James Bond Island is as gorgeous in person as it was in the movie.

Few travelers knew about this tiny island prior to the 1974 James Bond movie titled “The Man with the Golden Gun”. Before the island became world famous it was known as Khao Phing Kan but with its popularity the island is now know to the world as “James bond Island”.

James Bond Island is located in Phang Nga Bay within Ao Phang Nga Bay National Park about 25 kilometers northeast of Phuket Island in Thailand. While the island is stunning, it is just a small sample of many similar islands that can be seen in Phang Nga Bay. Traveling through the bay to reach James Bond Island is one of the most beautiful boat rides that can be taken which makes getting there just as memorable as being there.

The actual James Bond Island

The actual James Bond Island consists of two large rock outcroppings connected by a stretch of beach. The famous rock tower that is associated as being James Bond Island is not part of the named island but is separate tiny island about 40 meters from the actual James bond Island.

Interesting oddities of the island

There some interesting oddities on the island that are noteworthy. The slant rock that looks like it slid off the top of the rock it is leaning against and the taller of the tow rocks has a massive hole in the side that looks like an explosion from the inside blew away a section of rock.

Khao Tapu Rock

The tiny island that most people believe is James Bond Island is not actually part of the official James Bond Island. This island rises out of the water to a height of about 60 feet and is called Khao Tapu Rock which means “nail island”. This elongated rock is larger at the top than it is on the underside and the portion of the rock that is at sea level has been worn down by erosion giving it the appearance that it could fall over in rough seas.

The Khao Tapu Rock is located directly in front of the James Bond Island Beach creating one of the most romantic beach setting that I have seen anywhere in the world. Part of the romance comes from the famous movie setting but it is also just an amazing setting for relaxing on the beach or for swimming in the tropical waters.

Beautiful Thailand scenery meets Thailand culture

Phang Nga Bay in Thailand and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam are the only two place in the world that I know of with this beautiful limestone feature but when long-tail speed boat pass by there is no doubt that this tropical paradise is Thailand.

The Dust on My Shoes

I had an increased level of excitement about seeing James Bond Island when we came into view of the island while approaching on a traditional Thailand long-tail boat. The island itself is beautiful but it has an extra appeal to it because it was a remote tropical location in a James Bond movie. Many times when visiting famous places that are featured in movies they may not be as nice as they appear to be in the movie but James Bond Island is actually better than I anticipated.

James Bond Island is one of the top must see places for people visiting Phuket for several reasons:

• The location is spectacular as it is in the heart of Phang Nga Bay. The boat trip through the stunning limestone cliffs is amazing and it will be even more memorable if you get there on a long-tail boat.
• The island itself is very scenic. The views from the island are absolutely beautiful and I have not found a more scenic beach location.
• It is always fun to see a real life place from a move location. Seeing a movie after being at a site makes the movie a little more interesting.

There are many exciting places to visit and activities to do in Phuket. Seeing a site form a 50 year old movie might not rate high on most people’s places to see but it was chosen for the movie because it is beautiful and there’s not another place like it in the world. That is all of the reason that you need to put this island on your places to see list when visiting Phuket.

I travel for many reasons but seeing the beauty of nature around the world is near the top of my list. Don’t miss out on seeing the best nature this world has to offer during your travels!

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