Why is it called James Bond Island?

James Bond Island is located in Phang Nga Bay and the local name of James Bond Island is Khao Phing Kan. Then why it is called James Bond Island, actually this name came after the shooting of the James Bond movie in 1974 “The Man With the Golden Gun”. After that, it became a famous tourist destination in Thailand. The famous movie series “Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith” also shot here.

Why James Bond Island Is one of The Top Tourism Destinations in Thailand

James Bond Island is like a paradise in Thailand, it is located between the Malay Peninsula’s mainland and Phuket. Here you will get the real beauty of nature, all the Island is surrounded by the beautiful views of nature’s wonders such as blue waters, limestone pinnacles, overgrown vegetation, and many more. Apart from these, adventure activities such as snorkeling and sea kayaking are available to fulfill the tourist’s adventurous desires as well as for enjoying the amazing time. You will also get the opportunities of the ideal photography in these beautiful landscapes so that this will be memorable for the rest of life. That’s why James Bond Island is known as the Top Tourism Destinations in Thailand.  

How I get to James Bond Island in Phuket

How I get to James Bond Island is a commonly asked question by the travelers and tourists who want to visit there?

Getting to James Bond Island is quite easy, you can go there from the Krabi and Phuket both. But reaching there from Krabi is more convenient than Phuket. The distance from Phuket to James Bond island is 45.4 km and from Krabi, it is 49.3 km. Different means of transportation are available like Cruise, Longtail Boat, and Speedboat.  

Now let’s take a look at these different modes of transportation

• By Cruise- Getting to James Bond Island by cruise is one of the best options. The regular trip via cruise includes tourists being picked up from their hotels and offers a delicious meal on board and canoeing through the caves in Phang Nga Bay and take you to the James Bond Island.
• By Speedboat– you can also take the Speedboat for reaching the James Bond Island. It takes you through all the beautiful places in and around this island. You then go for cruising through the mangrove forests in the region. The other interesting thing about visiting by a speedboat is that you can enjoy the delicious mean at a floating restaurant at Panyee Island before arriving the James bond Island.
• By Longtail Boat- The Longtail boat is a traditional means of transportation to get the James bond Island. During this trip to the island, you will get a chance to explore the monkey caves by a short sightseeing trip to Phang Nga Bay national. Tourists are also taken to Koh Panyee Island to understand the lifestyle and culture of the Muslim fishing village. After that, tourists are taken to their destination.

If you want to take the full enjoyment of this tour, you should choose the Longtail boat.

How long does it take to get from Phuket to James Bond Island aka Khao Phing Kan?

How to get to James Bond Island on a Budget “Individually or Booking any Private Tour Packages

According to my experience, if you go as an individual traveler and don’t book any private tour packages for visiting James Bond Island, this will be more affordable than private tour packages. If you have a budget issue, you should go individually but if you have not, then you can book a private tour package.

Here I will discuss both the methods of visiting such as individually and Booking a Private tour package:

• If it is possible try to make your way up to the James Bond island Individually. You can hire a local bus from Phuket which costs around 100 Baht and takes around 2 hours to reach Phang Nga (the cost and time are almost the same from Krabi). After reaching Phang Nga, you need to enter the National park and will have to hire a longtail boat. They will cost up to 1500 to 2000 Baht, it depends on your bargaining skills. And again you will have to pay around 300 Baht as an entry fee on James Bond Island. In total, two-person can make the trip for less than 3000 Baht.

• If you take private tour packages to James Bond Island– in the private tour packages, the whole tour is scheduled systematically, you will have to leave for the Island in the early morning by a private longtail boat. And you will reach there at around 8 AM. Then you will not have to face the huge crowd and you can enjoy the empty beach peacefully.

The cost of Private packages for two people varies between 8,000 to 10,000 Baht.

Is it worth going to James Bond Island?

If you visit Phuket, Thailand, you should never miss the James Bond Island. Your trip is incomplete without visiting this amazing gift of nature. Here is an amazing view of the beautiful scenery of blue water, limestone pinnacles, greenery which make it a unique photo sights. Besides these, here you will get lots of adventurous activities like canoeing amid limestone cliffs, snorkeling, kayaking, Scuba diving, swimming, sunbathing and more. which is very impressive for those who like adventures. You can also enjoy the water transportation by speedboat, longtail boat, and Cruise & the delicious Thai Seafood Lunch buffet is just superb, you will never forget its taste after getting it once. With James Bond Island, you also get the chance of exploring other beautiful places. However, you have any doubt, you can watch the movie “The Man with the Golden Gun” then you won’t stop yourself to visit James Bond Island and you will feel that it is worth going to James Bond Island.

How much is James Bond Island tour?

When I visit James Bond Island, the tour cost was around 2700 baht for two people or 1,350 baht per person (approx. CAD 105 or USD 81 for two), I booked my whole tour to James Bond with a travel Kiosk that was in the hotel where I stayed. In this travel package, many things including Roundtrip speedboat, Lunch, National Park fee, Snacks, Transport service from the hotel in Phuket and Khao Lak, Life jacket during the trip, Professional English Speaking guide, Canoe ride, and Insurance. Now there may be some difference in cost because I went there around 2 years ago. If you book your tour with a travel kiosk on the street or online, you can save more money. For booking the tour packages, take a further search of travel packaging to James Bond Island and compare the prices and best deals.

What Should I take to James Bond Island?

Before a visit to James Bond Island, it is very important to consider, what should you take to James Bond  Island?

Here is a list of things, which are very essential whenever you visit this amazing Island.

• Sunscreen Lotion around SPF-40
• Good Pair of Sunglasses and Shades
• Bathing Suit
• Hat or Cap to Protect yourself from the Sun or rain
• Sets of Clothes
• Energy Drink
• Camera or Phone
• Waterproof or splash-proof Backpack
• Swimsuit

• General medication (Because there is a lack of hospitals in the ocean)
• And the most important, enthusiasm and sense of fun

Apart from these essential things, you can take other essentials according to your needs and desires.

So, this is some basic information about the tour to James Bond Island.