Railay – A Travel Guide

I first heard about Railay when I was sent an invitation to my brother’s wedding. Apparently, Railay was spectacular, had no cars and could only be reached by boat. “Great! An island wedding”, I thought. However, although Railay feels like an island get-away, it is in fact connected to the mainland. It is cut off from Krabi and Ao Nang by thick jungle and mountains of jagged limestone. The limestone cliffs are a rock climbing mecca, the scenery is outstanding, and life certainly travels at slower “island-like” pace. Apart from the odd motorbike, golf cart or tractor, there is little traffic to concern yourself with.

Below, we have compiled all you need to know to enjoy your time at Railay, including how to get there, activities and things to do, accommodation, food and more. Get ready for spectacular scenery, outdoor adventure, lazy days, and chilled-out evenings!

Currency – Thai Baht (THB) written here as ฿

There is only one way to get to Railay, and that is by boat. You do, however, have several options including private boat, ferry and long-tail boat. If you are sailing your own yacht, or have chartered a yacht, you will be able to navigate to Railay and anchor in one of three anchorages. See below for information for cruising sailors.

There are speedboats and ferries available from Phuket, Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi Don with prices ranging between ฿400 and ฿1000. You can also get to Railay from destinations such as Koh Samui and Surat Thani Town and many more. Click here for more information about these options.

Getting to Railay from Krabi is easy. The simplest way is to book your ticket at a local tour agent. You should be able to find an agent easily enough, either through your accommodation or, in the Riverside area where there is the highest concentration of hotels and tourist facilities. It should cost ฿250 one way, and that price should include a minivan pick-up from your hotel.

To get to Railay from Ao Nang, you will need a long-tail boat. You can purchase tickets at the ticket booth at the corner of the main street and road along the beach. Long-tails usually depart between 08:00 and 17:00. The cost of a ticket is ฿100 one way, and the trip takes about 15 minutes. Check out this link to understand more about getting to Railay by long-tail boat.

Click here for another good reference for how to get to Railay.

In the three years that we have been sailing Thailand, we have visited Railay about seven times. It is one of the places we like to take our visiting friends. It’s an excellent spot for cruisers, although not suitable for re-fuelling or re-provisioning. However, there are mini-marts where you can get many of the primary, non-perishable goods, as well as bars, restaurants, massage parlours and beautiful beaches to hang out on. It is also a great place to get your kayaks or SUPs in the water and explore.

Anchorage – Unlike the slow pace on Railay itself, the nearby waters are teeming with boat traffic.  During the daylight hours many long-tail boats and fast-boats speed in and out of the beaches making the anchorages very bumpy and noisy.

Facilities –  mini-marts, ATM, pharmacy, medical centre, massage, restaurants, bars, cafes, juice bars, tours agents, accommodation and laundry.

Things to do –  rock climbing, swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding, walking, hiking, eating, drinking, caves to explore, monkeys, four beaches. Great place to use your kayaks or SUPs.

Tips – lock your boat when you are away from it. We know of a situation recently where several yachts were broken into when the sailors were on shore for dinner. They believe that earlier in the day, as they discussed their dinner plans, they were overheard. Thus giving the thieves a clear timeline to work with.

West Railay Beach is the main beach at Railay. It is a great place to watch the sunset. This popular area can be busy with long-tail boats and fast-boats bringing guests as well as many day-trippers. There is a cordoned off swim area, and this beach is nice for a swim, particularly at higher tide. Kayak and SUP rental are available on West Railay Beach. A few resorts have frontage on this beach, and you will find a few restaurants, cafes and bars here and many more on the nearby walking street which snakes through from West Railay Beach to East Railay Beach. 

Phra Nang Beach is my favourite beach at Railay as the water is usually clear and refreshing. It is popular with swimmers, rock climbers and sight-seeing day-trippers, and can get very busy during high season. However, we have always been able to secure ourselves a patch of shade under a tree and enjoy the water without hassle. It is also the location of Princess Cave, a shrine to the phallus. There is a couple of upmarket resort restaurants at the Southern end of the beach and street food, or in this case, boat food served towards the northern end of the beach in long-tail boats. The boats serve a variety of Thai foods as well as burgers, kababs, sandwiches and fruit juices. We enjoyed eating the papaya salad, larb, pad Thai and corn cobs for lunch.

East Railay Beach is not a swimming beach. At high tide, there is no beach, and at low tide, it is a mud-flat mangrove area. However, don’t skip visiting this area because it is full of great restaurants, bars, and hippy hangouts. You will also find many massage parlours, tour agents and mini-marts on East Railay.

Tonsai Beach can be reached by long-tail boat or a jungle track. It is a popular area as it is slightly cheaper than Railay. The beach isn’t as nice as Phra Nang Beach or Railay West Beach, but it is a lovely beach nonetheless. You will find there are fewer people at Tonsai, which is a definite benefit for those wanting something off the beaten path. There are a few places to eat and drink on the beach. There is a resort as well as other accommodation, minimart, money changer, tour agent, massage parlours and kayak hire.

Rock climbing

Railay is a rock climbing mecca and one of the best places to climb in South East Asia. People from all over the world, flock to Railay to climb the majestic limestone karsts. There are over 700 bolted sport climbing routes ranging from beginners to extreme which will keep any climber, novice to experienced, a happy climber for years! When I last asked the price (Feb 2019) a half-day rock climbing was ฿ 1200 for four or five climbs. Click here to here out our post about rock climbing in Railay for more information.

