Railay Beach was the best part in our 3 days of Krabi trip. Though Railay is not an island, it is merely a beach of Krabi inland. However it can only be accessible by long tail boat because it is separated by the limestone cliffs. You will feel that you have reached in a different world when you arrive there. In this post I will share about all the related information you need to know about Railay Beach and top 5 things to do in Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand.
If you want to know about perfect 3 days itinenary of Bangkok, read my post.
How to reach: Krabi to Railay Beach:
For reaching Railay Beach, you need to reach first Ao Nang Beach, Krabi. There you will see 2-3 stalls for Day or Night trip to Railay beach and other nearby islands. For Railay Beach the Boat fare is 250 Baht/person (one way). So you have to give 500 Baht if you want to come back the same day as we did, else you can book for only one way and stay there for 1-2 days. While returning back in the next day, you have to book the return from Railay beach. In each long tail boat, 6-8 person can be accommodated, so if you are travelling in a group less than that, you may have to wait for some time.
My suggestion:
If you have time, please stay at least 1 night there. I didn’t know before, so we went for a day trip. I saw some photos of some bloggers, the night view of the clear sky filled with stars are just incredible. However if you are travelling with large luggage, then you may have to keep your luggage in Krabi as it will be problem to carry big luggage in the long tail boat.
Even if you are visiting the Railay beach for only day trip I would suggest to reach there as early as possible in the morning, as the last boat leaves from Railay Beach at 5 pm. There are many awesome places to visit, which eventually you will know in my Post . 🙂
Best time to visit Railay Beach:
The best time to visit Thailand as well as Railay is the winter (December-February). That time the water will be most clear and calm. Other than that you can visit in October-November also when the temperature will be moderate. However winter is the peak time for Thailand, so everything (Hotel, Travel, Food, Activities) will be more costly than off peak season. So if you want cheaper deal like us, you can visit even in the monsoon, but the water will not be very clear at coastline area. Moreover your trip may be disrupted by sudden and prolonged rain.
Things to carry with you in Railay beach:
We stayed in Krabi and did one day trip to Railay. If you want to do like this or want to stay there, you should carry these important things with you. These things we learned after visiting the place.
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Waterproof bag for your important belongings:
The long tail boat will stop in seashore where the water level will be upto 3 feet. So it’s better to take a waterproof bag for you important belongings like camera, purse, mobile etc. If you want to take underwater photos and don’t have a go pro camera, then you can buy a waterproof bag for you mobile.
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Take you Swimsuits:
We forgot to take this. Believe me, seeing the clear water of the Railay west and Phra Nang beach, it is very hard to resist the swimming.
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Take additional set of dress:
It may be essential if it rains.
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Take Sun block cream:
You need to carry your sun block cream and have to apply it in every 3 hours to protect from tanning. We forgot that and had lots of tan L
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Take Sun Glass and Umbrella:
These things are also essential in summer or monsoon.
- Mosquito repellant is necessary if you want to stay there and want to seat at beach after sunset.
Here are the top 5 things to Do in Railay Beach:
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Visit Dimond Cave (Tham Phra Nang Nai):
Diamond Cave is one of the best place to visit in Railay. It is a large cave at the foothills of lime stone cliff. Inside the cave, because of the blue, yellow lights, it feels truly mystical. The sound of bats hanging at the roof will give you additional thrill. Inside the cave wall, there are structure made from stalactites, stalagmites.
See the short video.
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Seat back and watch Sun Set from the awesome Railay West Beach:
The Railay West beach is the beach, where you will arrive from Krabi. This is beautiful white sand beach surrounded by lime stone cliff. We couldn’t see the sunset as we did not stay there.
Also read: Top 5 Places to visit in Bali, Indonesia
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Swim into the clear water of Ao Phra Nang Beach:
Other than Swimming, this beach is important for rock climbers. In this beach you can climb into the giant limestone cliff with the help of proper kit. This is the beach where you can see the Princess Cave, the second cave in Railay. So exploring cave and rock climbing in the gient wall of the cliffs are one of the most challenging things to do in Railay Beach, Krabi.
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Do Rock Climbing :
If you are adventurous kind of person, then do rock climbing and see the beautiful Railay coast line top view is definitely going to be worthy. We didn’t do it.
If you love to hike, you can check Ao Nang Hike to get all the details.
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Eat Delicious Thai food at road side Restaurant:
There are many good roadside restaurant, where you will get yummy Thai food. However the prices are little more than food price in Krabi inland. Pad Thai and Sticky Mango rice is a must try there.
You have read about the top 5 things to do in Railay Beach, Krabi. There are some other places which can be explored further, one of them is lagoon. This lagoon was not accessible in monsoon. However we have heard that it is only accessible through rock climb up and down through a rope. We heard it is very tough and it is worthy trying. In the lagoon water flows in in high tide and make it a beautiful place for swimming.
Do you want to stay in Krabi for longer? Why not take this teaching course and stay longer in this beautiful Thailand. If you are interested in scuba driving check art of scuba driving. Or if have time visitKoh Phangan.
Do you hve plan to visit Northarn part of Thailand, such as Chiang Rai, please plan your itinenary accordingly.
Read about one of the smallest island of Bali, Indonesia. Nusa Penida-things to know and places to visit.
You’ve got great insights about the Article, Thanks and keep up the good work!
I can’t believe how amazing this beach is! So many versatile things to do! Thanks for the great tips!
I am glad you like it. Thank you
Very informative post. We haven’t travelled to Indonesia yet but will bear this place in mind!
thank you Deena. However this place is in Thailand, not in Indonesia