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If you’re looking to visit James Bond Island and Hong Island from Krabi, there’s a lot more to this part of Thailand than the famous rock and beach swings you’ve probably seen in photographs. Phang Nga Bay is home to hundreds of limestone islands, hidden lagoons, sea caves and beaches, many of which see far fewer visitors than the better-known stops.
After 13 years of running boat tours in Krabi, we’d had plenty of guests asking whether we offered trips to other islands. We wanted to introduce something different, but we weren’t interested in heading to Phi Phi, which is already incredibly busy. Instead, we started exploring further north into Phang Nga Bay and discovered even more quiet beaches, islands and hidden places than we’d expected.
That’s how our new James Bond Island and Hong Island speedboat tour from Krabi came about. It’s a full day of exploring, combining an early visit to Hong Island with guided kayaking through sea caves, the famous James Bond Island and a few places you might never have heard of.
Here, our guides Michael and Nicole tell you all about the tour from what to expect, to the reasons why they chose the new locations included in the route.
Is James Bond Island worth visiting from Krabi?
We certainly think so, but perhaps not for the reason you’d expect!
James Bond Island became famous after appearing in the 1974 hit, The Man with the Golden Gun, and it’s still one of Thailand’s most photographed landmarks. But the island itself gets extremely crowded, pretty much all day.
That’s why we don’t actually land there on our tour. You can get a great view of the famous limestone rock from the boat, without having to join the crowds on the beach. And with so many beautiful islands in the surrounding area, we don’t think it’s necessary to go ashore just to see it.
For us, the real reason to make the journey is everything else you can experience in the Bay. There are lagoons that larger boats can’t enter, caves you can explore by kayak and quieter beaches where you can stop for lunch or a swim.
Many boat tours from Krabi don’t combine Hong Island, Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island in a single day. However, travelling by speedboat means we can cover that distance and still spend most of the day off the boat, exploring the places we’ve come to see.
Why do we leave Krabi so early?
Our James Bond Island speedboat tour departs at 7am (and there’s a good reason for the early start.)
Our first stop is normally Hong Island, just 15 minutes from our departure point. It’s one of the most popular islands around Krabi, but arriving this early makes a massive difference. We can usually enjoy the beach and walk up to the famous Hong Island viewpoint with hardly anyone else around.
Fun Fact: Did you know that parts of the movie Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom were filmed on Hong Island?
We spend around an hour and a half here, so there’s no need to rush. What you do here is up to you; you can take an easy stroll along the beach, walk up to the viewpoint for incredible views across the surrounding islands, or go snorkelling if conditions are right. The snorkelling depends on the tide and water visibility, and at low tide swimming isn’t possible. Our guides will be by your side to give their thoughts on how great the visibility is on your specific tour.
By the time we’re leaving, the other tour boats are usually starting to arrive. It’s a completely different experience from visiting later in the day, and one of the things that surprised us most when we started exploring this route.
What can you expect to see on our Krabi to Hong Island tour?
After our early stop at Hong Island, we head further north into Phang Nga Bay. The order of the remaining stops depends on the tides and conditions that day, but here’s what you can look forward to exploring.
Kayaking through the sea caves of Phang Nga Bay
This has become one of our favourite parts of the tour. From our past experiences of kayaking around Thailand’s West Coast, we knew the kayaking here would be good, but it turned out to be even better than we’d expected.
At Koh Hong in Phang Nga Bay (a different island from Hong Island in Krabi), you’ll head out with a local kayak guide to explore caves, narrow passageways and lagoons that our speedboat simply can’t reach. Some of the passages are so low that, depending on the tide, you’ll actually need to lie right back in the kayak to fit underneath the rock!
The guided kayaking in Phang Nga Bay takes around 30 minutes, and you don’t need any previous experience. Each kayak has its own guide who does all the paddling, so you can concentrate on looking around and enjoying the experience if your arms start feeling tired.
Seeing James Bond Island from the water
When we reach James Bond Island, we stay onboard for views of the famous limestone pinnacle, Ko Tapu, which appeared in the movie. On land, this spot gets notoriously overcrowded. Dozens of tours arrive simultaneously up until around 2:00 PM, making the small beach and walking paths on Khao Phing Kan incredibly hectic. We much prefer capturing our photos from the boat before moving on to the next stop in the bay.
The hidden mangrove forests of Thailand
This is Nicole’s favourite part of the tour, and it’s somewhere you could easily pass without knowing it was there.
From the beach, there’s a small opening that leads into a huge hidden mangrove forest. You can walk around inside, exploring an area that feels completely different from the beaches and open water you’ve been enjoying earlier in the day.
It’s a place we had to do a bit of detective work to find. We’d heard about it before, but it took some investigating to work out exactly where the entrance was. At high tide, the forest fills with water and the entrance is almost completely covered, so it’s not somewhere we can visit every day.
Big Tree on Koh Yao Noi
Another place we sometimes visit is Big Tree, near Ao Kian Bay on the northern tip of Koh Yao Noi. It’s an enormous tree estimated to be more than 500 years old, standing around 65 metres tall with a trunk circumference of approximately 30 metres at its base.
Getting there involves a short walk along a wooden boardwalk through the jungle, which is a nice change of scenery after spending the day exploring the islands. We can’t always include Big Tree because the beach becomes inaccessible at low tide, but when conditions allow, we love to make the stop.
Lunch on a quiet beach
Around midday, we stop for lunch at a beach near Koh Yao Noi. We choose the location on the day, taking into account the tides and where we can find somewhere away from the crowds. We normally spend around an hour here, giving everyone time to eat, kick back on the beach or go for a swim before heading off again.
