We visited the amazing area known as Phang Na Bay in Thailand and had no idea how many attractions there were! Based in Phuket a few years ago we were able to go on a two day trip and see what the area had to offer. With the limestone rocks forming many islands it is a beautiful setting to cruise around in a boat. With plenty to see and do there is something for everyone, here are my recommendations.
James Bond Island
Made famous by a Bond film, this collection of rocks is very distinctive. Attracting many tourists now it get very busy so we didn’t actually stop here but just sailed past. Fancy walking in James Bond’s shoes then check out these tour guides.
Maya Bay
Also made famous by the film The Beach, this cove on Phi Phi Le would be picture perfect if it wasn’t for the hundreds (literally) of boats visiting daily. The tourism here has become such a problem that the whole Bay Area is now closed to visitors. Hopefully the environment will recover from being over popular. I can confirm that there are many other beautiful bays and areas you can visit.
Kayaking…In A Cave!
Oh this was such fun. I didn’t really tell Mr C exactly what we would be doing as I knew he probably wouldn’t get in the kayak. Both of us got in the kayak with a man at the back who did all the paddling (great!). We then headed into a cave, a very dark cave where the ceiling got lower and lower. Before we popped out in a lagoon in the middle of the rock formation we were laying fully back in the kayak. Mr C basically had his head in the mans lap, he was not ok with this for some reason. The lagoon was amazing though as we saw swimming monkeys and land fish! I then had to break the news that we had to go back out the way we came in……..
Liking what you see?
Phang Na Bay Floating Village
Home to hundreds of Thai locals, this floating village Koh Panyee has it all. Even a football pitch and a golden domed temple. Boats pull up to this village daily and bring tourists to eat at the family run restaurants. What and amazing different way of life. A must see when you visit Phang Na Bay.
Swim With Sharks
I am a wuss, so when I found out what creatures we would be swimming with on the snorkelling trip I was a bit freaked out. However they were harmless (of course) and it was an amazing experience I can tick off my bucket list now. There is no way I would want them any bigger though!
Phi Phi Don
This is the island we were based on overnight and our accommodation had a lovely view of the beach. Having recovered from the tsunami which destroyed almost all of the island there are plenty of restaurants and bars to fill up your evening with. During the day you can climb to the famous view point where you can see over the centre of the island where the two beached meet. At night we were treated to a fire display on the beach as we sipped a cocktail. I wish we had had longer here but it was an action packed schedule we were on!
We stayed at the Phi Phi Bay View Resort which was really reasonable and has since been renovated so is even nicer! Here are some other places to stay on the island.
Phi Phi Le
Known mostly for Maya Bay, Phi Phil Le is a tiny island with a lot going for it. It’s uninhabited but you can visit its shores during the day. Maya Bay is on one side, but if you travel to the other side you will end up in a cove surrounded by limestone cliffs with water so deep its excellent for cooling off on a hot day. It may be in inhabited by humans but another of its bays has a whole monkey community on it! Beautiful!
Krabi
This was our lunch destination so I haven’t seen much of this area at all but I did get to snap this classic picture capturing the Thai boats with the limestone cliffs behind them. Stunning!
Koh Rang Yai
Our final destination before returning to Phuket Marina was Koh Rang Yai. This little island is set up for day tourists like us where you can relax on a beach, sip some cocktails out of pineapples and just generally relax.
So as you can see the amazing area of Phang Na Bay in Thailand has so many attractions surely it’s made your bucket list? My other recommendations for places you cant miss are; Koh Mak, Koh Kood & Kanchanaburi! Simply amazing places I am so pleased to have visited!
