Where the boats go

Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island

Limestone towers in a still emerald sea, caves you enter by canoe, a fishing village on stilts. The bay is calm all year and best before the day boats arrive.

Plan the day See the fleet

Getting there: 25 to 40 minutes by speedboat from Ao Po on the east coast; about two hours under sail
Season: Sheltered all year; the clearest light from November to April
Water: Emerald and still, a place for caves and lagoons rather than snorkelling
Fees: Ao Phang Nga National Park fee per guest, included on our all-inclusive days

What is there

Koh Panak: sea caves and a hidden lagoon, entered by canoe at low light
Hong Island: the enclosed lagoon the bay is famous for
James Bond Island: Khao Phing Kan and the needle rock of Koh Tapu
Koh Panyee: the Muslim fishing village built on stilts, lunch on the water
Naka Island: a beach for the swim on the way home

A day there

08:00A car from your villa to Ao Po
09:30Koh Panak while the caves are quiet, canoes through the mangrove
11:00James Bond Island, the photograph, then the cliffs from the water
12:00Hong Island lagoon
13:00Lunch at Koh Panyee
14:30A swim at Naka, the last canoe wherever the tide is right
16:30Back at the pier, at your villa by five

Boats that sail there

Whole fleet →

Private or shared

Your own boat, or a seat on one

The same islands are sold two ways. Here is what each costs and what each buys, with the prices as published.

A seat on a shared speedboat

฿3,500 per adult, ฿2,500 per child

Published 2025 brochure price with Phuket pick-up, lunch and park fees included.

Your own boat

฿40,000 for the whole boat, up to 10 guests

Private speedboat day: Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island

GuestsOwn boat, per personShared seat, per person

2฿20,000฿3,500

4฿10,000฿3,500

6฿6,667฿3,500

8฿5,000฿3,500

10฿4,000฿3,500

With 10 aboard, the boat costs ฿500 more per person than a seat. That is the price of the day being yours.

Included

Private twin-engine speedboat with captain
English-speaking guide
Round-trip transfer from Rawai and the south of Phuket
Canoes at Panak and Hong
National park fees
Lunch buffet, drinking water, soft drinks, fruit

Added per guest

Alcohol
Gratuities
Pick-up north of Kamala (ask us)

Departure: Minibus rounds from 06:30; the boat leaves when the last hotel is collected, around 09:00; You set the time. The boat waits for you, not the other way round
The route: One fixed itinerary, the same order every day; The captain sets the order for the tide, the light and the crowds, and changes it on the water if you ask
Time at each stop: 30 to 45 minutes, then the whistle; As long as you like; skip what you do not
Who is aboard: 20 to 35 other passengers; Your party and the crew
Pick-up: A shared van calling at five to eight hotels; One car from your door to the pier
Lunch: A set buffet at a fixed time; Where and when you choose; on board on request
Children: One pace for everyone; The day runs at their pace, with shade and a nap when needed
How it is priced: Per seat, adult and child; Per boat, whoever comes

See the boat Plan the day

Good to know

Leave early. The shared boats reach Panak around 10:30; at 09:30 the caves are yours.
There is no snorkelling in the bay; the day is caves, cliffs and the village. For reefs, pair it with Khai on another day.
The tide decides which caves are open, so the captain sets the order on the morning. That is normal, not a change of plan.

Questions

Is Phang Nga Bay good for children?

Yes, it is the calmest day at sea from Phuket. The canoes are paddled by a guide, the water inside the lagoons is flat, and there is shade on board. Children under four sit out the caves with the crew.

Can we swim there?

In the lagoons and at Naka Island, yes. The bay itself is silty and green, so the swimming stop is on the way home.

Phang Nga Bay or Phi Phi?

Phang Nga is closer, calmer and about scenery; Phi Phi is open sea, clear water and beaches. Families with small children and anyone prone to seasickness tend to choose Phang Nga; snorkellers choose Phi Phi.

Tell us the place and the date. One concierge plans the boat, the car and the table.

Plan the day