James Bond Island

James Bond Island — officially Ko Tapu — became world-famous after appearing in the 1974 James Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun." Rising vertically from the emerald waters of Phang Nga Bay, this needle-shaped limestone rock is one of Thailand's most iconic landmarks. But the island is merely the centerpiece of a much grander experience.

Phang Nga Bay itself is a 400-square-kilometer national park featuring over 100 limestone karst islands, sea caves, tidal lagoons, and mangrove forests. Cruising through the bay by yacht reveals a constantly changing landscape — sheer cliff faces reflected in mirror-still water, hidden hongs (enclosed lagoons) accessible only by kayak or tender, and the stilted Muslim fishing village of Ko Panyi floating on the bay since the 18th century. The bay is best explored in the softer light of morning or late afternoon when the limestone formations glow golden and the tourist crowds thin.