Phuket and Phang Nga Bay, Thailand

Rock Islands jutting vertically out of Phang Nga Bay.

 Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand with an area of 215 square miles and is located in the Adaman Sea in the southern part of Thailand. It is mostly mountainous and 70% of the island is covered in forest. It is well known for it's beautiful sandy beaches and resorts on the West coast. It is connected to the mainland by a fairly new causeway. 

There is a lot of rubber grown in Thailand. The trees were originally smuggled from Brazil in the 1800's. It is now a major export from Thailand. This is a young rubber plantation growing by the side of the road. They begin tapping the trees when they are 7 years old, and they continue to produce until about 25 years, when they are cut down and used for lumber. They look like a very ordinary deciduous tree.

We arrived at the island of Phuket, then took an hour and a half bus trip to the northern end of the island where we crossed to the mainland. There  we boarded our long boats for a tour of the spectacular Phang Nga Bay. 

Phang Nga Bay is a shallow bay  covering 150 square miles. It is  dotted with 43 islands comprised of sheer limestone cliffs and unusual rock formations jutting vertically out of the green water, as well as unusual cave formations going right through the small islands.  The islands are all covered in lush green vegetation growing everywhere. Many of the cliffs also contain mineral oxides which produce  bright multicolored streaks in the rocks. The overall effect is unique and quite spectacular!

The colorful long boats used to tour Phang Nga Bay.

We reached the more open water area by travelling through mangrove lined canals.  

The dense mangrove roots stand out of the water. The mangrove acts as an important barrier to protect the mainland, and will grow in salty and brackish water. Crocodiles used to infest the mangrove swamps, but they have been largely eradicated with the arrival of people settling the area. 

Limestone islands in the bay.

A long boat coming out from a cave through the rock island.

Stalactites inside the cave.

The entrance to the cave is the dark arch in the rock on the left.

Rounding the bend to see new shapes.

Iron oxide makes red patterns in the limestone.

We stopped for lunch at the village of Koh Panyee, which was really interesting. Fishermen from Indonesia first came here and built their houses on stilts in the shallow water in the 1800's. The people are Thai Muslim, so no alcohol is allowed in the village. It has two schools and a medical clinic, with all the structures built on stilts. The people now make most of their income from tourism, and some from fishing.

Houses on stilts. The four yellow domes are the top of the local mosque.

The lovely Thai restaurant where we had lunch.

We are approaching Koh Ta-pu Island, also known as James Bond Island. This island was features in the 1974 film, "The Man With The Golden Gun". The film "Tomorrow Never Dies" also had scenes from the Bay at night towards the end of the movie.

There is a visitor center in the space between the two sections of the island.

The large diagonal gap in the rock wall on the left of the picture was the entrance to "Dr. No's Cave" in the Bond movie.

We now travel overnight to the island of Penang in Malaysia.