Railay, located on the Andaman Coast in Krabi Provice, is home to what is a considered one of Thailand’s (if not the world’s) most beautiful beaches. The peninsula is cut off from the mainland by mountains and accessible only by sea. I got there from Krabi town and was the only passenger on the boat, probably because the weather forecast and the sky were somewhat gloomy. Yet the closer we were getting to Railay, the sunnier it was, and I could admire the stunning views with no interruptions other than a few fishing boats in the distance.
Boats from and to Krabi dock at East Railey Bay, which is covered in mangroves and slightly underwhelming, if it wasn’t for the first appearance of the limestone cliffs Railay is famous for.
I chose to follow the footpath (there are no roads here) to Phra Nang, Railay’s most picturesque beach, passing a number of caves and monkeys on the way.
Phra Nang is a paradise for both beach lovers and climbers, thanks to the karst cliffs and caves framing the beach on both ends. So if you’re looking for picture-perfect golden sand and turquoise water or excellent rock climbing routes, Railay is your spot. Obviously you won’t have it only to yourself, so expect a fair number of tourists, but I didn’t have a feeling that it was overcrowded.
The good thing is that you have no chance of ever getting hungry here, with long-boats selling everything from fruit shakes, sandwiches, kebabs (can you tell it’s a tourist destination?) and pancakes to Thai dishes (thankfully) or even grilled corn, all directly on the beach.
When it started raining a little I hid under the cliffs, but in about 20 minutes’ time the sun was out again. It did get dangerously cloudy on my way back to Krabi town, but luckily the heavy tropical rain waited until I got back to my hostel.