SUP and Kayak

There are SUPs and kayaks for hire on West Railay Beach for ฿ 100 baht per hour. The coastline between West Railay Beach and Phra Nang with its dramatic coastline and rocky islands is a pleasure to explore; there are also some caves and natural tunnels to go through if you are game. 

Snorkelling

I saw snorkel and mask hire available at several places, including at East Railay Beach in a little store. Don’t expect too much from the snorkelling, in the way of coral. However, the tiny islands off Pran Nang Beach are interesting to explore beneath the sea.

Swimming

In my opinion, the best swimming beach is Phra Nang Beach. Do swim in one of the designated swim areas as the boats are speeding to and from the beach between 10:00 and 16:00 (approximately). You can find shade under the trees at the back of this beach, and there is a toilet along the path that heads towards East Railay Beach. The toilet is ฿10 to use, but I am not sure if they supply toilet paper (to be on the safe side take your own).

Princess Cave (Phra Nang Cave)

This cave is a shrine to the lingam, a phallic symbol of the Hindu faith. The legend surrounding the cave, and the lingam offerings, revolve around a Princess Goddess. The phallic objects housed within the cave are offerings made to the god. The shrine is not only associated with fertility but is used by the local fishermen to pray for prosperity and good fortune at sea. This “temple” to the phallus is quite the eye-opener, but remember the cave is a sacred place should be treated with respect by everyone who visits.

Diamond Cave

Diamond cave is geared for tourism. There is lighting and also a clear walkway through the cave. There are stalactites to see, and bats may fly overhead. Entrance fee is ฿ 100.

Viewpoint and lagoon

If you take the path between East Railay Beach and Phra Nang Beach, you will pass a sign saying viewpoint/ lagoon pointing up a steep incline. To get to the viewpoint, you need to climb this incline and then follow the path to the left. The lookout has an excellent view over Railay East and West Beaches.

However, if you follow the path the other way you will come to an area that you can climb down to reach the inland lagoon. There are several small cliff-fronts you need to climb down with the aid of ropes. The lagoon fills up on high tide and does not have much water at low tide. A lot of climbing is involved, and you will need a basic level of fitness and skill. This activity might not be suitable for people afraid of heights. Be aware that if it has been raining, it will be very muddy and slippery. Another thing to note is that you end up covered in the red dirt even if it is not wet… it is hard to get the stains out!

Cave viewpoint

This viewpoint is a little harder to find but a lot of fun to explore. To reach the lookout – start at Phra Nang Beach and walk to the opposite end from Princess Cave. At the very end of the beach, you will find a little foot-trodden path leading to the base of the towering cliff that acts as a barrier between West Railay Beach and Phra Nang Beach. From here, follow the path made by previous visitors. You will know that you are going the right way when you reach a bamboo ladder ascending into the cave. Climb this ladder up and move through the cave until you find another ladder. Repeat this process until you find the viewpoint. The viewpoint is on the face of the cliff overlooking West Railay Beach. You will need a headlamp as it gets very dark as you transverse the cave. It is a lot of fun, and the view is fabulous.

Tonsai Beach jungle walk

Apparently, you can walk along a jungle path to reach Tonsai Beach. I say apparently because we couldn’t find the way. My research has led me to information which indicates you continue on to Tonsai Beach from Diamond Cave. Evidently, it is an interesting track and exploring off the path can lead to hidden valleys and caves.

Night life

Railay is not known for it’s “party”… however, some bars have live music, Thai boxing or fire dancing. I have also heard there are moon parties sometimes, but I can’t find any information about them. The following venues are just some that have live music or are known for a party-like atmosphere.

The Last Bar (use to be the last bar on East Railay) features live music. It is a popular bar with loud music that you can dance to. Happy hour is from 15:00 – 21:00. The Last Bar also has a tattoo studio and Muay Thai demonstrations.

Bamboo Bar on Walking Street, has a fun party-like atmosphere at night, with live music. This bar has a bamboo tattoo studio, as well as a Thai boxing ring.

Avatar Bistrobar is on East Railay Beach at the Avatar Railay Resort. At night they set up a casual seating area with bean bags, on their lawn. They have live music and interesting “Avatar” lighting. There is also a nightly performance of  Traditional Thai dancing and happy hour cocktails from 20:00.

Freedom Bar is on Tonsai Beach. I have been told that it is a good place to party, but that it also depends on the time of year and the mood of the bar’s owner.

As far as food goes, there is plenty of variety at Railay. You will find food ranging from street food to up-market ala carte restaurant. The largest concentration of eateries is on East Railay and Walking Street. Street food or, in this case, boat food is available on Phra Nang Beach, where it is served from long-tail boats anchored at the edge of the water.

Walking Street meanders from West Railay Beach through to East Railay Beach. Along Walking Street, you will find many restaurants, bars, cafes, juice bars as well as souvenir shops, massage parlours, tour agents, laundries. There is also a small indoor shooting range and a “take away cocktail’ bar.

Foot power! Nowhere is too far unless you are physically impaired or very unfit. Some resorts have golf carts to help with luggage, but at a lot of them, you will need to manage by yourself. It is a good idea to get good descriptive directions to your accommodation, so you do not walk further than necessary.