James Bond Has A Real Island That You Can Visit

James Bond movies often take place in multiple locations, and while some were put together for the films, others are real and open to visits. While not everybody wants to be a spy, it cannot be denied that James Bond has an exciting life with some enviable perks. High-tech gadgets have become a staple of every James Bond movie, his Aston Martin is iconic, and virtually all the 007 movies see him traveling around the world. This lifestyle is so aspirational that there are businesses built on living like James Bond, even including Bond-themed travel getaway packages.

As James Bond is the most famous British spy of all time, the 007 movie franchise has often featured famous locations in the UK, like the MI6 headquarters. Other recognizable locations have been repurposed, like The Eden Project in Cornwall, which was used as the villain’s diamond mine in Die Another Day. Still, Bond does not spend much time in the UK, and while he tends to travel in luxury, the best Bond villains’ hidden lairs are often even more opulent. Dr. No might have started the tradition of hidden lairs, but Scaramanga’s is one of the most memorable.

James Bond Island Is A Real Place In Thailand You Can Visit

Scaramanga’s Island Is One Of The Best Bond Villain Lairs

Khao Phing Kan is one of a group of islands in Thailand that appear to defy gravity. Khao Phing Kan means “hills leaning against each other” in Thai, but after the islands were featured in 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun, they have collectively become known as “James Bond Island.” The Man with the Golden Gun is not one of Roger Moore’s best James Bond movies, but it was saved by Christopher Lee’s performance as the villainous assassin Scaramanga, and the island is the backdrop for one of his best scenes in The Man with the Golden Gun.

Scaramanga is thought to be based on one of Ian Fleming’s Eton classmates.

Bond and Scaramanga are set to have a gun duel, where the odds look stacked against Bond because Scaramanga has such a good aim that he charges one million dollars per shot. The two men stand back-to-back with the striking island in the background. However, when Bond turns to fire, he finds Scaramanga has disappeared into a secret passageway leading to a giant funhouse, which extends deep inside the island. Scaramanga’s private island is unlike other Bond villain lairs, full of disorienting projections, and the scenes in the funhouse put some horror movie moments in James Bond.

GoldenEye Is Also Real: You Can Visit The Home Of James Bond Creator Ian Fleming

Several Bond Movies Have Been Filmed Near Goldeneye (But Not GoldenEye)

The James Bond creator, Ian Fleming, lived on a Jamaican estate known as Goldeneye for three months out of each year. This is where he first wrote the character of James Bond in the novel Casino Royale in 1962. Fleming suffered from writer’s block, but he wrote all of his James Bond novels at Goldeneye for the next 12 years. Over time, more cabins and rooms were added to the estate, and it is now a group of luxury properties that James Bond fans can visit and stay in, though they can cost around three thousand dollars per night.

Dr. No and Live and Let Die were filmed near the Goldeneye estate, and it may surprise viewers to know that the name “GoldenEye” was used in the 1991 animated series James Bond Jr. before becoming the title of Pierce Brosnan’s first Bond movie. GoldenEye was filmed in several locations including Russia, the UK, and Puerto Rico, but none included Jamaica’s Goldeneye estate. That said, fans wanting to visit James Bond locations have many options all around the world to choose from, including Scaramanga’s island lair, London’s major landmarks, and Ian Fleming’s inspiring retreat.