Phang Nga Bay
A bay of vertical limestone karsts north-east of Phuket — home to James Bond Island, sea caves, hidden lagoons and the stilted Muslim village of Koh Panyee.
Phang Nga Bay is the most distinctive landscape in southern Thailand. Around 40 limestone islands rise vertically out of shallow, sheltered water — many hollowed with sea caves that open into hidden inner lagoons ("hongs") only reachable by canoe at the right tide.
A full day from Phuket lets you combine James Bond Island, canoe time inside two or three karsts, and lunch at Koh Panyee — a fishing village built entirely on stilts off the side of a single rock.