
Phang Nga Canoe Day Tour
James Bond Island and Hongs
by
Sam Wilkinson - Photos by Stephan Audiger
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Phang Nga Bay covers an area of 400 square kilometres and
is home to some 100 islands, many of which could be entered
for The Guinness Book of Records either for their beauty or
for their freakish shapes.
The bizarre, why-doesnt-it-fall-over outline of Koh
Tapu, next to James Bond Island or Koh Ping Ghan, has been
a major draw ever since it featured in 1974s Bond movie,
The Man with the Golden Gun in which it was a fiendish solar
harvester.
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Northern Phang Nga Bay is also home to some wonderful sea caves
that lead into the centre of its many karsts collapsed limestone
islands with a lagoon in their centre. The result of 280 million
years of erosion, the karsts are also home to macaques, hornbills,
sea eagles and several exotic species of lizard and marine life.
We booked a day tour to see these wonderful sights.
Strange bedfellows
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| Phang Nga Bay |
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The resulting mixed bill of James Bond and Mother Nature is a heady
one, and one we set out to explore on a balmy morning from Laem
Sai (Sandy Cape) on Phukets east coast. The cosmopolitan crowd
at the pier chats away in Arabic, Norwegian, Dutch and lots of other
languages. Once aboard our ship Tuk, our tour leader, fills in the
details of the days itinerary. He explains that these tours
are only possible at mid-tide, as at high-tide sea kayaks cannot
enter or pass through the caves to the islands central lagoons.
At low tide the lagoons are reduced to mud. This means that tours
vary in their running order in relation to tides and lunar influence
while destinations essentially remain the same. Today were
to visit Bat Cave, Hong Island, James Bond Island and spend some
time on Lawa Island. One million per cent youre going
to get your bum wet today, Tuk laughs. A tip: Even though
this tour hands out plastic bags to protect your camera it really
is best to bring along a snap-shut waterproof camera bag.
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Going batty
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| First Stop |
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Some 30 minutes later we drop anchor outside our first destination
Bat Cave. As theres no aquatic Batmobile moored outside
the sheer cliff wall, we assume that the great man is out. We are
assigned guides one to every couple and before long
are being paddled towards the mouth of the cave.
Its all very leisurely in these sea kayaks with hardly any
swell at all. Once inside, we turn on torches (although I get the
impression that Pon, our guide, could do this blindfolded) and scrutinize
the black furry creatures hanging upside down from the ceiling.
One thing I learn is this: bats stink. The cave fairly reeks of
sulphur, humidity, dragons breath and bad gas but theres
only 200 metres to negotiate and pretty soon we enter the islands
hong, or room.
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| In the cave... |
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Way above, a couple of sea eagles flutter and fidget in the branches
of a precariously rooted tree and halfway up the cliff stands a
palm tree a sight that poses a lot of questions, like how
did the coconut get up there in the first place? No monkeys
today, observes Pon, and then demonstrates just how shallow
the water is with his oar. Its two foot deep. A leisurely
paddle around the hong ensues, as Pon points out various oddly shaped
rocks, a dead snake being eaten by a crab and the marvelous lush
vegetation. The silence is surreal and its as if time has
stood still here. After 30 minutes we head back to our mother
ship.
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Hanging out in a hong
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| Hong Island |
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Hong Island is aptly named (hong means room
in English) and is easier to access than Bat Cave as we have no
need of torches and the hong has several large entrances. Inside,
an extremely relaxed gentleman sitting on a deckchair snaps us as
we drift by. Maybe he just likes taking photos of people.
A speedboat growls and snarls through, its enraptured passengers
gazing at the outcrops and vegetation sprouting from the cliff sides.
By now, weve grown to know our guides and the whole atmosphere
of the tour is much more relaxed. On the way up to James Bond Island
two of the guides make colourful and intricately fashioned flowers
out of drinking straws then hand them out as gifts: nice touch.
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Hitting the nail
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| Koh Tapu - James
Bond Island |
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On arrival, we leave the mother ship and paddle to the islands
west side then, after leaving our kayaks on the sandy beach, negotiate
a steep, winding and at times awkward path round to the west side
where Koh Tapu (Nail Island) stands in open defiance to the laws
of gravity. Its 600 feet high and after Phromthep Cape in
Phuket, is probably the most photographed location in the region.
There are people taking photos of friends in front of it, people
snapping shots of the beach, people photographing people taking
photos of people and people asking people to take photos of them
with the island in the background. To the side there are vendors
selling shells, postcards, sharks teeth necklaces, more shells
and everything you feel like buying on holiday but cant use
at home. To add to the carnival-like atmosphere, the air is pungent
with aroma of grilled squid. In short, its a long way from
the cathedral-like serenity of the hongs.
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Lunch!
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| Fish served onboard
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Weve all built up a mighty hunger by this time so the onboard
buffet lunch is more than welcome.
Featuring deep-fried and battered tempura, fried rice, mixed veggie
and fish dishes, chicken soup, sweet n sour whole fish
its as much feast for the eyes as for the stomach.
Motoring through some of the most beautiful maritime scenery in
the world does wonders for the appetite, I assure you.
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Lawa Island
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| Lawa Island's beach
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Its a one-hour stint back to Lawa Island during which our
guides perform legerdemain and more straw flowers are
created and handed out. Lawa is Malaysian for pretty
and all the tour boats in the area converge at this point, making
it pretty busy.
Tuk tells us to stick to the northern part of the beach if we want
to swim as there are sharp rocks at the southern end. We pass an
hour lolling in the shade, wallowing in the warm water and watching
a high-powered beach football game before heading back to Laem Sai.
Its been a great day out but the most impressive experience
by far was the silence and serenity of Phang Nga Bays hongs.
Day tours offer a minivan service that picks you up from your hotel.
Our pick up time was 07:30 and we were at the pier by 09:00 after
having passed by other hotels to pick guests up. We were back at
Laem Sai by four oclock.
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Interested in this tour?
James
Bond Canoe
Phang Nga Bay day trip - 2,200 Baht |
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Discover James Bond Island, where 'The Man With The Golden Gun'
staring Roger Moore and Christopher Lee was filmed in 1974, and
float a kayak silently through secret lagoons and small passageways
that open to majestic caves. This exciting trip offers views of
the best of Phang Nga Bays amazing landscapes. After lunch
you will have plenty of time to enjoy sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling
at Lawa Island. Read
more...
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Photo Gallery of the tour
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