How do tides and weather affect the Krabi to Hong Island and James Bond Island tour?
As we’ve already alluded to in the itinerary above, the tides play a big part in where we go on our Phang Nga Bay speedboat tour, and in what order we visit each place. While we always start at Hong Island, the rest of the route is decided on the day.
A good example is Hong Lagoon, just beside Hong Island. It’s a beautiful lagoon surrounded by looming limestone cliffs, with a narrow entrance that our speedboat can pass through when the water is high enough. At low tide, we can’t get in, so we’ll either visit straight after Hong Island or return towards the end of the day when the tide has changed.
The hidden mangrove forest works the opposite way. At high tide, it’s completely flooded, making it impossible to explore on foot. Kayaking through the caves and viewing James Bond Island, however, are possible at any tide.
Weather is another consideration. Conditions can be surprisingly different even between places that are close together. It might be raining in Ao Nang but perfectly fine in Railay, just ten minutes away by boat. Fortunately, much of Phang Nga Bay is sheltered, so we can often find somewhere protected from the wind and waves. We can usually anticipate rough sea conditions in advance, and if the weather looks particularly bad, we’ll cancel the tour rather than take guests out in unsafe conditions.
That’s why we don’t follow exactly the same itinerary every day. We plan around the conditions, choosing the best order for the places we want to visit and making adjustments when needed.
How much time do you actually spend on the speedboat during the tour?
Although this is an eight-hour speedboat tour from Krabi, you’ll spend much more of the day exploring the islands than sitting on the boat. The journey to our first stop at Hong Island takes just 15 minutes, followed by around an hour and a half on the island. From there, the journey between stops is generally no longer than 25 minutes, depending on the route that day.
The longest stretch on the speedboat is usually the journey back to Krabi, which can take around 40 minutes depending on where we’ve made our final stop.
We’ve also deliberately kept our groups small. Our speedboat can accommodate approximately 25 to 30 passengers, but we limit each tour to a maximum of 15 guests. That means there’s plenty of room to spread out rather than sitting shoulder to shoulder with a full boat of passengers.
The boat has a covered seating area to keep you out of the sun, as well as an open section at the front if you’d prefer some sunshine. This is very much a day for getting out and romaing rather than spending hours relaxing onboard. If you’re looking for a slower-paced experience where you can move around the boat, enjoy a drink on the rooftop or spend more time snorkelling, our traditional junk boat cruise might be a better fit.
Is this Krabi speedboat tour suitable for everyone?
Our James Bond and Hong Island speedboat tour is suitable for most people who enjoy exploring, and you don’t need to be particularly sporty or an experienced swimmer to join us.
Most stops involve stepping onto a beach or floating pier, and you can choose whether to swim or stay on dry land. If you’re not a confident swimmer but would like to try snorkelling, our guides can help you in the water. The speedboat itself is fairly sheltered as we travel through Phang Nga Bay, although it can still get bumpy when the wind picks up. If you’re prone to seasickness, we’d recommend taking your usual travel sickness medication before departure.
There are also some guests we wouldn’t recommend this particular tour for. Because of the possibility of a bumpy ride, it’s not suitable for pregnant women, young children under four, people with back problems or older guests who may find the journey uncomfortable.
If you’re unsure whether the tour is right for you, please prendre contact with us before booking. We’re always happy to talk through what’s involved and help you choose the best option.
What should you wear and bring on a James Bond Island speedboat tour?
You don’t need any specialist equipment for our James Bond Island tour from Krabi, but there are a few things we’d recommend bringing to make the day more comfortable.
Flip-flops or sandals are fine for most stops, although we’d suggest packing a pair of water shoes too. At some of the beaches, you may need to wade through shallow water, and water shoes are particularly useful when exploring the hidden mangrove forest – something that isn’t going to come off your feet easily (if you have them.)
As you’ll be spending plenty of time outdoors, we’d also recommend bringing swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat and a change of clothes if you’d prefer something dry for the journey back.
And don’t forget your camera or phone. You’ll have plenty of opportunities for photos throughout the day, particularly from the Hong Island viewpoint and while exploring the limestone caves.
Is a Krabi Speedboat Tour or Sunset Cruise better for you?
Although both tours explore the islands around Krabi, they’re quite different experiences, and which one we’d recommend really depends on what you want from your day.
Notre James Bond Island/Hong Island speedboat tour is all about getting out and seeing lots of different places and things. We cover a much larger area, travelling into Phang Nga Bay to visit places that aren’t possible to reach on our traditional Krabi Four Island cruise. It’s a great choice if you enjoy discovering new places, exploring caves and lagoons, and spending time on different islands.
Notre Croisière au coucher du soleil sur 4 îles, on the other hand, is a more relaxed day on the water. Our traditional Thai junk boat has plenty of space to walk around, a shaded rooftop lounge and a cocktail bar, so you can enjoy the journey just as much as the stops themselves. With it’s slower pace, it’s the better option for those who’d like a day out on the water, but don’t feel comfortable swimming or getting on and off the boat all day.
If snorkelling in Krabi is a priority, we’d actually recommend the Four Island cruise. Although there are plenty of reefs in Phang Nga Bay, underwater visibility isn’t always as good. On our sunset cruise, we usually spend at least an hour at each stop, with the first two often offering the best snorkelling conditions (and some great opportunity to see exciting species like Clown Fish, aka, Nemo.)
Both tours offer a different way to experience Krabi, so it really comes down to whether you’d prefer a day of seeing sights further afield or a more leisurely cruise with plenty of time for swimming, snorkelling and relaxing onboard.
