James Bond Island from Krabi or Ko Phi Phi

Neither. Go from Phuket.

Do a Phi Phi Island tour. Phi Phi is a horribly dissapointing overcrowded hell hole. The waters around it are worth a look. Get out of Phi Phi and do a day tour.

Yeah, I do want to see the James Bond Island, but I suppose it's a bit of a tourist trap. I may be in Phuket later in the year, so I'll save it until then.

Sounds like you've had bad luck in Phi Phi. We're staying at a family place that's suppose to be far from the maddening crowd, if there is such a place. Either way, we'll take the island tour.

Thanks for the advice.

Three years ago I took a day trip from Krabi which included Phi Phi, James Bond Island (poured rain) and three or four other places. Quite a reasonable trip - the time spent on JB Island was adequate - it was small and there as a limit to the number of photos you can take (especially in the rain).

Went back to Phi Phi for an overnight last year - that was OK too. Either overnight or 3-4 days to get more atmosphere.

I would look for a tour in Krabi similar to mine but ask if you can stay the night and get picked up the next day - they are pretty flexible.

Paul

3 days! Don't bother. It's just a rock, as in the movie, completely over run with tatty trinket shacks and tourist boats.

It's not as though there's a door leading to a secret base and a laser.

I found the visit to the village on stilts over the sea more interesting.

Unless you go via expensive speedboat to JBI etc. it's not very practical from Phi Phi (over 40 nautical miles, 70km each way). Makes more sense to go from Krabi or Ao Nang by road until near Ao Leuk pier and longtail boat from there. Best if you allow time to include a visit to Ko Panyi (picturesque Muslim fishing village clinging to vertical cliffs) and some kayaking around the lagoons and caves, as well as JBI. Scenic but very touristy.

I have done the drive to Tha Dan from Krabi Town and going to Khao Phing Kan (JBI) by longtail boat arranged at the pier. That is a full day by motorbike, sunup to sundown. You stop for drinks, photos, snacks, waiting for downpouring raincoluds to pass (10 or 20 minutes). You are lucky to get back before sunset when the truck-trains start taking over the highways. Anyway, it is possible, and enjoyable with travel in daylight hours. I have to recommend it, but give yourself plenty of time starting early in the morning. With arrival at 1:25PM (at Krabi airport?) I don't think it is possible to get to your hotel, rent a vehicle, and drive there for the last freelance longtail let alone get back at a safe and reasonable hour.

I have done a tour from Phuket also, with Sim's tour. The A/C on the bus was less than minimal; but it was a good tour overall. Anyway Khao Phing Kan is nothing to shout about. With the freelance longtail boat I wouldn't even want to set foot on the island as it comes with a 200 baht price tag for the park fee. It is better to just go around and snap some photos from the boat. By tour, the fee is mandatory and included, and with or without fee there is no less expensive way than Sim's tour from Patong. So you may as well get off the boat.

Well it isn't Khao Phing Kan you should be interested in. It is the whole of the marine park there. That is beautiful with all the limestone outcroppings. It gives such a feeling of a foreign place; or at least it did for me before I was living in Southeast Asia. But you have to go by longtail boat. With those big tour boats and sea kayaks, I doubt you could get anything close to the same experience. Well you are from Malaysia so the whole experience isn't that different than an island hopping tour in Langkawi, except for the James Bond thingy, a famous natural landmark, but not such a big deal.

And Phi Phi smells like the name. Lots of raw sewage like in Loh Dalam Bay a real pee pee festival there every night as toilets are insufficient for the masses. And there are lots of rude farangs and locals in the village. That stinks too.

As some of the others have mentioned you really should do a full tour of Phang Nga Bay which typically includes a stop at the fishing village as well as some of the other islands with hongs, outcroppings, etc. JBI is only one small part of those tours and while interesting to see I would say that some of the other points of interest are equal or more impressive. Take the full day and see as much as you can - you will not regret it.

As Captain Bob pointed out there are no tours running from Phi Phi so from there you can only go by speedboat but that will be expensive.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I may have a staff trip to Phuket latter in the year, so I'll save JBI for that. Instead we'll see what Phi Phi has to offer.

BTW - a friend of mine going on the trip has been to PP twice before and he really likes it. He's seen some of the most beautiful beaches in the world so he has pretty good taste. If I don't like it, it's only three nights and plenty of other things to see in SEA...

He's seen some of the most beautiful beaches in the world
Yes, Phi Phi certainly has a beautiful beach. It's the multitude of speedboats, longtails and the crappy village that ruin the Island.

Possibly he was talking about the East coast beaches, far away from the collection of hovels that blight the main settlement.
Still, as said it's only 3 days, or a ferry ride to Railay. OTY.