James Bond Island & Phang Nga Bay with Canoeing By Big Boat From Phuket

A great full day, well organised, full itinerary, fabulous tour guide, an amazing lunch provided, all for a very reasonable price

This was an okay tour. There aren’t any beaches, only a small narrow shoreline that doesn’t exist at high tide. the canoe portion was different than i expected. instead of getting a canoe for ourselves we were put in the canoe with a guide. it was okay but short and not what i expected…

I think this was good. Not the best because you feel underwhelmed. The boat providers were very good.

It was very convenient being picked up right from the hotel - however expect to pay for a return trip for the Taxi services that is not included in the posting. However, it is very much worth the price even with this included, I think ours was an extra 600 Baht to be picked up and dropped off. The trip itself was spectacular and if you are looking for a day tour in Phuket I highly recomend this one. I have some memories that will last a life time with things like jumping off the boat or going through the batcaves. The boat itself is very large and spacious, plenty of room for lots of people and socializing. The tour guide was a very sweet and lovely man, Tony, but everyone involved in the whole process was wonderful. The provided lunch was good as well and felt well earned after the long day. Remember to bring water and sunscreen and swim wear and towel!

We were with 20 minutes late from our hotel picked up and brought to the meeting point. There each person had to pay 25 Bath for the transfer to the boat. Everything was very busy but organized. The crew of the somewhat aged boat was very friendly and helpful. The day was well organized, the lunch prepared by the crew was delicious. A successful day with a grand finale.

This trip includes many wonderful things - a canoe ride into a limestone cave, another canoe ride into a hidden lagoon, cruising through the spectacular scenery of Phang Na Bay, and, of course, a visit to James Bond Island. All of these elements are wonderful, but the organization of the tour leaves much to be desired. Firstly, the van sent to our hotel to pick us up was almost 30 minutes late, and then we were charged an extra fee, payable in cash, for a “remote” pickup (even though our official Viator receipt showed pick up from our area as included). When we finally arrived at the coast (not yet at the pier), we had a further wait while too many people were checked in at a very crowded mustering point. A further nuisance was a visit to a ticket booth 2 blocks from the mustering point, where, again, we had to fork out more cash for park entry fees, which, again, was advertised as “included” in my official Viator receipt. After that, we were then hustled through hundreds of other tourist, on dozens of other tours, and onto buses to take us to the boat. It was the most poorly organized start, to what was otherwise a lovely tour. Once on board, the crew were great. They were attentive, funny, sometimes cheeky (in a good way), and genuinely committed to ensuring we had a nice time. These folks evidently work hard, and we were pleased to tip them generously. The food on board was good, although the best part (the Thai chicken wings) were rationed out in a way that did not reflect the price of the tour, in comparison with the Thai economy. My suggestion is that the tour operators should have more of their popular dishes, and let their guests enjoy the food as they wish. The lads who paddle the canoes are fit and careful - the cave and lagoon portions are incredibly interesting and the limestone formations incredible. James Bond Island is a good place to say one has visited, especially if one is a Bond fan, and has seen “The Man with the Golden Gun”. Be prepared to be a little disappointed, though, as the beautiful setting of the Scaramonga lair is completely overrun by thousands of people each day, there are dozens of cluttered vendor stalls on the iconic beach facing Ko Ta Pu, the mushroom-shaped rock island in front of the main island, and the place is dirty. One’s time there is limited to about 20 minutes, which is enough. We were thankful to get back off the island, on one of the shuttle boats, and back to our boat. The fun finale of the water tour was a stop on the 1 hour way back to the pier at a remote beach on the side of an uninhabited limestone island. We got to jump off the boat, swim, and canoe to the beach. There were monkeys, and a lot of laughing. The arrival back at the pier was the antithesis of our arrival - orderly, quiet, and pleasant. We got right onto the bus to go back to the mustering point, and into our van back to our hotel. However, we were not back until after 7:00pm, so it was a very long day. In retrospect, I would have preferred a shorter day, with fewer people, more concentration on the essential elements of Phang Na Bay, and better food and drink. I would have liked to go directly from my hotel to the boat we were to cruise on, without the wasted time between. Once on the boat, I would have preferred to do the cave and lagoon experiences, but simply cruise around James Bond Island to get some photographs. I would also have liked more swimming time, to just relax in a beautiful part of the Bay. Viator needs to work on a tour like this, with the option of better service to and on the cruising boat, with a smaller size of guests. People will pay a premium for better organization and service. Again, the people on the boat were lovely, but this was the worst organized tour that we - long time users of Viator - have ever been on. Viator definitely needs to address the issues of better planning and hidden fees, or we will not be the only ones who rate this tour as merely average.

All went according to plan and timetable. Staff were efficient and courteous. The views were a feast to the eyes!

The tour was amazing. I had a great day. Beautiful place, lunch with local products Super excursion.

Transportation, food and service as expected. A good day is spent and the place is a true paradise!.

Organization was ok. Unfortunately, we were only able to book on a day when the majority of the guests came from China. The guide unfortunately almost exclusively took care of these guests. Explanations in English existed only when necessary. The program itself was ok, punctual pick up from the hotel, transfer to the boat, great ride and unforgettable moments on the canoe trip to the lagoon - luckily you do not have to paddle yourself. Local food for lunch buffet on board.