We island hopped through Southern Thailand, but our favorite stretch of sun and sand was landlocked Railay Beach, located on a dramatically gorgeous peninsula cut off from the rest of the mainland by soaring limestone cliffs.
Getting our feet wet
The only way to reach remote Railay is by water. Further out to sea, we transferred from a high-speed ferry to a wooden long tail boat that brought us as close to shore as possible. We clambered out of the boat, hoisted our backpacks, and waded onto the beach.
A beach with more to see than sea and sunbathers
Of the four beaches here, Railay East and West are connected by only two paths and the most easily reached. To get to Tonsai, we scrambled over boulders along a rocky, forested trail. But none of those beaches topped Phra Nang, which has the essential ingredients–soft white sand, clear-blue water–plus sandstone karst formations standing off shore and a cave dedicated to a princess goddess.
Monkey madness
Our first and best monkey sightings in Southeast Asia took place at Railay. We didn’t even have to seek out the energetic and entertaining primates. They routinely turned up while we were strolling around.
Good eats
At times civilization seemed a world away from this “castaway” place–only with great food, including freshly caught fish at Wan-a-Rouy and Indian cuisine at Kohinoor, both of which are located on the main path that connects Railay’s east and west sides.
Good drinks
Sundowners are no exaggeration at Railay. End-of-the-day cocktails come with…
Some of the most stunning sunsets we’ve seen anywhere
