Ao Phang Nga is more than a National Park, or a made-for-movies scenic backdrop (although it’s both of these). It's a realm of the wildest imagination and purest fancy. A place where fantastical tropical landscapes become a reality. Skimming across its turquoise waters, with its green-and-white spires and bladed islands, delicately balanced between sea and sky, you feel as if you've fallen into a fairy-tale. But the magic woven here is actually born of geology and geography. And a million years of quiet drip-by-drip, and wave-by-wave, sculpting of the land.
The forty-plus islands of Ao Phang Nga, and the quiet warm waters lapping between them, lie in a bay of the Andaman Sea that stretches over 30 kilometres east of Phuket. Their natural beauty has made them a major tourist draw – helped along by starring roles in films like the Man with the Golden Gun. In fact, the most famous of the islands – Khao Phing Kan – is commonly called James Bond Island, thanks to an iconic beach-scene. The bizarre nail-shaped Ko Tapu rock forms a dramatic backdrop, 21 metres of limestone apparently spearing the sea-floor. You couldn't find a better location for a villain's secret hideout.
But the isles of Ao Phang Na aren't only for viewing. The shallow bays and coves are perfect for diving, swimming, snorkelling or canoeing. Many of the larger islands can be explored on foot. And many of the smaller ones have watery caverns – dripping with bizarre rock formations – perfect for exploring by paddle. The seas around them are alive with all manner of tropical fish and colourful reefs, and you may even catch sight of porpoises or the rare dugong 'sea-cows'.
People are less common in these steep-cliffed islands, but some of the local fishing villages do welcome visitors. Ko Panyi is one, a tiny Malay fishing village where the locals live on stilted houses. With facilities for tourists few and far between, a stop-over at Ko Panyi provides a great opportunity to taste the locally-caught seafood – and the locally-bred generous hospitality. So if you're in Phuket, remember that a boat to Ao Phang Nga National Park simply can't be missed. After all, this is a natural spectacle that took 100 million years to get ready for your viewing pleasure.
