James Bond Island Hopping Tour & Bangla Road at Night / Phuket

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I was definitely happy to be back in Phuket for several reasons: 1.) I will be spending Christmas here with my mother! Sure, Christmas here is not as festive as it is in the Philippines, but of course, I'm always up for experiencing something new; 2.) It was crowded here when my sister went here last March because it's summer, so now, I'll get to enjoy it better because there's lesser tourists on island hopping tours; 3.) Who wouldn't be happy to be back in Phuket?

A short anecdote I wanna share:

The day before this, we went on a day trip in Bangkok and rode the overnight bus to Phuket. When we got to the bus station, we asked for a cab that'll take us to my mother's location. When we got there, we paid the cab and he left. That was when I realized I left my camera bag in the cab! The camera bag contains (of course) the camera and my wallet which has ALL my government IDs and at least 16,000 pesos in cash. I am this close to crying. We rushed back to the bus station (which is very far by the way, like Manila-Alabang) via scooter which my mother drove and Raf and I rode at the back. My mother didn't know the way so while I was fidgeting, we got lost but then eventually got to the place after a few wrong turns and directions we asked from people on the road. Goodness of all goodness of hearts! The cab driver was there at the terminal waiting for me with my camera bag! I was so amazed with their honesty toward foreigners. 
So anyway, we spent our first day in Phuket on a James Bond Island Hopping Tour! This is something I was not able to do when I first went here so I am not going to miss it again this time!

First stop of the tour was Koh Panyee...

Koh Panyee is a small fishing village in Phang Nga Bay. The village is built on stilts so it's fascinating to me. We stopped there for the buffet lunch at the Panyee Restaurant.





And then, we headed to the location where we rode the canoe by twos or threes - which is my favorite part of the tour because I've never rode a canoe before nor used an oar.

 The canoe boating lasted for at least half an hour where we crossed narrow caves and hidden beaches. You literally have to lie down when entering some caves because you'll hit your head if you don't!










And last, which is definitely not the least - James Bond Island (which is why the tour is named after it).

 Kao Phing Kan is popularly known to tourist as James Bond Island because this is where they shot the 1974 James Bond movie "The Man With the Golden Gun."


The main attraction of the place is the iconic islet (photo below) called Ko Tapu. Ko Tapu is a limestone rock that's around 20 metres tall. It is located at least 40 metres away from Khao Phing Kan. 

 If it's low tide, you can just walk to the islet to have a closer look.





It was a great day overall because the sun was there but it wasn't hot. We got back to our jump off point at around 4 pm and We spent the rest of the night in Bangla Road to watch my uncle's gig.




My favorite Thai food - BAMI! Bami is sold everywhere, but honestly, the best bami I have tasted where the one from the streets. It's a noodle soup with red meat, shiitake mushrooms, vegetables, pork, and other ingredients I couldn't identify but nonetheless taste great altogether. 
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A Day in Bangkok

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Our real destination was Phuket but the flight we took from Manila is bound for Bangkok. That way, we could spend a day strolling around the city while we wait for the overnight bus that will take us down  south to Phuket where Raf and I will be spending Christmas with my mother and uncle.



The last time I went to Bangkok (March 2014), I wasn't able to tour around the city so I consider this time as my actual "first time" to "see the city."

We arrived in Suvarnabhumi International Airport at around 9am instead of 8am due to the delay in our flight. We took a cab to book our overnight bus tickets, left our baggage at the ticketing office and started our short Bangkok day trip.

First Stop: WAT ARUN

Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan or simply and shortly known as "Wat Arun" (also Temple of Dawn) is a buddhist temple which is also one of the most popular landmarks in the city. It is located on the west Bank of the Chao Phraya river just across the Grand Palace of Bangkok.


Skirts that reveal the knees are not allowed inside Wat Arun so in the entrance, where you buy the tickets (50baht), you can rent sarongs such as the one I was wearing below.


Named after the Hindu God Aruna, a lot of people says Wat Arun is most beautiful in the daylight as the sunlight reflects on the temple's surface with "pearly irridescence."

Maintenance was going on during our visit but that didn't stop us and all the tourists from climbing the steep stairs that leads to the top.

This is how steep it is. It's dizzying to look at from above and climbing up is waaaaay easier that going down. There was even a moment when I deferred going down because I was too scared. The steps becomes steeper as it goes higher and this is not a treat for those who are afraid of heights.




But then, the view from the top was breathtaking and the breeze was relaxing. From the top, you can see the Grand Palace from the other side of the river.


Wat Arun has existed since the 17th century but it was only in the 19th century that its iconic spires (also known as "prang") was built. The tallest prang and the four smaller ones that it is surrounded with (not in this photo, sorry) are encrusted with colorful porcelain.




Pag nahulog ka, dead. Kidding!



 Excuse my boyfriend, but this is the front view of Wat Arun. :)



It took as an hour and a half before we decided to go to the Grand Palace. We took the boat (I forgot what they call it) and went across the Chao Phraya river to the other side for just 3baht. Upon crossing, you will be greeted by lots of souvenir kiosks and street food stalls. As much as we wanted to try, so many tourists were lined up so we decided to skip it and just head to the Grand Palace.

From the port of Chao Phraya, you have to walk for at least 10 minutes to get to the entrance gates of the Grand Palace. 



 SECOND STOP: GRAND PALACE

 Sadly, we ran out of luck as we arrived at the Grand Palace a few minutes after 4pm (which means it will be closing soon) so we were only able to explore a few parts of it and not the all of the structures inside the complex.

Anyway, the Grand Palace is a complex of buildings and structures that has been the "official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782." However, the present king of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a well-loved king if I may add, is currently residing in Chitralada Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official royal events.

And since we weren't able to explore it wholly, I don't have the photo of the main buildings so the photo right below is not mine. As a whole, the entire complex looks like this.
www.bssuvarnabhumi.com
Generally, it was a great experience, albeit short since we only had morning to afternoon to do that because our bus to Phuket leaves at 5pm so we hurried back to Sai Tai Mai to catch the bus.

Hopefully, the third time I go back to Bangkok will be for a much longer stay as I plan to see the Wat Pho (just within the area), Madam Tussauds Wax Museum, and other shows that are very popular in Bangkok.

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