Emerald Lagoon sits within Ao Phang Nga National Park, where dramatic limestone karsts rise from turquoise waters to create a living postcard of southern Thailand. Ko Tapu, the slender rock pillar that dominates the lagoon, has become an iconic symbol of the area and a magnet for photographers and hikers alike. The site shot to international fame after it was used as Scaramanga’s hideout in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), anchoring its legend in cinema history. Today, visitors arrive by long-tail or speedboat, drawn by the surreal light, the emerald water, and the sense that nature and cinema history share the same horizon.

Ko Tapu, the towering limestone pillar that gives James Bond Island its name, rises dramatically from the emerald waters of Phang Nga Bay, part of Ao Phang Nga National Park in southern Thailand. This iconic karst landscape became globally famous as the hideout of the villain Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun, a scene that fused cinematic myth with the natural grandeur of the bay. The sea around the rock is a canvas of turquoise and jade, framed by other limestone islets and mangrove coves that shimmer in daylight. Today, visitors arrive by boat on day trips from Phuket or Krabi, drawn by the combination of film lore, rugged beauty, and the sense of stepping into a blockbuster moment.

Rising from the emerald waters of Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island—better known as Ko Tapu—has captivated visitors for decades as much for its cinematic fame as for its stark limestone beauty. Part of Ao Phang Nga National Park, the needle-like spire stands as a sentinel among a landscape of towering karsts and secret grottoes where sea caves invite explorations by long-tail boat. The site gained worldwide renown after appearing as Scaramanga’s hideout in The Man with the Golden Gun, turning the island into a pilgrimage for film buffs and nature lovers alike. Even as boats arrive in droves, the atmosphere remains rugged and cinematic, a place where wind and water carve silence around the jagged rocks and turquoise water.