Railey Beach: A not-so-hidden gem in Southern Thailand.
Located in Krabi in the southern part of Thailand. Railey is a relatively well-known beach destination. Although technically not an island it is separated from the mainland by massive karst formations - therefore there are no roads and you have to take a boat.
This is actually a very easy process from the popular beach town of Ao Nang. If you go to either end of the beach there are booths that are clearly marked for tickets to Railey.
there is no haggling, prices are fixed and posted
The kind of annoying part is that they will not depart until there are at least 8 people and you could end up waiting here for a while. Fortunately for me, I only had to wait 15 minutes or so before we headed down to the beach for our longtail boat.
side note: I love street art but hate vandalism - if you are going to tag a public space have the decency to be somewhat talented first
The journey doesn't take long: On a flat day you can get there in 10 minutes, slightly more if there are waves. Today there were no waves so we got there in record time.
it's not an island but land travel is not possible because of these rocky bois
You arrive at Railey west, which is the beach with the largest usuable sand area. It wasn't too bad today but one problem this area faces is that much of the beach is occupied by boat parking, which can be really annoying in the busy season.
There are a few restaurants here and they are decent but nothing special and one thing you need to be prepared for is that everything in Railey tends to be about 30% more expensive than in other places. They claim this is because it is difficult to get stuff here and i have seen them moving their goods in from boats. It is difficult - they are not lying.
there are several sandy little streets with cute little shops, cafes, bars and restaurants
The main attraction of this area is Phra Nang Cave Beach. Years ago National Geographic ranked it as the number 7 most beautiful beach in the world and my crappy photos from my phone probably wont do it justice.
i tried, it wasn't the sunniest day yesterday
someone else took this photo on a different day
The beach doesn't look too bad in these pictures but one thing you need to note about Railey is that it can get terribly crowded in peak season. Therefore, if you get vacation time in a wierd time of year like say May to October, then the beaches can be relatively empty - there is a higher chance of rain during this time of year but it really isn't as bad as the guide books / movies would have us believe.
Railey also tends to be quite expensive as far as accommodation is concerned. A $50 room costs $200 here and budget accommodation (for less than $20) doesn't really exist. Since it only takes 10 minutes and 100 Baht to get here, i think it is smarter to just stay in Krabi town or Ao Nang. There are loads of budget accommodation in those places.
I had previously wrote an article about how I didn't think the beaches near my house in Ao Nang were anything special. Railey is different and is definitely worth visiting. As i was sitting on the beach having a sundown beer i realized that since I DO only live 10 minutes from here... it is absolutely ridiculous that i don't come here more often.
Well, i hope you found it informative and or intersting. As always, thanks for reading.
Let me start from where you ended it... Lol, this might look like a recap of some of the articles I have read from your blog, but trust me, I will link everything together.... Smile
The very first article I read from your blog is about the beach near your house where you genuinely make some points on why it does not meet-up with the hype hanged round it neck... I'm glad you can spot one that suit your taste and indeed it's a very beautiful one.
For this beach to be ranked 7th most beautiful beach in the world has a lot to say about it beauty and the management practices. Though your phone camera might not make it appear as such probably due to the whether condition as at the time you are taking the pictures like you mentioned in the article or your positioning while taking them. But, I can still see the beauty, if it can be this beautiful without editing, then it is beautiful indeed, unlike the edited picture the beach close to your house used to advise themselves on their site... Lol
I can reason with why food are 30% expensive and the price of getting accommodation too, to move the food to the beach won't be easy indeed and again, for this beach to be ranked that high in the world, they need lots of money to keep maintaining their standard, so no argument about the price of either food or accommodation... Lol
You always look for alternatives for expensive items (smile), and here you go again, I'm from Nigeria, I already know almost all the restaurants where I can get food so cheap in Thailand from reading your blog alone... Lol .
Now you are given another suggestion on how to reduce the expenses and still have the same level of experience with those that are able to get accommodation, this is indeed beautiful, and you just save more than 50% expenses with this beautiful idea...smile
On the final note, vandalism should not be encouraged for whatever reason, it takes someone insane to destroy people or public properties. Say no to vandalism...
Thanks for this update sir, I'm glad you finally find your beach..... Smile
Mann!! Day in, day out I keep falling in love with Thailand. If It weren't for some of these insightful expository articles about Thailand, I never would have thought such beautiful scenery exist in the noble country. Beaches almost everywhere charge extra the normal amount for food. I once visited a popular beach in my country, and they charged more than 100% percent the original price of food. Yet you have no other choice than to buy them 'cause you're far away from the local market. Railey may be no different, but it is very spectacular to behold. I will visit there if I ever come to Thailand.
Wow but what beauty, it reminds me of my people in Venezuela there is a place called mochima, which is the second most beautiful place in the country, it seems very similar to this, because of its crystal clear waters, without a doubt the world is made of fascinating places
lovely! Maybe i need to visit Venezuela.
Wow friends you fall in love and not only of their landscapes, from snow, desert, jungle and beaches but of their women, but you should not do it at this time for your situation
beautyful place
Thank you @gooddream for sharing this.
This place looks like a rock climber’s paradise. I’ll love to be there someday.
I think the whole vibe of Railay may leave one scratching their head and wondering whether they are actually in the Caribbean. I’ll rather walk on foot though. I maybe scared to go on a boat.
It is a cool place and even more because it is budget-friendly.
oh yeah. I should have mentioned that. It is considered one of the top rock climbing destinations in the world also :)
Oh. I thought as much. So many rocks around the beach. 😎
if friend is right $ 200 for a room is a lot of money, it is better to stay in krabi.
I did not know that Phra Nang Cave Beach. It is among the 7 best beaches in the world very good information.
and do not get mad at the camera on your phone that takes the images very well, the images look perfect.
Hello @gooddream, I have heard about Railey. It is well known beach and my brother went there 2 years back. The last picture you shared is so beautiful I just loved it. And Thailand is something that is so beautiful and culture so different makes the visitors awestruck.
Well looks like you are a traveller too. Well I also like traveling and Thailand is on my list after is visit Goa.
Will share my pics and will make you a post when I visit there.
Surprised This location is very much my friend
I also travel in a beautiful place that I want
Have a nice time @gooddream
Wow that’s a huge land kast. The sight of it is magnificent especially in the close in pictures. I like street at myself but I don’t have an idea of what the one in the picture at the edge of the rival is saying . This is a nice place to visit I must say
You see this happens everytime in my country, one could be at the bus stop for hours the bus aren’t going anywhere until the expected amount of passengers. Very annoying.
Nice place you visited there , I’ve got a lot of exploration to do
its a wonderful place for vacation as seeing from nature I think no one can ignore to visit this place after seeing from your photos here, all though most of the people talk about Krabi island when a name comes to Thailand. I am from India and most of the people prefer Thailand for short vacation and it's a best place because of beaches and natural beauty.