Year 2- 16th November 2025 – Phuket Yacht Haven-Discovering the Islands around Phuket-Thailand
We woke again to a lovely sunny morning and the forecast was for two days without rain which will be good. We had mango, pineapple, yoghurt and granola breakfast which was great. We are so lucky to have such lovely fruit here and it tastes rather than the stuff you often buy at the supermarket which hardly tastes and has been flown thousands of miles in a frozen state.
We were moving on to the Phang Nga area which is an area with shear sided sea mountains that rise vertically out of the sea and provides some of the most spectacular scenery in the whole of Thailand. This is the type of scenery we saw in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.
Phang Nga is one of the southern provinces (Changwat) of Thailand, on the shore of the Andaman Sea to the west and Phang Nga Bay to the south. Neighbouring provinces, from north and moving clockwise, are Ranong, Surat Thani, and Krabi. Towards the south of Phang Nga is the Phuket province, connected by the Sarasin Bridge ( which was close to The Phuket Yacht Haven).
The province, located on the western side of the Malay Peninsula, encompasses the islands within Phang Nga Bay. Among these, Khao Phing Kan and Ko Ta Pu, often referred to as "James Bond Island," gained prominence following their appearance in the 1974 film The Man with the Golden Gun. In this film, Khao Phing Kan serves as the base for the antagonist, with the distinct, needle-shaped limestone formation of Ko Ta Pu, situated approximately 20 metres (22 yd) off the main beach, featuring significantly. To safeguard these and other islands, the Ao Phang Nga (Phang Nga Bay) National Park was established in 1981. The province also includes the Similan Islands and Surin Islands, notable diving destinations in Thailand. The total forested area of the province is approximately 1,778 km2 (686 sq mi), accounting for 32.4 percent of its total area.
Phang Nga derives its name from the ancient Malay term "Pangan," which translates to 'jungle' in contemporary Thai. This term historically referred to a broad category of indigenous peoples, colloquially known as 'orang Pangan' in Malay. This phrase was used to describe communities perceived as 'heathen, pagan, or primitive', typically residing in the dense jungle regions of the Malay Peninsula and its adjacent islands.
Region 5 (Nakhon Si Thammarat) of Thailand's protected areas encompasses a total of twenty national parks, six of which are particularly notable. These parks are characterized by their diverse ecological landscapes and natural features. The region, renowned for its environmental variety, includes parks that range from coastal and marine environments to mountainous and forested areas. Each park serves as a habitat for a variety of flora and fauna.
Ao Phang Nga National Park officially designated on 29 April 1981, spans an area of approximately 400 square kilometres (150 sq mi). This park is distinguished by its picturesque landscapes, notably featuring a multitude of limestone formations rising majestically from the sea near the coast. These geological structures also account for the high concentration of caves within the park's boundaries. The area is rich in mangrove forests, contributing to its ecological diversity. Additionally, the park encompasses several islands, each contributing to the overall scenic and biological richness of Ao Phang Nga National Park.
These amazing islands have Hongs’ which you can visit and go into. "Hongs" in Thailand refer to island caverns, specifically the enclosed lagoons inside limestone islands in places like Phang Nga Bay and the Hong Islands near Krabi. These "rooms" are only accessible through narrow sea-level caves and are popular for kayaking, snorkelling, and enjoying the scenic, hidden lagoons. A hong is a geological formation where the centre of a limestone island has been hollowed out by the sea, creating a natural, open-air room with steep walls.
We had to pay the electricity bill, give back the electric adapter and the key cards and once done we prepared the boat and slipped the mooring about 10.05am. The wind had increased a little and so when we left we had to ensure we were not blown on to the pontoon and boat to our left. We eased out and made the turn without any issue and eased out of the marina.
Once we had out away the mooring lines and fenders we got out the main and genoa and were sailing well on a sort of beam reach/close reach out of the bay. The wind got to about 14-16 kts and we were sailing well reaching 8.2 kts at one point. You realise with the main it makes quite a difference. We had a great sail for about 2 hours and must have looked quite a sight as the only boat sailing in lovely scenery. Others were motoring and you wondered why – there is wind- you are a sailboat yes- what does not compute?
