Thailand boasts a huge number of beautiful places, attractions and islands located on its territory. In some of them, picturesque lakes are hidden between the rocks, while the caves of others are overgrown with numerous stalactite crystals. They all, without a doubt, deserve to be visited. Be that as it may, the first and most popular place where local guides are invited to visit immediately after the arrival of tourists in Phuket is James Bond Island. It is about him in more detail that will be discussed later in this article.
Appearance
The real - official - name of this island sounds like Koh Tapu, which literally means "nail island" in Thai. By itself, it is located in a northeast direction from Phuket and is a small piece of land that rises above the level of the Andaman Sea in Phang Gna Bay by about 20 meters. Those people who visit it for the first time in their lives may get the impression that this is an ordinary rock. Be that as it may, this island is very differentthe original shape, as it is both tall and narrow.
An interesting feature is that the diameter of its upper part is eight meters, and the lower one is four meters. Moreover, it is impossible not to focus on the fact that if the water level in the sea in this place were fifteen meters higher, James Bond Island (photos below) would be no different from millions of other small islands. It is possible that this fact attracts a lot of tourists here every year.
Getting world fame
Originality, beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters and a mild pleasant climate are far from the main reasons why James Bond Island has become famous throughout our planet. The fact is that its popularity is primarily associated with world cinema. In 1974, one of the episodes of the world-famous James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun, was filmed here. In more detail, it was against his background that the final duel between the two main characters of the film took place.
Movie connection
Before the aforementioned movie appeared on wide screens, in which the main role was brilliantly played by British actor Roger Moore, even the Thais did not really like this island. The arrival of tens of thousands of tourists at that time was out of the question. After 1974, the situation changed dramatically, since ardent fans of the English secret “Agent 007” first rushed here, andand then other travelers. This is not surprising, because the chance to see with your own eyes the place where the final scenes of the film were filmed does not always appear.
Sightseeing tours
James Bond Island in Thailand is becoming more and more popular every year. In this regard, a large number of various companies operate in the country, offering tourists all kinds of options for visiting it. Most often, such tours start from Phuket. It takes an average of six hours to get to this place. As for the price of this pleasure, the estimated cost of the tour usually starts at twenty US dollars. As a rule, the tour includes visiting other islands along the way.
Savings
James Bond Island is located at a distance of forty meters from another, larger piece of land in Phang Gna Bay. The rock that it represents is considered one of the most famous and photographed objects in all of Thailand. In 1981, the government of the country decided to transfer it under the auspices of the National Marine Park, called Phang Gna. Seventeen years later, additional measures were taken to conserve the local flora and fauna and prevent limestone erosion. In particular, since that time it is strictly forbidden to sail to the island on long-tailed boats and boats. In order to achieve the preservation of this most popular attraction, measures are currently being taken andwork to strengthen its foundation.
Competitor
In fact, another island, located in the immediate vicinity of Koh Tapu, is fighting for the right to bear the proud name of "James Bond Island". Its official name is Khao Ping Kan. The last scene of The Man with the Golden Gun was filmed here. The island has several unusually beautiful caves, as well as two picturesque beaches. By itself, it consists of two rocks, which are connected in the center to one another by a sandy isthmus. It should be noted that almost the entire surface is covered with forests. During high tides, the water level in Phang Gna Bay can rise by several meters, resulting in a significant part of the beaches being flooded. Moreover, even in some of the caves, access is torn off only at low tides. In the north direction from one of the beaches is the famous crack in the rock, which appeared in the episode of the legendary movie mentioned above. Be that as it may, the true island of the agent of the British Queen is Koh Tapu.
Neighbours
James Bond Island is far from the only place in Phang Gna Bay that tourists should visit. Near it there are many other, albeit not so famous, but no less interesting objects. One of them is Panak Island, inside of which there is a beautiful lake. The most interesting thing is that getting here is very problematic, because there is only one road to it - through a very narrow cave, whichilluminated only by the guide's flashlight. Be that as it may, you will not be able to admire this landscape for a long time, since the passage is completely filled with water at high tide.
There are other interesting places in the bay. For example, they include small islands, which, like glasses on thin legs, hang over the water. Nail Island can be called the brightest among them. Along with this, it should be noted that almost all of them are only a tourist value, which can only be seen and photographed, but it will not work to settle on them.
