Beautiful beaches, a warm winter climate and isolated islands are the core attractions that lure a few million tourists from colder climates each year. These are exactly the kind of attractions that those on boats are much better positioned to seek out and enjoy. First among the boating attractions of the Andaman is Phang Nga Bay, famed for the stunning sea-mountains that rise vertically out of calm, turquoise waters. This bay offers year round shelter, and even during the heavy months of the monsoon a yacht can find calm waters, tranquility and dramatic beauty here. When the clear skies of the northeast season arrive in November or December the bay can offer both a fabulously beautiful playground and great day sailing.
Safe anchorages are numerous in the bay, as our sailing guide shows.
In fact we have not listed all of the good anchorages here, leaving some for the more experienced and adventurous yachtsmen to discover alone. When exploring the bay, a dinghy, or preferably a sea canoe, is needed to get into many of the quaint little coves and bays. Up the many mangrove channels that feed into the north and east of the Bay one can find small, traditional fishing villages, some of them on stilts out over the water. The locals are invariably good-humoured and friendly. Fishermen will often approach anchored yachts to sell prawns or crabs.