In 1999, the movie “The Beach” thrust Koh Phi Phi Ley and Maya Bay into the limelight. However, some 25 years before this happened, another of the islands in the Phi Phi archipelago become a box office success. Koh Tapu was used as the backdrop for the island scenes in the James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”. To this day the island is more usually known as James Bond Island, and has been one of Southern Thailand’s major tourist attractions for more than two decades.

Regular tours leave Phuket, heading to Phang Nga Bay by bus, and then a long tail or speedboat ride out to James Bond Island. This trip takes several hours, but the journey there and back is short enough to make a visit to James Bond Island a single day event.

One thing that should be noted is that Koh Tapu has become somewhat commercialized (inevitably). Be prepared for dozens of street vendors selling trinkets and Thai handicrafts. They can be a little pushy, just walk away if you feel harassed.

Possibly the best way to see James Bond Island is to take a speedboat tour, you will find many businesses offering this service, and this helps to keep the prices competitive. A good speedboat tour will take you right around the island, stopping off at several beaches and points of interest. The whole tour takes no more than a couple of hours, so this is still something that can be tackled on a day trip from Phuket.

James Bond Island, alongside Maya Bay, are two Phi Phi locations that really need to be on everyone’s travel plans These are both breathtaking places, with amazing natural scenery, azure waters, golden beaches and a coastline made up of dramatic rock structures and cliffs.