Phang Nga Bay – Why we love this beautiful place!
Phang Nga Bay is one of the glittering gems of Thailand, and an extremely popular tourist destination for travellers seeking a beautiful island paradise. A stretch of coastline and ocean between Phuket, Phang Nga, and Krabi, Phang Nga Bay is full of beautiful scenery, and dotted with tropical islands and limestone karsts that jut far out of the deep blue-green sea. Why do we love this beautiful, unique place? Find out below!
The Exquisite natural beauty of phang nga bay
The bay itself is very striking, and simply takes your breath away when you first catch a glimpse of it. The horizon is punctuated by towering limestone rock formations called karsts, which are pinnacles in an almost alien landscape of green tropical islands, blue-green ocean, and the bright blue-and-white sky covered in clouds. Travellers can expect amazing views of the natural landscape, with vistas quite unlike anything they have ever seen! With barely a building or boat in sight, at times it seems like you are completely alone in nature.
tropical Paradise islands!
There are about 100 islands in Phang Nga Bay, some of them tiny, some of them large enough for tourist accommodation or a day-trip via boat. Some notable islands in the bay are:
- James Bond Island (Khao Ping Khan) – Possibly the most famous tourist attraction of Phang Nga Bay is James Bond Island, with the famous death-defying rock sticking out of the sea a few metres offshore. Featured in the James Bond movies The Man with the Golden Gun and Tomorrow Never Dies, this famous island and quirky rock are high up on most traveller’s sightseeing lists. Most boat trips to the bay will include a visit to James Bond Island, so you’re unlikely to miss it!
- Ko Hae (Coral Island) – just off of Phuket, this island is a diving hotspot full of sandy beaches and coral reefs. Get acquainted with Thailand’s diverse and abundant sealife on a snorkelling or diving trip!
- Ko Panyi / Panyee – This island is home to a largely Indonesian fishing community who live in houses built on stilts, out over the ocean. Visit to experience some of the crossover between Thai and Indonesian culture, and enjoy a seafood meal right on the beach!
- Ko Yao Yai – Enjoy the traditional charms of this Thai fishing village on a visit from Phuket. The town remains quite untouched by modern technology (there are no banking services or ATMs!), and the locals are conservative in their lifestyles so it’s recommended to dress appropriately and act accordingly when visiting.
sea kayaking in Ao Phang Nga National Park
A great way to see Phang Nga Bay is by sea-kayak. You can rent one almost anywhere, and take to the ocean with a paddle in hand. Some of the mangroves and island grottoes (sea caves) are only accessible by sea, so you’ll get a whole different view of the bay from a sea kayak. Since most of Phang Nga Bay falls under a protected national park, you will get to see some untouched bits of nature, and abundant wildlife.
accommodation right on the beach
There is plenty of beach-front accommodation on the larger islands in Phang Nga Bay, as well as on the mainland, so you have plenty of places to choose from. Most places are easily accessible by boat, so you can travel from island to island at your leisure.
Related: Famous Places in Thailand
Photo by Kevin Heggie
