Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island

Phang Nga Bay is the great sheltered sea that lies between Phuket and the mainland, and it is one of the most striking landscapes in Asia. Hundreds of limestone karsts rise sheer out of calm green water, their cliffs draped in jungle, their bases hollowed into caves and tunnels. Inside many of them are hongs, hidden lagoons open to the sky that you can only reach by canoe at the right tide. The most famous sight is Khao Phing Kan, better known as James Bond Island, where the needle of Ko Tapu stands alone in the water; it appeared in the 1974 film The Man with the Golden Gun and has been on postcards ever since. Unlike the fast run to Phi Phi, a Phang Nga day is gentle: the water is flat, the boat is slow and the pleasure is in gliding through caves in a sea canoe while a guide paddles. The Tiqets tour we link uses a two-deck boat with a buffet lunch on board and includes canoeing at Panak and Hong islands. It is a strong choice for families, for anyone nervous of speedboats, and for photographers.

How it works: hotel pickup runs from about 06:45 to 08:45 and the boat leaves around 08:30 from the east coast. The day follows Panak Island, where you canoe through caves into enclosed lagoons, then a buffet lunch on board, then James Bond Island, then Hong Island, whose cliff-ringed inner sea is calm enough to swim in. You return to Ao Po Pier around sunset. The guide, lunch, drinks and life jackets are included. The national park fee is extra and paid on the day. Pickup is not offered in Cape Panwa, Mai Khao, Nai Thon, Layan or Nai Yang, and free cancellation is available until twenty-four hours before.

What to expect: James Bond Island itself is small and busy, with a short path, a strip of beach, souvenir stalls and a constant arrival of boats, so think of it as a photo stop rather than the highlight. The canoeing is the real joy. Guides paddle while you sit in the front, ducking under low cave roofs into lagoons fringed with mangroves where you may see monkeys and kingfishers. Many other tours also call at Koh Panyee, a Muslim fishing village built on stilts beneath a cliff, for lunch.

Making the most of it: wear clothes that can get wet and bring a waterproof bag for your phone. The bay is a national park, so take your rubbish home and never touch the cave formations. In November the water is calm and the light is soft in the late afternoon, which is when the karsts look their best on the trip back.