My Thailand Vacation: Railay Beach

For those of you who didn't read the previous post, this was our first stop after 30 hours of traveling from San Francisco to Bangkok to Krabi. Then, after a 45-minute cab ride to Ao Nang and a 15-minute long tail boat ride, we finally made it to the remote beach known as Railay Beach West! It was a long journey, and after taking a cold shower because I too tired to figure out that there was actually hot water if I’d merely turned a switch, I passed out into the deepest sleep I’d had in months.

We woke up early, walked out of our hotel, looked around at the empty beach and thought, holy s**t. What we discovered that morning was something out of a dream – crystal clear water, a white sand beach, and lush, towering, completely dramatic limestone cliffs that looked almost unreal. 

We were giddy with anticipation and took off to explore our new surroundings. We walked for about ten minutes on a dirt path to Railay East, through some very third-world looking “neighborhoods” where locals were hanging wet clothes on clothes lines, kicking around soccer balls with their friends, and generally looking very happy despite what we wrote off as horrible conditions. 

Railay Beach East was an interesting contrast to Railay West. It didn’t have a beach, although it was right on the water. It had this muddy, clay like lagoon area rather than a beach, and there was a little strip of bars, restaurants, resorts and shops. And like all the reviews had said, it kind of smelled like sewage. Despite all that, it was only a ten minute walk to Railay West, so many backpackers choose to stay there as it’s significantly less expensive. Plus, the beach wasn’t the main attraction in Railay, despite it’s beauty. Railay is one of the top rock climbing regions in the world and attracts people from all over.

We ended up going back to Railay East a few times during our stay to check out the restaurants and bars which were much more lively than in Railey West. The rest of the time we basically did nothing, and it was fantastic. 

We did yoga on the beach (who knew I could teach?!), went running to the Phranang Cave along Phranang Bay, which is quite possibly the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen. We saw monkeys, experienced tropical thunderstorms which we saw as opportunities to watch the rain and take naps, and got dirt cheap Thai massages on the beach under a canopy of trees with the waves crashing in the background. We met some wonderful, like-minded travelers from all over the world, ate delicious Thai food for every meal, and watched gorgeous, water-color-esque sunsets that left me in awe of the simple beauty of this remote paradise. 

This was the perfect place for our first stop in Thailand because we were able to just relax! There was just enough to do, and yet not too much that we felt guilty doing nothing.

Where we stayed: Sand Sea Resort

Favorite Restaurant: The Last Bar, Railay East


Next up on our trip: Ko Phi Phi