James Bond Island & Phang Nga Bay by Speed Catamaran

Phang Nga Bay is a drowned limestone landscape: several hundred karst towers standing straight out of shallow green water, riddled at sea level with caves that open into hidden lagoons. This trip covers six of its islands in a day, on a power catamaran fast enough to reach the far side of the bay without spending the morning in transit. The day begins late by Phuket standards. Check-in at the operator's lounge is at 09:45 with a light breakfast and a briefing, and the boat leaves Royal Phuket Marina at about 10:15. First stop is Koh Naka Yai for beach time, then a slow pass of the cliffs at Panak Island, then Hong Island, where local paddlers take you into the sea caves by canoe — you sit, they steer, and the caves are tight enough that this is the part most guests remember. Lunch is at Ko Panyi, a Muslim fishing village built on stilts over the water against a cliff face, with a mosque, a school and a football pitch that floats. James Bond Island itself — Khao Phing Kan, from "The Man with the Golden Gun" — comes after lunch, at around 14:30, when most of the morning boats have already left. The last stop is Ko Rang Yai for a swim before the run back, reaching the pier between 17:30 and 18:30. The fare covers hotel transfers, breakfast, lunch, the national park ticket, canoeing, drinks and snacks on board, wifi, an onboard toilet and travel insurance. Note that despite the equipment carried, this route has swimming stops rather than a dedicated snorkelling stop.