey visiting Hong island, then the Panak island before finally returning to the pier. We boarded the boat quickly and set sail into the emerald green waters of the Andaman Sea. Nature fanatic or not, the first view of the bay area will overwhelm you!

A boat trip is best enjoyed sitting on the bow

As we got further into the sea, I was floored at the view!! The entire seascape is marked with limestone karst formations, it was the first time ever that I saw them and they’re like huge giants shooting straight up into the air.

Andaman sea’s signature rock pinnacles – Can’t get enough

An hour and a half later, we approach Khao Phing Kan (famously known as the James Bond island for its cameo appearance in the Bond movie – The Man with the Golden Gun). The James Bond island is again a limestone skyscraping giant, mindblowing and photogenic though very crowded.

There are some cave-like formations in the area that we adore, although the needle-shaped island remains the highlight nonetheless.

As soon as we got back to the boat, we started sailing back and the lunch was served on the boat itself by a very hospitable staff. We headed towards the Hong Island, “Hong” being the Thai word for room.

So what we now see is that there is a lagoon in the middle of the sea, completely surrounded by the cliffs, giving us an impression of being in a room which is open to the sky. The cliffs are the walls, the floor is the sea and the ceiling is the sky. Pure magic!!

Nothing brings you closer to this amazing wonder site than a sea-canoe, so this island is best explored that way. Chances are that you get a great canoe paddler who will provide interesting information and will help you spot amazing things.

Next we went to Panak island. This beauty has also got a lot of tidal sea caves and cliff lined lagoons, but the caves get darker because the structure is such that light doesn’t get in. The canoeist guided us through the mouth of a dark cave using his helmet mounted torch. It would be dark and the bats will hover above you, but an experience so unique you won’t regret.

The boat brings us back to the pier where we had started in the morning in the hope of getting to know one more out of the millions of masterpieces that our earth is endowed with. And here we stand fulfilled, but many still await us.

Blue Skies, Emerald waters, White beaches – Does it get any better?

WHAT NOT TO MISS: The idyllic hong island. Truth be told, it was the most picturesque spot in the entire Andaman sea.