Railay Beach Krabi in Thailand is a popular resort, famous for its huge rocks, stunning caves and clear sea depths. Tourists love it not only for its natural beauty, but also for a certain distance from civilization, which allows you to fully enjoy the local spirit.
General information
Railay Beach is a small picturesque peninsula located on the coast of the Andaman Sea in Krabi province. Being one of the most visited beach resorts in Thailand, it annually receives hundreds of tourists from all over the world. And while most of them only go to Railay for one day, there are some who stay here for a long time. They were the luckiest of all, because in the absence of people, you can safely walk under the moon and watch the sunrise.
The main uniqueness of this peninsula is that it is cut off from Thailand by impenetrable jungles, high mountains and vast expanses of water. Getting here by land is almost impossible, but it’s even more interesting this way. Railay Beach does not have huge markets or supermarkets, but the main infrastructure is fully present. There are several travel agencies, cafes, restaurants, massage parlors, hotels, etc. There are not so many of the latter, so the rooms are sorted very quickly.
Prices for street food are higher than in the nearest resort of Ao Nang, Krabi town or other cities in Thailand, so eat better in the hotel where you have booked a room. If you have chosen accommodation without food, use one of three options::
- Hotel restaurants;
- Night bars located in East Raleigh;
- A pedestrian street that stretches in the western part of the peninsula.
Traditional Thai food, drinks and fruits can be enjoyed in the so-called makashnits, snack bars on wheels. This will be more expensive than buying the same products on the mainland, but cheaper than in cafes or local restaurants. The easiest way to get around the resort is on foot. Long-tailed boats provide communication between the beaches, but it is not necessary to wait for them, because the distances between the main recreation areas are small.
How to get there?
The Railay Peninsula in Krabi province in Thailand is best reached by longtail boats “longtails”. They are sent from multiple locations:
- Ao Nang Pier is located right in the center, on the beach where the main street abuts. The ticket price is 100 THB one-way from morning to 6 pm, after 18: 00-150 baht. The journey takes from 10 to 15 minutes, goes to East Railay. The traffic schedule is from 8 am to midnight.
- Nopparat Thara Pier is located in the southern part, and a one-way boat trip costs 100 THB;
- Krabi Town (Ao nammao Pier) – the road will cost 100 THB, the final stop is East Railay;
- Ao Nam Mao Village and Beach-ticket price is 100 THB, arrives at East Railay;
- Phuket-you will have to pay at least 700 THB for a fast boat trip, and the boat will go to West Railay.
Important! If you buy tickets in two directions at once, you will have to go back on the boat of the same company, which may create some inconvenience. It is better to buy a return ticket at Railay Beach itself after you have seen everything planned and rested.
Despite the short distances, the trip to the peninsula can be very long. This delay may be caused by insufficient number of passengers (less than 8 people). To avoid wasting time waiting, use one of 2 life hacks: pay for free seats yourself or divide the remaining amount among all travelers.
And one more nuance! During low tides, longtails cannot dock directly to the shore – the low water level does not allow them to do so. Be prepared for the fact that at certain times you will have to get your feet a little wet. However, Railwaymen came up with an original solution to this problem – a special platform drives into the water, which delivers passengers to land.
Beaches
Railay Beach in Thailand has several beaches. Let’s look at each of them.
Railay West
Railay West, surrounded by beautiful sheer cliffs and lush vegetation, is a favorite spot for beachgoers. In addition, the most expensive hotels on the peninsula are located here, with restaurants facing directly to the sea.
The sand on West Railay is fine, powdery, very pleasant to the touch. If you add here a small depth, warm clear water and infrequent ebbs, you can get ideal conditions for a family holiday.
The length of the coastline is about 600 m. The beach is quite wide and literally dotted with sloping trees. However, they do not save from the scorching sun rays-the shade along the beach lasts only until lunch. The rest of the time, there’s just nowhere to hide. The approach to the sea is smooth, the right part of the coast is deeper than the left.
The beach is well lived in. In addition to comfortable hotels, there are several shops, decent cafes, souvenir shops and bars of different price categories. Kayak and scuba equipment rental offices are located in the center of the bay in the Walking Street area. Showers, umbrellas, sun beds and other elements of the beach infrastructure are intended only for hotel guests. You can’t rent them, so it’s best to bring everything you need with you.
Available activities include diving, cycling tours, beach sports, horse riding, rock climbing, cable car rides, and snorkeling. The main disadvantages of Railay West are the huge number of vacationers and the constant noise made by boat engines.
Railay East
East Railay Beach in Thailand is significantly inferior in terms of comfort, beauty and other important points. This place is not designed for a full-fledged beach holiday – the shallow, not very clear sea, muddy bottom, dark brown sand, very similar to pebbles, dense thickets of mango trees that literally protrude from the water at high tide, and a terrible quagmire that remains after. It mainly serves as a pier for tourists sailing from neighboring villages and unloading cargo boats.
