Phuket is a great launching point to visit some of the smaller islands in the area when you want to get away from all the hustle and bustle. Ko Phi Phi is probably the most famous and should definitely be on your list, but it’s a bit far from Phuket and requires more than a day trip. Another great option is Phang Nga Bay, which is less than an hour boat ride from the east side of Phuket. It is similar to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam with its limestone karsts. On the day we went, it was overcast and rained on the way out but luckily during our stops we had good weather.
The biggest attraction is James Bond Island. It was featured in “The Man with the Golden Gun” with its iconic rocky pinnacle in the middle of the bay. We were the first boat there. I’m sure it gets very crowded later in the day, so be sure to take the sunrise tour. It was a beautiful spot! Other stops on our Phang Nga Bay tour included Ice Cream Cave on Panak Island, which wasn’t as impressive as the other caves that we went to on our trip, but it was still nice. Please don’t touch or sit on the formations if you visit, even if the tour guides allow it. Kayaking on Hong Island was nice but would have been better if we could go on our own instead of having someone paddle us around with several other kayaks. Our last stop was a quick one on Laem Had Beach, which is a long beach broken up by shallow waters that had tons of crabs running all over the place.
Island tours are always a mixed bag. You’re going to be packed on a boat and follow a regimented schedule, but you also get to see some amazing sites so they’re usually worth it. Phang Nha Bay definitely was!
