We hopped on the main bus and went over the Phuket bridge to meet our boat. Once there, we got on a traditional Thai longtail boat and headed out to James Bond Island. The island was breathtaking, and it was one of those places you've gotta go to say you've been there.

Once we'd taken some photos, we hopped on the boat and docked with a larger seacraft, and they then in turn put us into small sea canoes. (I'd like to point out that they gave us all life jackets, and they had a toddler-size jacket for my son.)

The sea canoe was wonderful fun. There was a guide in the back who did the rowing, and we cruised through mangroves and then into some wonderful limestone caves.

Once off the sea canoe, we headed out to lunch at Panyee Village, which is a set of floating houses. The lunch we were served was magnificent and completely left out of the brochure. We were given rice, fried chicken, battered fishcakes, plenty of vegetables, omelette, and to round it off, water melon. (The meal was Hallah.)

At this point, we went back to the mainland for an elephant ride. I've never been on an elephant before, so it was a novelty, and then the baby elephants did a little show, which was entertaining, particularly the massages they gave. As far as I could tell, the animals were all well treated and seemed happy to be there.

We sat down for afternoon tea and coffee (included in the price) and the rubber tapping demonstration. Unfortunately, some tourists arrived who were much more interested in snapping pictures with my son and were a little on the pushy side, so I spent most of my time making sure they didn't wander off with him. We spoke to them and posed for a few photos, but one woman sneakily picked him up. Thankfully Maximus screamed and I quickly retrieved him.

It is interesting the way that they farm the rubber, because they have to start at 4am in the morning, before the heat of the day, and then they put it out to dry before being sent to the factory

Finally they dropped us back at our hotel in time for dinner. A thoroughly pleasurable day, and I'd recommend it to everyone.

P.S. There are options to go snorkelling, but why go in Thai waters when you can go to Redang instead? (See my journal.)

We went on three boat tours with three different companies. They were so similar. There was no real difference in amenities, but the James Bond tour stood out. Phi Phi Island is farther out to sea, and even in the calmer morning waters, it can still be a very jarring trip. Be careful if a storm is forecasted - your inners/back could be hurting later. James Bond Island is amid the intercoastal waterways, and therefore more protected from the weather and rough sea.

There are three to four Speed Boat Adventure guided tours. All are very similar in staff and boats. Book through the hotel concierge. Price ranges from 8$0 to $120 per person, which includes snorkel gear, lunch, refreshments, and snacks.

Here you have the typical landscape (I should better say "seascape"), with many small islands with the high tower-like rock structures.

There are different ways to get there, like by jonge (dschunke). You can also use sea kayak, etc. On the trip with the jonge, you will also visit the sea gypsies and a drive-through cave (see next tips).

On James Bond Island itself, which is really not so big, you can explore some half caves and walk halfway around it, halfway because there is no possibility to surround it on foot. The cliffs are too steep in places. On the beach are heaps of little stands for tourists.

The trip also included a sea canoe ride around some nearby limestone caves. This necessitated that we transfer from the boat into rubber "dinghies", a feat that was not enjoyed by my wife, who really doesn’t enjoy being that close to water. Anyway, having managed the precarious part of the trip, we sat back to enjoy the trip. Occasionally, it was necessary to lie down in the canoe as we negotiated the low entrances to some of the caves. But what a treat--the colours of the water, the white stalactites hovering above us, and some amazing vegetation. This part of the trip was just a shade long-winded, and it was very difficult to understand our guide’s explanation, but it was still an experience worth going for.

Then onto Koh Phing Kan. We rode through the mangrove swamps and were fascinated by the sight of the weird Mudskipper flapping its way across the muddy surfaces. It clearly doesn’t realise that fish swim! We circled past numerous small, uninhabited islands looking like eruptions out of the seabed. They certainly had no liveable space on them. Then we headed for our destination. It was not difficult to spot the highly distinctive island, with its "rock sentry" standing guard in one of the island’s coves.

As we approached the "landing area", there was a fleet of brightly coloured boats waiting for the tourists that they had discharged on the island. Well, I guess we didn’t expect to be the only ones there! It was an easy disembarkation and a short walk up the gentle slope to the island’s waiting souvenir stalls. They are not too invasive, and it seemed that some effort had been made to blend them with their surroundings. The Thai smiles were out in force, but there were no attempts to push a sale–-guess they do well enough anyway.

It really doesn’t take too long to explore the island, but we were struck by the amount of vegetation that appeared to be growing out of the rock–-hard to see how these hardy plants survive. There are two distinctive geological features on the island: Koh Talu, the Nail Island, standing proud with vegetation clinging precariously to its hostile craggy surfaces, is a lasting memory for all Bond fans. And then, the sheer limestone slab embedded in the island’s surface was a lasting memory to the power of nature--it was caused by a cracking in the major rock, gravitational forces and the scouring effect of the separation and the ravages of time. You’ll see what I mean!

As far as I know, Koh Phing Kan escaped the destructive force of the tsunami, so it is still on the tourist trail and well worth a visit.