Phang Nga Bay National Park
Phang Nga Bay National Park:
Covers 400 sq km and contains over 40 islands amidst dramatic scenery of sheer limestone cliffs (some as high as 300 meters) tower out of the year-round calm green water. Evidence of prehistoric man has been traced back in the park to over 10,000 years ago as evidenced by some of their cave paintings, tools and other Knick knacks that archaeologists have found scattered throughout the area. One assumes it cannot have been too bad a place to live back then. Now the increasingly common human life seen in these parts is the boatloads of tourists and the occasional Thai fisherman. Millions of years ago the whole region was one of the world's largest barrier reefs extending thousands of kilometers. However natural forces came into play and the earth's movements created the irregular formations, with erosion smoothing the edges, leaving the geography reminiscent of Yunnan in China but with the water. The common tourist destinations include Ko Kan (James Bond Island), and Ko Panyi (the Sea Gypsy village/tourist trap where no gypsies live). If you can somehow organize to get around on your own (try sea kayaking or yachting) you will be rewarded with serene beauty.
Ko Pha Nak and Ko Hong are stunning where hongs (or collapsed cave systems) the latter seems like you enter a large auditorium. Caves on the mainland worth exploring including Lod Yai and Lod Lek and back in the bay the cave passages on Ko Talu are full of stalactites - unchanged since Roger Moore ran through there, although the squillions of vendors are a more recent (and un-welcome) addition. Beautiful also in their own way are the mangrove forests which you can penetrate through the myriad of established canals.
Koh Hong A limestone island with the bay almost surrounded by the cliff looking like the hall where boats can sail into the cave channel through the other side of the sea. But due to the low cave roof, only kayaks can get through the channel. The area is also good for swimming.
Khao Thalu The mountain with a very wide cave and long hall as a channel through the cave mouths stretching from east to west at 50 m long. The cave roof is quite low and the plane with some stalactites rested about 2-4 m above sea level allowing small boats to get through the cave conveniently. The west of the island is near mangrove forests while the east adjoins Phang Nga Bay. Tourists boarding the long-tailed boats from Koh Panyi will sail through the cave to the east and turn southwards to Khao Phing Kan at the south of Khao Rayaring.
Khao Phing Kan and Khao Tapu The striking natural attractions of Phang Nga Bay besides Koh Panyi. The two islands were called James Bond Island in accordance with the movie James Bond 007 (fist versions) using this area as a location. Khao Phing Kan is a steep limestone looking like being torn apart as a straight level from each other, the mountain foot is divided while the small mountain top lay upon the large one. The other island named Khao Tapu is a high steep mountain looking like a gigantic nail driven deep into the sea. There are some souvenir and beverage shops available on Khao Phing Kan as well as the bridge linking the beach and pier that can see the scenery. Phang Nga Bay Tour usually takes about half a day but in case of much time, some outstanding islands are waiting for tourists to make a visit such as Koh Hong and Koh Panak and other attractions along the way back.
Koh Panak Located southwest of Koh Hong where many caves and inner sea are around the island. Some caves can be reached by kayaking while some have very high entrances that tourists need to climb up. The inner sea will be seen from the cave entrance. My favorite attractions are Khang Khao Cave, Ice Cream Cave and Gong Gang Cave.
Lod Cave is a big cave and length about 50 meters, lies in Takua Thung District. There are beautiful stalactites and stalagmites inside the grotto. On the way, you can see a perfect mangrove forest in Thailand.
