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 - James Bond Island. It is about him that will be discussed in more detail later in this article.
Appearance
The present - official - name of this island sounds like Ko Tapu, which literally translates from Thai as “nail island”. By itself, it is located in the northeast direction from Phuket and is a small piece of land that rises about 20 meters above the level of the Andaman Sea in the Gulf of Phang Gna. 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 has a very original shape, as it is both tall and narrow.
An interesting feature is that the diameter of the upper part is eight meters, and the bottom is four meters. Moreover, one cannot but focus on the fact that if the water level in the sea at this place were fifteen meters higher, James Bond Island (photos below) would not be different from millions of other small islands. It is possible that this fact attracts a lot of tourists here annually.
Gaining world fame
Originality, beautiful beaches, crystal clear water and a mild, pleasant climate are not the main reasons why James Bond Island became famous all over our planet. The fact is that its popularity is primarily associated with world cinema. In 1974, there was filming one of the episodes of the world famous James Bond picture - “The Man with the Golden Gun”. If 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 above-mentioned movie appeared on wide screens, the main role in which the British actor Roger Moore brilliantly played , even Thais did not particularly favor this island. The arrival of tens of thousands of tourists at that time could not even be considered. After 1974, the situation changed dramatically, as ardent fans of the English secret "Agent 007" rushed here first, and then other travelers. This is not surprising, because the chance to see firsthand the place where the final scenes of the film was shot, does not always appear.
Sightseeing Tours
James Bond Island in Thailand is becoming more popular every year. In this regard, the country has a large number of diverse companies 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 excursion usually starts at twenty American dollars. As a rule, a tour includes visits to other islands along the way.
Saving measures
James Bond Island is located forty meters from another, larger piece of land on Phang Gna Bay. The rock, which he represents, is considered one of the most famous and photographed objects in the whole 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 preserve the local flora and fauna and prevent erosion of limestone rocks. In particular, from that time it was strictly forbidden to sail to the island in long-tailed boats and boats. In order to achieve the preservation of this most popular attraction, measures are being taken and work is underway to strengthen its foundation.
"Competitor"
In fact, another islet is fighting for the right to bear the proud name "James Bond Island", located in the immediate vicinity of Koh Tapu. Its official name is Khao Ping Kang. 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 centrally connected to each other due to the 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 several meters, resulting in a significant part of the beaches being flooded. Moreover, even in some of the caves access is opened only at the onset of low tides. In the north direction from one of the beaches is the famous crack in the rock, which appeared in the above-mentioned episode of the legendary movie. Be that as it may, Koh Tapu is considered the true agent island of the British Queen.
Neighbors
James Bond Island is far from the only place in the Phang Gna Bay that tourists should visit. Next to it are many other, albeit not so famous, but no less interesting objects. One of them is the island of Panak, 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, which is lit only by a guide's flashlight. Be that as it may, it will not work for a long time to admire this landscape, since the passage at high tide is completely filled with water.
There are other interesting places in the bay. For example, these include small islands, which, like glasses on thin legs, hang over the water. The most striking among them is the island of Nail. At the same time, it should be noted that almost all of them represent only tourist value, which can only be viewed and photographed, but it will not work to settle on them.