Me standing on the same beach as Roger Moore and Christopher Lee

For a full gallery of my trip to James Bond Island, click here to visit the flickr gallery!

Since I was a young boy, James Bond has had an important role in my life. I still remember watching the TBS marathons with my father in the Poconos: especially The Man With The Golden Gun. The image of solar panels rising out of a rock in the middle of the water has been ingrained in my head for two decades and, when I learned that I could visit the actual island where the movie was filmed it became my number one priority in southern Thailand.

Tours to James Bond Island are more than plentiful in Krabi and Phuket, with fliers and signs posted on every tour office billboard and window. Every day thousands of tourists board boats for different types of tours, but around lunch time they all make way for the island. This was exactly what I did not want, as I wanted the place to myself to explore and find the actual filming locations. After looking for a while I resolved to joining the masses: until we found Sim’s Tours.

A view of the limestone crags of Phang Nga Bay

Offering a twilight cruise around Phang Nga Bay (pronounced fang-nah), Sim’s was the only company that actually arrived on the island just before sunset. The bay itself is home to dozens of large limestone crags that jut out of the water in beautiful chaotic ways. Some have small beaches, but many are just rock formations that pepper the landscape. It’s very outer-worldly and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. In reality, Sim’s tour was like a 2 for 1 special, as the crags were must-sees for us as well.

The adventure began when we arrived at the pickup point five minutes late and learned that the bus had already left. The tour agent suggested that we just go a different day, but we had run out of time in Phuket. Repeated calls to the bus resulted in more frustrations, as they did not want to wait for us. However, after some pleading they agreed, so we flagged down a motorcycle taxi and told him to step on it so we could catch up with the bus.

In true Bondian fashion we sped down the streets of Phuket, weaving in and out of traffic. Man was that bus far away! When we got to the large hill dividing Phuket island our bike began to huff and puff its way up. “Hurry up,” I thought, as the minutes ticked by. When the bike finally made it over the hump and to the meeting point, the bus was nowhere in sight. However, while dealing with being charged double what we thought we agreed to the Sim’s bus showed up and we hopped on.

Our boat for visiting Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island

Finally comfortable on the air conditioned coach bus, we listened in as our guide explained the tour to us, joking that his Thai name was too complicated and we should just call him James. As in James Bond, 007. He spoke for a while longer then put The Man With the Golden Gun on the bus’ TV to get the group ready.

Our first stop was Wat Suwannakuha, a beautiful cave temple with a reclining Buddha statue and lots of stalactites and stalagmites. From there it was onto the docks, where our covered long tail boat waited to take us into Phang Nga Bay. We sped along, staring in awe at the crags that towered above our boat and snapping away with our cameras: no photos could have prepared us.

After touring the bay, our next stop was the Muslim Gypsy village: a collection of houses on stilts that used to be a traditional town but has since become a tourist trap. It was sad to see that the entire village is now a floating market filled with stall after stall selling the same tee shirts, magnets, post cards and souvenirs…many with James Bond Island plastered across them. Still, although I did not like what I saw, I couldn’t resist the chance to get some keepsakes for myself.

Paying admission at the backside of the beach on James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay

Back on the boat again, we sped around more crags before I saw it creeping up in the distance. Finally, James Bond Island was before me. We did a loop around it before coming to dock on the back side of the beach. I was the second one off and, after paying the national park entrance fee I was off running around the place like a kid at Christmas.

The actual beach and island was extremely small…you could walk from one end to the other in less than a minute. Still, all the set locations were there: the triangular shaped entrance to Scaraamanga’s fortress, the steps Nick Nack walked down with a bottle of champaign in the teaser sequence, the area of the beach where Bond’s plane landed…and most importantly, Nail Island: the crag that the solar panel came out of in the film.

Snap. Snap snap snap. It’s all I did for most of the time on the island, though my serenity was quickly broken as two more boats arrived just after us and the place soon filled with dozens of other snapping tourists and Bond aficionados.

Me in front of the cave used for Scaramanga

Also quite different from when the movie was filmed was the row of souvenir stands that stands in the middle of the beach and blocks a direct walk from one end of the island to the other. Sadly, or happily…I can’t decided to this day…the stands were all closed. I guess a few dozen visitors are not enough to stay open when compared to the thousands they get at lunch. I would have liked to have seen all the goodies they had to offer, but am glad I was not hounded to buy things my whole time on James Bond Island.

