Arriving in Phang Nga
Phang Nga is actually just a long road (3 km) with a bus station, post office, hotels and banks along it. Best
thing to do is to stop at the bus station. As we were in a private van,
we made the mistake stopping at a hotel, thus missing the offices of
the 2 main tour agents in town, Sayan Tours and Mr. Kean tours.
Accommodation
Hotel Thaweesuk is really very basic. Double rooms
cost 200 Bht and have a squat toilet and something which looks like a
shower. I also had the impression there was a urine smell.
We finally headed for the Phang Nga Bay Resort.
I think this is the only midrange hotel in and around Phang Nga. During
high season they charge 1.400 Bht for a double, but in March they
charged 750 Bht including taxes but without breakfast (3/99). The hotel
has definitely been in better shape 15 or 20 years ago, and it can
surely use a good renovation nowadays. Rooms and beds are big though,
and they have AC, fridge, TV (but no English channels) and the hotel
has a swimming pool. The main advantage is definitely the excellent
location, and that alone justifies the price. Wake up at 6 am, and
you'll see the sunrise from the terrace of your hotel, absolutely
marvellous. To get there, take a songthaew for 15 Bht pp (but these are
more difficult to get after 5 pm). They accept VISA. Tel 076-412067 or
70.
What to do ?
Boattrip: which travel agent
If you come here, it
is of course to do a boattrip. I strongly advise to go to the
busstation and check out the 2 main agents there:
Sayan Tours
was the first to offer tours. I had a very good impression of them.
Although we hadn't done a trip with them, they did help us out in
getting a bus to Krabi and were very helpful with all kind of info.
They offer 2 tours:
- Half day tour of 4 to 5 hours, price is 250 Bht (3/99)
- Full day tour is 600 Bht (3/99)
-
It's also possible to stay overnight at the muslim village, you then
leave at 4 pm, and you'll be picked up the next morning and do the rest
of the tour, price is 250 Bht extra (3/99).
Mr. Kean
offers more or less the same tours for prices which are a little bit
cheaper, 200 Bht for the half day tour and 500 Bht for the full day
tour (3/99).
Since
we did not stop at the busstation, we missed these agents, and we
organised a tour with a local guy next to Phang Nga Bay resort. He told
us we would get a full day trip and charged us 300 Bht pp (we were with
6 people). But after the tour (starting 7 am and arriving 1 pm) we
realized we had actually done the half day tour at a slower pace. So we
argued the price down to 200 Bht pp, but we didn't do what we had
intended to do.
Boattrip: how is the tour ?
All the tours have more or less the same itinerary.
We first visited the Muslim village.
They'll drop you at one of the enormous seafood restaurants. If you
want to see the mosque and the harbour, you'll have to pass a line of
souvenirshops. Then you'll pass some caves and after an hour you'll
come to James Bond Island.
This looks nothing
at first, but once you're at the island, it's quite nice. Plenty of
souvenirstalls and they even have a generator there.
Then you'll stop at a very small beach for a swim.
Then, on the way back you'll go into a cave with the boat, and also through the mangrove which is quite nice.
Finally you'll pass a fishermen's village.
In general we liked the tour, but don't expect too much of it.
Getting out of Phang Nga
To Krabi
There are frequent buses at 7.30 8.30 9.30 10.30 11.45 13.30 14.30 15.30 16.30 17.30 20.00.
However,
don't expect the bus to be on time, ours was 30 minutes late. Also, we
didn't have a seat since the bus comes from Phuket and is probably
already full.
Price is 52 Bht for AC, 30 Bht for regular bus.
To Surat Thani
AC buses at 9.30 11.30 and 13.30. The one of 11.30 connects with the ferry to Ko Samui. Price is 110 Bht.
To Rao Nang
Buses at 8.30 10.30 11.30 13.30, price is 75 Bht (3/99).
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