At the same time, it is here that the bulk of hotels and bungalows, cafes and bars, restaurants and nightclubs, souvenir shops and other entertainment venues (including the Muay Thai school) are located. The most famous of them, Tew Lay Bar, is a secluded place where chairs and tables are replaced with sun beds, poufs and hammocks. In addition to the unusual interior, the restaurant is famous for delicious cocktails and incredibly beautiful sea views.
A concrete embankment runs along the entire coastline of Railay East. A little further on, the trail leads to Tonsai Bay and Diamond Cave. Fans of active recreation will enjoy climbing and risky mountaineering. A half-day training course for beginners costs about 1200 TNV. A one-day program, which includes trekking through caves and visiting the best rocks of Krabi, will cost 2300 TNW.
A tip! If you want to get a high-class holiday at an affordable price, settle on Railay East, but go to Railay West for sunbathing and swimming-it’s 8-10 minutes.
Ton Sai Beach
Ton Sai Beach, located at the base of the peninsula and separated from Railay West by a picturesque 200 m cliff. It can be called the most youth beach of Raili Krabi. The main feature of this secluded place is the abundance of budget bamboo huts (guesthouses) available to ordinary tourists, but their quality also corresponds to them-to put it bluntly, the houses are “killed”. True, there are several expensive and modern hotels on Ton Sai Beach.
With attractions and entertainment here is a bit tight. Leisure activities available include visiting coffee shops, rock climbing (with or without an instructor), and performing tricks on the slackline.
As for the sandy coastline, it, however, like the sea, is completely littered with stones, which can cause not only inconvenience, but also injuries. Be careful, especially in the water. Also, every lunar month there is shallow water-it lasts 10 days. Tonsai Beach can be reached by boat or on foot. There are 2 overland trails for this purpose. One of them passes through a difficult, but quite surmountable barrier of stones. The second one goes around the rocky area, but is several times longer.
Phra Nang Cave Beach
Pranang Cave Beach, considered the most beautiful Railay beach in Thailand, is located in the southwestern part of Krabi. World fame will be brought to it by wonderful panoramas and monumental rocks hanging directly over the water’s edge. The most famous of these is the 150-m Thaiwand Wall, which runs between Railay West and Phranang Beach.
Phra Nang is a mountain climber’s paradise. By renting special equipment, you will be able to go to conquer the peaks both independently and with a professional instructor. There is also a coral reef, which is perfect for snorkeling, and a kayak rental service. For those who prefer a more relaxing holiday, you can expect white sand, turquoise water and a sandbar formed at low tide. You can wade through it to reach the rocky islands.
There is also a curious Princess Cave on Phra Nang Beach, dedicated to the goddess Mae Nang. It is visited not only by tourists, but also by locals who bring phalluses of various sizes, shapes, shades and textures as gifts. Of course, it will be difficult for an uninitiated person to keep from laughing, but you will have to try – the grotto is called sacred. It is believed that these offerings will help childless couples to conceive a child faster.
As for the beach infrastructure, it is not very developed, but there is a place to eat. There are two nice cafes and restaurants, one of which is available only for guests of the hotel on the beach of Reilly-Languor Villa.
The toilet is paid, located near the entrance to the beach. Due to the large influx of tourists, you can safely swim here only in the early morning or after sunset.
Phranag Nai Cave (Dimond Cave)
The Reilly Peninsula in Krabi has a large number of different underground passages and grottoes. Among the most popular are the Diamond Cave or Dimond Cave, located in the northern part of the Eastern Beach. Its length is 185 m, the height of the arches reaches 25 m.
Inside there is electricity and decking with railings and safety fences. The place is really very beautiful – inside it is decorated with bizarre projections and colorful stalactites, reminiscent of shots from the movie “Avatar”. The picture is complemented by numerous colonies of bats, accustomed to frequent visitors.
The price of an adult ticket for admission to Dimond Cave is 200 baht in high season, and 100 — in low season, children-2 times cheaper.
Obsevation decks
Want to see Thailand’s Reilly Peninsula from a bird’s eye view? 2 viewing platforms will help you with this task. The first one is located between Railay West and Phranang Cave Beach. The second is between Phranang Cave Beach and Railay East. The view from both is simply chic, and the climb is not particularly problematic. True, you will have to sweat, because the path to the sites goes strictly up, and the red clay under your feet can stain both shoes and clothes. But, believe me, your efforts will pay off in full, because the observation decks offer a wonderful panorama of 3 beaches and the territory of an expensive five-star hotel.
No less noteworthy is the reverse descent, which requires good physical training and a certain skill. Knowledgeable people say that when visiting viewing platforms, you only need to have a minimum of things with you – a backpack with water and a regular “soap dish”. The rest will get in the way. There are other viewing points on the peninsula, but they are accessible only to experienced climbers. The average height of these rocks is about 200 m. Most of them are plotted on special maps.
Railay Beach Krabi in Thailand is a great place to take a break from the noisy resorts and be alone with nature.
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