地球的美麗密碼

Much of the drive from Phuket International Airport to the island’s downtown takes you through typical small towns， similar to ones in south China. With their small homely restaurants and inns and tall palm trees， everything seems so quiet and， well ... ordinary.

But once we start to head toward the coast， something stunning appears on the horizon： the peaceful-looking， dark green Indian Ocean.

Nestled in the tropical zone off the west coast of southern Thailand in the Andaman Sea， Phuket， at around 543 square kilometers， is the country’s largest island. Often known as the“Pearl of the Andaman，” it is one of the most popular get-away beach destinations in Asia.

Phuket people are proud of their three S’s： sand， sea and sunshine. Taking a walk along the beach， breathing the fresh air and feeling the soft sand between your toes will quickly take you away from day-to-day routines and pressures and let you embrace nature.

While it is sea and sand that attracts many thousands of tourists from around the world each year， what also makes Phuket special is its mountainous landscape. As its name indicates - derived from the word “bukit”， which means “hill” in Malay - around 70 percent of Phuket is covered in hills and small mountains， with numerous rocky outcrops and islets in the sea around it.

As you arrive by air， you can watch these emerging from the ocean， like chess pieces on a large， dark green chess board.

Rocky peninsulas， limestone cliffs， white clean beaches and tropical forests are the signature of Phuket. And if you want to see all these at one time， Phang Nga Bay is a good choice. A day-trip is enough to experience the unique beauty of this area.

Speed boats at numerous locations will take you there； our morning trip to Phang Nga Bay takes about an hour of bumping along the waves. Shortly after you set out， the limestone peaks begin to appear in front of you. They come in different shapes： some point up to the sky； others resemble animals - monkeys， tigers and sheep， depending on your imagination. The combination of water and the cliffs has led to Phang Nga Bay being given another name： Small Guilin.

Of course it’s different from Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China， where the Li River cuts into numerous mountains close to each other. Here， the peaks are more widely spaced in the ocean. But no matter which direction you look in， there is always a green hill in front of you.

You can easily spend an hour or two just taking a leisurely trip cruising around and trying to distinguish one cliff from the other. But don’t miss the hottest landmark - James Bond Island， which is most certainly licensed to thrill.

It found fame after featuring in the 1974 James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun.” The island is called Koh Tapu， but everyone knows the area by its secret agent name. Nowadays， tourists come there to take pictures of its famous James Bond rock.

Close by is Koh Ping Ghan， another natural wonder， this time in the shape of a high leaning rock with small caves inside.

If you want to explore the area up close， a canoe is a good choice. There are numerous boats bobbing around offering canoes with a crewman for hire.

Just get off the speedboat and hop onto a canoe， letting the paddler take you to the quietest spaces hidden behind the limestone cliffs. In some area， you can get so close to the rocks that you can touch the moss on them. Entering the low and dark caves is the most interesting part. Be sure to duck really low to avoid getting a whack on the head from low-hanging rocks.

Traveling by canoe is an interesting experience. Just lie on your back， look up to the clear sky and feel the ocean’s swell below you.

The sensation is so relaxing that you might be tempted to take a quick nap.

After the cruise in Phang Nga Bay， stop at Koh Panyee for a quick lunch and a look at the unique lifestyle of the Muslim villagers there.

Koh Panyee is a small island mostly composed of monumental limestone cliffs.

The scarcity of suitable land for building has seen hundreds of shacks， restaurants and houses built on stilts in the surrounding shallow sea. No one seems quite sure how many wooden and concrete piles hold up this extraordinary community.

A salty breeze pervades， and having lunch in a restaurant there you can see the ocean through gaps between the floorboards. Restaurants are run by local residents and the food has a welcoming， home-made style.

After cruising around the ocean， you will still have time to go back to the beach and enjoy a fine dinner while you watch the sunset.

關鍵詞

limestone cliffs 石灰?guī)r山

Phang Nga Bay 攀牙灣，普吉島最富有詩情的地方

James Bond Island 詹姆斯·邦德島

Koh Panyee 班宜島

Muslim village 回教村落

JW Marriott Phuket Resortspa 普吉島JW萬豪度假酒店