Day 121 Sun. May 14, 2023 Phuket, Thailand Overnight -5:00

Day 121 Sun. May 14, 2023  Phuket, Thailand Overnight -5:00

Spectacular Phang Nga Bay May 14, 2023 8:30-5:00 Port: Phuket Tour Length: Full-Day (Approximately 8 1/2 hours) 

Tour Description  Cruise through the staggeringly beautiful landscape of Phang Nga National Park.Pass towering limestone columns rising from the sea and near-vertical cliffs.  Ease through mangrove forests and into small grottoes carved out of the limestone.  Stop at an isolated fishing village built on stilts that lacks most modern conveniences.

This full-day tour takes you to one of the most unique and inspiring spots on earth, Phang Nga Bay. Considered by many a must-see sight, there are very few places in the world with a landscape like Phang Nga.

Begin your day with a drive to the island's north end and then cross to the Thai mainland via the Thep Krasettree Causeway. Drive to Phang Nga National Park where you board a motorboat and begin your unforgettable cruise through the spectacular and seductive limestone scenery. Established in 1981, the park lies in the sheltered pale milky-green waters northeast of Phuket Island and is the location of more than 80 awe-inspiring islands. These unique karst formations were created when a collision of great magnitude occurred over 300 million years ago between the Indian subcontinent and mainland Asia. The force of the tectonic plates pushed and rotated what is now Thailand and Malaysia, forcing the limestone above the surface. The resulting karst formations appear like fairy castles out of the sea and they come in all different shapes and sizes. Vegetation on the karsts has evolved to withstand long periods of dryness and an almost complete lack of soil. See spectacular flora hanging off the vertical rock faces and cascading down the cliffs including palm trees, bamboo, ferns and wild orchids. During your cruise enjoy a photo opportunity at the small island of Kao Ping-Gan, where part of the James Bond adventure “The Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed.

Visit Koh Panyee, a picturesque village extending out across the water, resting precariously on small pilings. It is inhabited chiefly by Muslim fishermen who originally migrated from Indonesia. Cut off from the mainland and most modern amenities, their unique culture has existed for more than a hundred years.

Following a buffet lunch, you will drive back to the ship. A short stop at a recommended shopping venue will be made en route.  We had to skip the shopping as there was too much traffic and we were delayed.  

 

                                                            Mangroves

                                            Can you see a dog in this formation?

                                            We sat four on each bench in a boat like this. 

                                            Our boat slipped through this grotto.

                                            Muslim fishermen's village where we had a buffet lunch.

                                                Another boat is coming out of the grotto.  

                                            Some amazing rock formations!

 This is part of the new restaurant where we ate a Thai buffet lunch.  There are several pavilions connected.  

                                            This is the school's original floating football/soccer field with no fence.

                                            Several business share this Welcome Center.

                            The government built the school a playground with a fence around it.  This is the soccer/football field.  

                                            Houses on stilts in the village

                                            The restaurant where we ate lunch.