Finally, about 30 minutes after we arrived it was time to leave. I was in no way ready: I could have stayed there soaking it all in for hours, but most other people on the boat do not share my special love for 007. So it was back to sea, passing yet more crags with the sun setting in the distance. We watched as the sky changed from blue to a mix of purple, pink, orange, navy and finally black. All with the crags framing the scene and providing a stunning backdrop.

Nail Island, off of James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay

All in all things could not have worked out better. We saw the crags and I got to go onto James Bond Island all by myself…for a few seconds at least. For anyone else who ever wanted to see the place and finds themselves in Phuket, I highly recommend Sim’s Twilight Tours. You can find information about it at any tourist office in town, the price is right and the experience unforgettable.

Some other new fun facts about The Man With the Golden Gun and Thailand that I learned from Sim…

• The Man With the Golden Gun was the first movie to be used as a promotional tool for Thailand. It was the first Western movie to show Thai boxing, floating markets, traditional Thai dance, longtail boats and the streets of Bangkok.
• A mere couple of years after the movie’s release, tourism had become the #3 industry in Thailand.
• Ever year, more than 600,000 people visit James Bond Island

For a full gallery of my trip to James Bond Island, click here to visit the flickr gallery!

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To read more stories from my trip through Southeast Asia, visit Adventures of a GoodMan

Daniel Craig in between Bond films

In a recent interview, Daniel Craig was asked if Bond 23 was going to be the final part in a trilogy involving the group Quantum. To this he replied, “No *#$&!@% way. I’m done with that story. I want to lie on a beach for the first half an hour of the next movie drinking a cocktail.” Now the final sentence was obviously a joke, but the interview has led to all news media definitively stating that Bond 23 will be completely different.

While the staff at Universal Exports is torn between this being good or bad news, the fact of the matter is that this was just a random interview with a man tired of James Bond at the moment. There is no script, nor any idea of what the plot will be. All that has been confirmed is what Daniel Craig HOPES for the next film. Granted, he does have more than a little pull, but still, the interview should be taken at face value.

For the full text of the interview, which goes on to discuss the roles of Moneypenny and Q and the return of Bond’s gadgets, check out “This One’s For All the Impatient Bond Fans Out There.”

To discuss this story and all the latest James Bond news with 007 fans from around the world, please visit the MI6 Debriefing Room

Judi Dench as M

The 73 year old Dame Judi Dench has said in an interview recently that she is not too keen to play M in the next James Bond movie, stating that she doubts her return.

According to ContactMusic, Dench has often threatened to walk away from the role but is usually convinced to do another one by Bond producer Barbara Broccoli.

According to Broccoli, “She had such a great relationship with Pierce on the screen and she has such a great relationship with Daniel. She is our anchor. She is the real Bond girl - the one that keeps it all going, and I don’t want her to leave. She keeps threatening to leave but I will not let her!”

To discuss this story and all the latest James Bond news with 007 fans from around the world, please visit the MI6 Debriefing Room

Roger Moore shows off his star on the Hollywood walk of fame

Whew, there sure has been a ton of Roger Moore related stories floating around these days; mostly because of the release of his new memoirs, My Word is My Bond. The latest from “jocular” Bond is that he does not like the new, more violent Bond.

According to an interview with Reuters, “I am happy to have done it, but I’m sad that it has turned so violent. That’s keeping up with the times, it’s what cinema-goers seem to want and it’s proved by the box-office figures,” Moore told Reuters.

Moore, recalled being appalled at the violence in A View to a Kill, “That wasn’t Bond,” he said. In his book, Moore writes of his distaste for guns, ever since he was shot in the leg by a friend with a BB gun as a teenager.

While making The Man With the Golden Gun, director Guy Hamilton wanted Bond to be tougher and had him threaten to break Maud Adams’ character’s arm to get information, he writes. “That sort of characterization didn’t sit well with me, but Guy was keen to make my Bond a little more ruthless.

“I suggested my Bond would have charmed the information out of her by bedding her first. My Bond was a lover and a giggler, but I went along with Guy,” the British actor wrote.

