Phang Nga Bay is a beautiful and serene spot that you can’t afford to not visit

After you lift weights or smash pads at AKA Thailand, you may want to just chill out and relax. While many places in Phuket are relax-worthy, the serene spot of Phang Nga Bay is one of the most beautiful places to go and visit.

There are many features that make the bay unique. From James Bond Island to the limestone karsts that go up from the beautiful green water, there is beauty to behold everywhere.

Phuket.com has the skinny on the parts of Phang Nga Bay most worth visiting.

James Bond Island

This famous landmark, called Koh Ta-pu (‘Nail Island’), first found its way onto the international map through its starring role in the James Bond movie ‘The Man With the Golden Gun’. And this is where most tours seem to take all of the tourists – all at the same time. The entire area surrounding this island with its signature rocky pinnacle is indeed spectacular, but most of the tours bus visitors up the main highway for an hour on the same well-worn itinerary.

Koh Panyee

This is a remarkable village, the whole of it built out over water on stilts and with a giant rock monolith guarding its rear. At lunchtime, many tourists on the James Bond Island tours are brought in to eat and shop for handicrafts.

Cruising Phang Nga Bay

Phang Nga Bay is a great place for boating. The interesting limestone cliffs create a picturesque backdrop and there are many safe places to anchor. The fact that it’s protected from both the Northeast and the Southwest monsoon seasons means that its waters remain calm year-round, which adds to the appeal of its scenic wonders and abundant wildlife.

Limestone Cliffs of Phang Nga Bay

Limestone is calcium carbonate, which is generally white. Over millions of years, the skeletons from a constant rain of marine organisms, plus the chemical precipitation of yet more calcium carbonate build thick layers of sediment. Eventually, the heat and pressure of their own weight turn these strata, hundreds of meters thick, to stone.

A variety of geological forces have then fractured the limestone beds and pushed up the 40 steep-sided islands that provide the exotic scenery for which this shallow bay is noted. Mineral oxides from various sources paint the streaks that characterize the cliffs of Phang Nga Bay.