Boat International – September 2019

has seen Thailand emerge
as a popular cruising
destination in recent
years,despiteanongoing
debateoverchartertax
regulations(seepage 212 ).
Sevennewmarinasare
planned,fromPhuketto
Pattaya,tosupportthis
emergingmarket.Yetitis
stillfarfromturningintotheMed–youcan
cruiseandnotseeanothersuperyachtfordays.
Ourfirststoptakesusstraightintotheheartof
PhangNgaBay,aprotectednationalparkthatis
renownedforitscondensedclusterofkarsts.My
eyesinstantlylockontotheformationsthatjut
upfromthesealikethespiresofasunkenchurch.
Itisherethatscenesfromthe 1974 JamesBond

The dive boat

makes therun over

to Koh Phi Phi Leh,

which played the

utopianparadise

island in the film

The Beach

KohPhiPhiLehand

itsfamousbeach,

knownasMayaBay,

hasbeenclosedto

touristssinceJune

2018,whilenewcorals

areplantedandvisitor

facilitiesareimproved

movie The Man with the

Golden Gun were filmed.

We cruise right past the

island of KhaoPhing

Kan–betterknownas

“JamesBondisland” –

whereRogerMooreas

Bondpacedonthebeach,

preparingforadueltothe

deathwithChristopher

Lee’sFranciscoScaramanga.KoTaPurises

20 metresoutofthewaterjustofftheshore.Both

thebeachandrockhavebecomehugeattractions

forday-trippers,whovisitintheubiquitouslong-

tailboatsthatskimthesewaters.Butinlate

afternoontherearefewtouristsandwehavethe

Hollywood-worthyviewstoourselves.

Wejumpshipandboardkayaksforatourof

the bay, manoeuvring through caves at the base

of the karsts and emerging in a lagoon where the

canopy of trees frames a heart shape of blue sky

above.Wemovetoanearbyanchorageforthe

nightandforthoseofuswhoarestilleagerto

play,thecrewunloadpaddleboardsandrevup

theskiboattotowwakeboardersaroundtheflat-

calmwater.IswimaroundLadyEinthewarm,

blue-greenwater,staringupatthetowering

karstsoverhead.

BackonboardIamimmediatelygreetedwith

afluffybeachtowel.Theyacht’ssportycrewlove

havingactiveguestsonboardandareaccustomed

toentertainingallgenerations.Everyoneon

boardhasadditionalqualifications,whetheritbe

asaPADIdivemaster,kiteboardinstructoror

yogateacher.OnboardwellnessexpertSusanna

Rosic,meanwhile,canprovidetreatmentssuch

092019