| | Mar 7, 2006 - West Railay, Krabi Thailand -- Beach Bumming | (click to enlarge)
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 | | show all 16 | | Our bungalow at Sand Sea Resort, West Railay - Krabi | | Gardens and path to the beach, Sand Sea Resort | | East Railay Beach and mangroves | | |
| Railay, Krabi Thailand - Beach Bumming
From Ko Phi Phi, we piled into an old ferry with a few hundred other tourists and the odd local to make our way to Krabi. From the pier, we took an open-air taxi, or songathew as they are called in Thailand, to Aonang where we picked up a traditional long tail boat to transfer us to Railay.
Railay is a beach resort destination busy with tourists, yet still emitting a quiet and relaxed feeling. There are no roads leading to Railay and it is accessible only by water and therefore no loud horns, motorbikes, buses or cars that seem to be constantly tooting around ever corner of Thailand's hectic streets. Instead, there are a few beaches connected by walking paths and for transportation other than your own two feet you can choose hiring a kayak or a long tail boat. Regardless of where you go, or how you get there, you are sure to be amidst beautiful Thailand scenery - soaring rocky cliffs, emerald green waters, golden sand beaches and a backdrop of towering, craggy, limestone islands sitting out in the Andaman sea.
We spent three days here relaxing by the resort pool or on the beaches and watching the avid rock climbers who come for months at a time dangle from dizzying heights with adrenaline pumping through their body. With nothing to do but enjoy the beach, it was a great opportunity to catch up on some reading and work on the website. However, before we knew it our three days were over and we were making our way by a noisy long-tail boat back to Aonang to catch a bus to Surat Thani and then an overnight train back to the chaos of Bangkok.
Travel Tips for Railay
1. Railay does not have any road access and is situated on a point of land with several different beach areas you can choose to stay:
a. Railay Beach - the nicest and most popular of all the beaches but there is only one high-end resort on the whole beach so be prepared to pay the price if you would like to stay right on this beach. It is very popular with honeymooners and couples.
b. West Railay - also a nice beach and just a short walk from Railay beach is nicely developed with 3 or 4 resorts all set amongst the trees along the beach offering bungalow style accommodations for travellers at a more moderate price
c. East Railay - does not offer a nice beach but a mangrove covered shoreline and is still an easy walk to either of the above beaches and offers more budget accommodation for those looking for somewhere cheaper to stay
d. Ton Sai Bay - this is the final area on the peninsula, which is filled with very low-end cheap accommodations for those with very little money and just looking to hang out. It is a long walk at low tide or a short long-tail boat ride to the beaches and is most popular with the rock climbing crowd who tend to stay for extended periods of time in the area
2. The Railay area is another great place to do day trips to the outer islands and if you were not planning on visiting Ko Phi Phi and Phi Phi Lae, this would be a good place book a day trip to these islands.
3. The area is great for kayaking where you can readily rent yourself a boat and set off to explore the interesting rocky coastline and outcrops with nothing but the sounds of your paddle dipping into the salty sea.
4. Don't come to the area looking for clubs or discos. Night time entertainment would involve sitting on the beach by candle light having a drink with friends after dinner and retiring early to get a fresh start on the beach the next day.
5. When catching your long-tail boats to and from the area have patience. They will not leave until they have around 6 or 8 people to make the trip worth their while so you may have to sit around for a while until more people are ready to go. If you meet people ahead of time on a bus, train or ferry coming into the area go together to the boats and you will be on your way that much faster.
www.carlhenderson.ca
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