On our 4D cruise on Superstar Virgo, we joined a shore excursion to Phuket. There were many different types of excursions in Phuket to choose from. Amongst them include a shopping tour, a thai massage tour, a sea cave canoe tour, a white-water rafting adventure, and an elephant riding adventure. We decided on the Scenic Phang Nga Bay Tour.
Unlike in Penang where our cruise ship docked at the cruise terminal, in Phuket, our cruise ship anchored a short distance away from Patong Beach in Phuket. We took the lifeboat to get to Patong Beach.
Patong Beach
This was Patong Beach early in the morning. By late afternoon, the beach was packed with people.
From Patong Beach, we boarded a tour bus which took us on a long 1.5 hour drive to Phang Nga Bay.
Phang Nga Bay
Upon reaching Phang Nga Bay, we hopped on a boat with about 30 people and toured the bay area. Phang Nga Bay is a huge 400 km2 area in the Andaman Sea between Phuket and the Malay Peninsula of southern Thailand.
The distinctive feature of this bay is the sheer limestone cliffs rising out of emerald-green water.
There were mangrove trees in the bay area too.
Other tour groups took this long boat around the bay.
Koh Panyi Muslim Floating Village
One of the popular spots in Phang Nga Bay is Koh Panyi – a Muslim floating village. Our tour guide said that the village community were from Indonesia. They migrated and earned their livelihood as fishermen. The village had about a few hundred muslims living on wooden houses resting on stilts. Most tour boats stopped there for a seafood lunch.
Sea Cave Canoe Adventures
Our boat passed by the Sea Cave Canoe Adventures area where tourists went on canoes paddled by staff and explored the limestone cliffs. We were lucky that the weather and tide were good and our big boat was allowed to go through the cave.
James Bond Island
The islet Ko Tapu is a limestone rock that found its fame through Roger Moore’s 1974 James Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun”. Since then, the island gained its nickname as “James Bond Island”.
There were many shops selling souvenirs, especially pearls. This is one shopping area where you have no choice but to bargain, whether you like it or not.
After James Bond Island, we had lunch, took another long bus ride back to Patong Beach and then returned to our cruise ship.
Stop to Ponder
I have been to Phang Nga Bay with my mom a few decades ago (Yes, I am that old). It really amazes me that despite the devastating tsunami, the muslim floating village is still intact and the James Bond Island looks almost the same as I remembered it from years ago. I am glad that the natural beauty of the area and the village were saved from one of the biggest natural disasters in history.
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I’ve been reading a lot of posts about Thailand today and I’m so envious. Phuket is definitely on my list. Would love to see that cove and the island where James Bond was filmed!
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