Railay. A mesmerizing combination of sea, cliffs and jungle. Thailand 2024.
Hello guys. We are on Ao Nang beach in Krabi province and today we are traveling to Railay Peninsula. Railay is only accessible by sea, tickets can be purchased prim at the beach. Two-way fare for one person is 200 baht. Boats will depart when there is a minimum of 8 passengers. Travel time is about 10 minutes.
The highlight of Railay is the mountains growing out of the ground at a 90-degree angle. Railay's main beach. There are not many people here in the morning compared to after 12:00 noon. Another reason to come in the morning is the availability of natural shade, as there is much less of it later in the day. Or you can erect a shelter from the sun yourself. What you can't take away from this place is the magnificent mountain scenery.
At the end of the beach, there is a path to the neighboring Tonsai Beach, also known as Cliff Climbers Beach. The path is not difficult at all, but you will have to climb some large stones. Even if you don't have the equipment for this sport with you, you can rent it. Renting full equipment costs 1200 baht for half a day for two people.
There are several climbing spots on Railay but this one is the most popular. There's room for a relaxing vacation, too. There are only a few cafes on the beach, and most of the guests come to climb the cliffs, so loud drunken parties are rare.
Delicious boiled coffee 80 baht, which is not bad for an "island" cafe. There are only a few hotels located at Tonsai Beach. Almost all fall into the low-cost category. Except for the hotel on the front line. As a rule, a sea view always costs more. Even if rain catches up with you don't be disheartened outside of the rainy season it passes quickly.
Back to the main beach. Traditionally, a massage on the beach includes a sea view fee in its price. This beach has very strong tides we will come back here in the evening so you can appreciate it for yourself. Now our path lies to Princess Cave. We need to go from the west coast to the east coast and then down to the south beach. The beaches are connected by two passages, one of which runs between the hotels, there is nothing special about it.
Alternatively it is a busy street with bars, cafes and stores. In addition to all this, boat cab tickets to many destinations are sold here. Railay's atmosphere is reminiscent of Phi Phi Don. The only difference is that there are no noisy bars and discos. Unlike other resorts where goods are brought by sea, prices in Riley do not differ much from mainland prices. One of the interesting tours here is the "Bioluminescent - Night Tour".
The tour costs 2000 baht and runs from 18:00-20:00. Views of sheer cliffs follow you everywhere. Regarding prices at cafes and massage parlors.... Barring beach prices, a massage in the center of the island costs the same as in other resorts.
Food prices are slightly above average. Most of the real estate on Railay is three or four star hotels. And only one five-star hotel, it's a little further away. Here is the main pier where boats from other provinces arrive. Due to the high tides it is not possible to swim at this beach. At the pier you can buy a speedboat ticket to the islands or even to another province like Phuket.
There is a narrow promenade along the beach. From the pier to the end of the promenade there are hotels and just one cafe and just one store. This transportation has one single purpose. Take tourists to boats.
Rayavadee is the only five-star hotel on the island. There's also a pack of cute monkeys that come here. At the fork go right to Phra Nang Beach. You can climb up to East Railay Viewpoint along the way, it is also a passageway to the lagoon surrounded by cliffs.
The path to Viewpoint is 200m and to Laguna 400m, but the first 100m is very challenging. The path to the top is quite dangerous, especially in rainy weather. Despite this, even people of advanced age can cope with the climb. Laguna on the right, Viewpoint on the left. No more than five minutes and you're there. In case of heavy downpour it is better to limit yourself to visiting the viewpoint and not to go down to Laguna.
The path to Laguna is more difficult than the first climb. The hardest part awaits at the end, I highly recommend not doing this. The best time to come here is in the morning, as the water goes away in the afternoon. Continue on to Princess Cave. During the daytime, this is Railay most crowded beach.
And right at the exit to the beach is Princess Cave. Since ancient times, Princess Cave has been where fishermen, before going out to sea, have made offerings to the symbolic Phallus of Shiva. Fishermen believe that the cave is the home of a mythical sea princess and their offerings will bring them success in fishing and protect them from danger.
There are no sunbeds on the shoreline, except for the rest area belonging to the hotel. The lounges at and restaurant belong to the hotel with monkeys and can only be visited by hotel guests. Because of the lack of sunbeds in the shade is always located a lot of people.
This island has the name Ko Rang. To reach it is not difficult, but be vigilant under the water are rocks and coral. At this beach, the tides are not as strong as at other beaches in Railay.
Toward the afternoon, the number of people on the beach reaches its peak. Well and of course this beach is not short of rock climbing spots. If you turn left at the fork you can walk along the shore and enjoy the views of East Railay Bay.
Here as well as the previous beach there is a rock climbing spot. When the water recedes the seabed and local wildlife is revealed. We now head to the main beach of Railay.
There are a number of cafes along the main coastline. The south side of the beach has a higher tide than the north side. There are sap and kayak rentals, among other activities. The part of the beach that suffers less from low tides starts from the boat parking lot. But there are also a lot more vacationers on this side.
Another place that is easy to get to is Diamond Cave. It gets a little weird when you realize how big the stalactites are. There is a flock of bats living here, unfortunately you can't see them at all so here is a photo. To go back to the mainland you just need to find a boat captain in the uniform of the company where you bought the ticket.
2024-01-06 02:06