To discuss this story and all the latest James Bond news with 007 fans from around the world, please visit the MI6 Debriefing Room

Akon

In recent days, both Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan have thrown their support behind casting the first black Bond. These statements have come hot on the heels of Barack Obama being elected the first African American President of the United States of America. Well, now rapper Akon has tossed his hat into the ring, stating that he would love the chance to be the next Bond.

According to The Hindu, Akon is quoted as saying “my ideal Bond girl would be Nicole. I think she’d be perfect. Lewis wouldn’t mind if I borrowed her for a minute. He seems like a pretty secure guy. He’s handsome and a world champion. I don’t think he’d be worried”.

The report goes on to say, “Akon is even making plans to fund his own Bond venture if the present producers refuse to sign him. He said, “a lot of people don’t know that I’m heavily trained in martial arts. And when it comes to cars - that’s my thing. I was raised on cars. I could do acting. It would probably take me six months to a year of training to make sure I’d get the role. I could handle that role, no problem. If I don’t ever get the opportunity then I’m gonna shoot my own”

To discuss this story and all the latest James Bond news with 007 fans from around the world, please visit the MI6 Debriefing Room

Barack Obama

Last week, Daniel Craig caused a stir when he said that now that Barack Obama has been elected as the 44th President of the USA, the time was perfect for a black James Bond. Well, Pierce Brosnan has taken that statement one step further by saying that Obama himself would make a quality 007.

According to ET Online, “He’s cool enough. He’s definitely got the walk and the talk, yes,” the actor told People magazine at the second annual Jane Goodall Institute Global Leadership Awards Celebration in Washington, D.C. “But I think he’s going to make a greater president,” Brosnan said, adding, “And Mr. Daniel Craig is a great Bond of his time.”

To discuss this story and all the latest James Bond news with 007 fans from around the world, please visit the MI6 Debriefing Room

Given the recent US presidential election victory by Barack Obama, Daniel Craig has gone on record saying that he now believes the world is ready for a black James Bond.

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America

According to the Sydney Morning Herald:

“I think the role could easily be played by a black actor, because the character created by Ian Fleming in the 50s has undergone a great deal of evolution and continues to be updated.”

However, the idea might not be well received by Fleming, Craig said.

“I think he’d probably turn in his grave … [at the thought of a black Bond],” said Craig.

Craig last month suggested Senator Obama himself might make a good James Bond. At the least, he’d make a better Bond than opponent John McCain, he said.

“Obama would be the better Bond, because, if he’s true to his word, he’d be willing to quite literally look the enemy in the eye and go toe-to-toe with them,” he told American magazine, Parade.

“McCain, because of his long service and experience, would probably be a better M. There is, come to think of it, a kind of Judi Dench quality to McCain.”

To discuss this story and all the latest James Bond news with 007 fans from around the world, please visit the MI6 Debriefing Room

Forget Harry Potter…there’s now a new king of the one-day UK box office opening. On October 21, 2008, its first day of release, Quantum of Solace took £4.9 in ticket sales, beating out Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’s £4.025 million take back in 1995. These numbers also eclipsed Daniel Craig’s first James Bond movie, Casino Royale, which pulled in £2.9 million in ticket sales on its first day of business in the UK.

Source: The Press Association

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Sean Connery and Lois Maxwell as James Bond and Miss Moneypenny

While fans and critics alike agreed that change is good after the release of Casino Royale, many were still miffed by the exclusion of Miss Moneypenny and Q from the franchise’s reboot. As Quantum of Solace is a direct continuation, it really didn’t make sense to have either character in that movie either, much to the chagrin of Bond fans worldwide.

However, Daniel Craig has recently revealed that Bond 23 might feature not only the return of Miss Moneypenny, but the first actual romantic scene between her and James Bond. While Moneypenny fantasized about Bond in Die Another Day and the two shared a passionate moment in a virtual reality environment, the two have never done anything more than flirt in ‘real life.’

According to Newspost Online:
‘I think you offer it to the best actors you can. You say, Forget what’s happened. Reinvent it and tell us what you think this character should be’, the Daily Star quoted him as saying. ‘That’s where it should come from,’ he added.

‘They said Bond could never be blonde and then Daniel Craig got the part,’ a source said.

Moneypenny is being cast with a view to the next Bond movie and who knows, she could end up in bed with Bond. Whatever happens, she will feature more than ever before, the source added.

To discuss this story and all the latest James Bond news with 007 fans from around the world, please visit the MI6 Debriefing Room