We eventually came to a point and an angle when we could not sail any further otherwise it will be into the wind. We therefore put the sails away and headed for Koh Panak which is one of the first islands of the Phanga Nga area. As we approached we could see ahead of us the amazing limestone stack structures iconic of this area. We then motored on and could see a number of tourist boats heading the way we were going. I had decided to anchor on the west side of the island and to see whether we would stay the night there or move on.
We came to the anchoring point and put down the anchor. We had a swim to cool down as it was very hot but we had to watch out for the tide which was running about 1.4 kts. Ruth made a lovely salad for lunch which we enjoyed. We were overlooking this amazing island with sheer cliffs with trees and bushes growing over it.
Koh Panak is a small island in Thailand's Phang Nga Bay, famous for its stunning limestone cliffs, sea caves, and hidden lagoons that are accessible by kayak. It is a popular destination for guided day tours from Phuket and Krabi, which often include stops at other locations like James Bond Island. The island is part of the Ao Phang Nga National Park, and visitors can explore its natural beauty by paddling through narrow passages into secret chambers and open-air lagoons.
After lunch we had a rest. We could not easily see these caves or Hongs at present. I thought it best we move on as I thought the next anchorage would be more stunning and we have plenty of time to visit Hongs. This proved to be a good decision. We therefore upped the anchor and headed round the South of Ko Phanak and then up its East side keeping in the 7-8 m water as it gets shallow quite close.
Ahead of us was a vista of islands and limestone stacks which was stunning and dramatic. We took many pictures as we do not often get this scenery. We passed a number of stacks on the way and little islands and then began to approach Ko Hong and Koh Yai tom our right and Koh Na Khae in front. These were 3 islands that had great cliffs and were covered in trees and foliage. We went up the channel where you can anchor and there were a few boats in there but I thought we would be better coming back and anchoring off Ko Hong which is where there are some great caves and Hongs to explore.
We came back round and there was a large mooring buoy we could use and so picked it up. We were within 60 metres or so of the limestone cliffs which were spectacular and I hoped the buoy was ok. The locals could not explain what weight it could accommodate. The locals came by and offered us a tour of the Hongs and caves. They said in the morning the tide will be in and therefore we would not be able to visit then. We therefore sorted ourselves out and checked everything and got into 3 Kayaks with our guides who paddled us to a cave entrance clearly in front of us. The cave was quite low and you could only really enter by Kayak or paddleboard.
We went through the cave entrance and went through into the first Hong -which was a hollow area inside the island and you could look up to the sky. Trees and foliage grew around its perimeter and some seemed to be growing horizontally. It was spectacular and we took pictures and our guide pointed out various rocks which looked like crocodiles, elephants, fish etc. We lay back in Kayak and marvelled at the scenery around us. This was our first Hong and it reminds you how fantastic the natural world can be and how lucky I have been able to explore some of its amazing features on my world travels. We left the first Hong by another cave in front of us and this led into a second Hong which was a little smaller but equally spectacular with its circular hidden dome. This lead us through into a third Hong and we marvelled at the surroundings and we got some pictures together. None of these Hongs can be seen from the outside and are hidden marvels. Each cave had unusual rock structures and some stalactites and stalagmites. Finally we came out of a split between the rocks and we could see Stormbird at her mooring in the sunset. It had been a great trip and we had really seen what a Hong is and how unusual and hidden they are.
We clambered back on board and we got changed and had a sundowner in the aft deck as the sun disappeared over an island to our West. We chatted and thought how lucky we were to be here and in this dramatic location.
Keith cooked sausages and mash with peas and baked beans which was great comfort food and a change from the Asian style food we have had recently. We listened to music and chilled. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday was shopping and hanging around a marina but today was a different ball game even though we are only a few miles apart. We had had a great and most interesting day.
We look forward to exploring this area more tomorrow.
The picture of the day is an illustration of the scenery we are experiencing.
Need/Opportunity Year Three
In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Chagos, Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK. I am looking for crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town and from Cape Town to the UK. If of any interest do email me.
The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com