Ao Phang Nga National Marine Park

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The sprawling Ao Phang Nga National Park covers 400 sq km and contains over 40 islands amidst dramatic scenery of sheer limestone cliffs that soar 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 painting, tools and other knick knacks that archaeologists have found scattered throughout the area. One assumes it cannot have been too bad place to live back then. Now the increasingly common human life seen in these parts are 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 kilometres. 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 Vietnam's Ha Long Bay or Yunnan in China (but with the water).

The common tourist destinations include Ko Kan (James Bond Island), which features a unique karst tower that served as James Bond's hide out in the 1974 film, The Man with the Golden Gun, and Ko Panyi, a Muslim sea gypsy village on stilts over the sea, which has become something of a cramped tourist trap.

Ko Phanak and Ko Hong are stunning hongs (or collapsed cave systems), and the latter is so cavernous that it feels like being in a 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 en route to the bay.

The Ao Phang Nga National Park visitor centre and nearby piers are about seven km south of Phang Nga town, and virtually all who come do so by tour. We recommend M.T. Tour at Muang Thong Hotel in Phang Nga, but there are also several tour companies operating near the bus station. Mr. Hassim of M.T. Tour has been leading tours in the area for 30 years, is very knowledgable about the area, and has gotten consistently good reviews. His phone number is (089) 289 2566.

Newfern Sea Canoe is a local tour company operating out of Ko Panyi that specialises in canoe (actually they're small inflatable rafts) trips in the bay. Newfern may be reached at (016) 778 985 or (092) 910 043, or tour companies in Phang Nga can reach them for you. They explore the bay in a large boat that stops at many of the best spots for paddling and travellers launch kayaks from the boat. This is good for the paddling experience, but the large boat lacks the charm of the usual longtail.

Text and/or map last updated on 22nd July, 2012.

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Ao Phang Nga National Marine Park reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Best seascape in Thailand

Forget about Railay, Phi Phi Leh and the Similans - Phang Nga Bay blows them away for seascape/landscape. I'm talking specifically about the Eastern/Central/Western bay which you do on trips out of the Phang Nga town piers - but I understand the eastern bay best accessed from the Krabi area ain't shabby either.
I took my full day trip with Mr Kean Tour out of his shop in the Phang Nga town bus station but there are other places in town and all over Phuket/Krabi/Khao Lak can organise similar.
We cruised the wonderful mangroves into the bay and then glided past towering stack islands, boated thru caves in said stacks, trekked another cave with headband floodlights, lunched and swam on a small beach, visited James Bond island but before the crowds hit, and called in at Ko Panyi, the fishing village on piers anchored to one of the karst islands.
I decided to spend the night there, the best 250 baht (clean basic room, wonderful dinner, basic breakfast) I've spent in recent years.
- Sights & activities
- History & culture
- Scenery & environment
- Eat & drink
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- I'll be back (or not)
By tezza (dabbler)
Written on 11th January, 2011 after a visit to Ao Phang Nga National Marine Park in December, 2010

Also reviewed by tezza: Coral and Raya Islands, Haad Nopphara Thara, Haad Sai Khao, Kanchanaburi, Khao Lak, Ko Bulon Lae, Ko Kho Khao, Ko Kut, Ko Lipe, Ko Maak,

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