The island of James Bond (Ko Tapu) - one of the brightest sights of Thailand

Thailand boasts a huge number of beautiful places, attractions and islands located on its territory. Some of them hide picturesque lakes between rocks, while others caves are covered with numerous crystals of stalactites. They all, no doubt, deserve to be visited. Whatever it was, the first and most popular place where local guides are invited to visit immediately after the arrival of tourists in Phuket - the island of James Bond. It is about him that will be discussed in more detail later in this article.

Appearance

Present - official - the name of this island sounds like Ko Tapu, which in literal translation from Thai means "island-nail". In itself, it is located northeast of Phuket and is a small piece of land that rises above the level of the Andaman Sea in Phang Gna Bay about 20 meters. Those people who visit it for the first time in their life can get the impression that this is an ordinary rock. Whatever it was, this islet has a very original shape, because it is both high and narrow.

An interesting feature is that the diameter of its upper part is eight meters, and the bottom - four meters. Moreover, one can not help but emphasize that if the water level in the sea at this place was fifteen meters higher, the island of James Bond (photo below) would not be different from the other millions of small islands. It is possible that this fact attracts a lot of tourists every year.

Acquiring world fame

Originality, beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters and mild pleasant climate are far from the main reasons why James Bond Island became famous on the whole planet. The fact is that his popularity is primarily connected with the world cinema. In 1974, one of the episodes of the world-famous James Bond film "The Man with the Golden Pistol" took place here. If in more detail, it is against its background that the final duel took place between the two main characters of the film.

Link to the film

Before the appearance on the wide screens of the above-mentioned movie, the main role in which brilliantly played the British actor Roger Moore, even the Thais did not particularly favor this island. About the arrival here of tens of thousands of tourists at that time could not even be a question. After 1974, the situation changed dramatically, because here first rushed the ardent fans of the English secret "Agent 007", and then other travelers. This is not surprising, because the chance to see firsthand the place where the final scenes of the film were filmed does not always appear.

Excursion tours

The island of James Bond in Thailand is becoming more popular every year. In this regard, the country operates a large number of diverse firms, offering tourists all kinds of options for his visit. Most often, such tours start from Phuket. It takes an average of six hours to get to this place. As for the price of this pleasure, the estimated cost of the excursion usually starts from the mark of twenty American dollars. As a rule, the excursion includes visiting other islands along the way.

Saving measures

The island of James Bond is located at a distance of forty meters from another, a larger piece of land sushi of Phang Gna Bay. The rock, which he represents, is considered one of the most famous and photographed objects in the whole of Thailand. In 1981, the government decided to transfer it under the auspices of the National Marine Park, called "Phang Gna". Seventeen years later, additional measures were taken to conserve local flora and fauna and prevent erosion of limestone. In particular, since that time it is strictly forbidden to swim to the island on long-tailed boats and boats. In order to achieve the preservation of this most popular attraction, measures are being taken and work is under way to strengthen its foundation.

"Competitor"

In fact, for the right to wear the proud name "James Bond Island" another island is struggling, located in the immediate vicinity of Ko Tapu. Its official name is Khao Ping Kang. The last scene of "The Man with the Golden Pistol" was filmed here. On the island there are several extraordinarily beautiful caves, as well as two picturesque beaches. In itself, it consists of two rocks, which are connected in the center one to the other at the expense of the sandy isthmus. It should be noted that almost the entire surface is covered with forests. During tides, the water level in the Phang Gna Bay can rise several meters, causing a significant part of the beaches to be flooded. Moreover, even in some of the caves, access is cut off only when tides come. In the north direction from one of the beaches is the famous crack in the rock, which figured in the above mentioned episode of the legendary film. Whatever it was, the real island agent of the British Queen is Ko Tapu.

Neighbors

The island of James Bond is not the only place in Phang Gna Bay, which should be visited by tourists. Next to it there are many other, if not so famous, but no less interesting objects. One of them is the island of Panak, inside which is a beautiful lake. The most interesting thing is that it is very difficult to get here, because there is only one road to it - through a very narrow cave, which is illuminated only by the flashlight of the guide. Whatever it was, long to admire this landscape will not work, because the passage during the tide is completely filled with water.

There are other interesting places on the territory of the bay. For example, they include small islets, which, like glasses on thin legs, hang over the water. The most striking among them is the island of Nogot. Along with this, it should be noted that almost all of them represent only a tourist value, which can only be seen and photographed, and it will not be possible to settle on them.