Railay Beach
Interesting facts
- The salty, humid sea air at Railay corrodes ordinary steel climbing bolts so badly that many routes have had to be re-equipped with titanium anchors.
- Climbers began bolting Railay's cliffs in the late 1980s, when the peninsula was still home mainly to small fishing and coconut-farming communities.
- More than 700 bolted sport routes now climb the limestone faces around Railay and neighbouring Ton Sai.
- Hidden inside the cliffs above Phra Nang lies Sa Phra Nang, the Holy Princess Pool, a lagoon reached only by a steep scramble up the rock.
- The shrine cave at the foot of the Phra Nang headland is known in Thai as Tham Phra Nang Nok, the outer Princess Cave.
- Diamond Cave takes its name from its mineral formations, which glitter like gemstones in the light along its boardwalk.
- Despite its exposed position on the Andaman coast, Railay escaped severe damage in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004.
Why it is worth it
Railay is a sliver of the Krabi coast that behaves like an island. It sits on a small peninsula between Krabi town and Ao Nang, but tall limestone walls close it off from the mainland on the landward side, so there is no road in and everyone arrives by water. That isolation shapes everything about the place: long-tail boats nose onto the sand, footpaths do the work of streets, and the cliffs rise straight out of the beach and the shallows, streaked orange and grey.
The peninsula is really four shores in one. West Railay is the classic crescent of pale sand facing the Andaman Sea, with the karst towers framing the sunset. East Railay, where boats from Krabi come in, is fringed with mangroves and muddy at low tide - a working edge rather than a swimming beach. A walkway from the eastern side leads to Phra Nang, the most theatrical of the four, tucked beneath an overhanging headland, while Ton Sai, over the rocks to the north, has long been the rough-edged base of the climbing crowd. On the trail towards Ton Sai, Diamond Cave has a walkway leading into its interior.
What people come back for, apart from the water, is the rock. The limestone here has drawn climbers from around the world, and on many afternoons climbers can be seen high on the faces above the beaches. At the foot of the headland at Phra Nang there is a small cave shrine to a female spirit, Phra Nang, associated with fertility. Local stories differ about who she was - one tradition makes her a princess lost at sea, another a woman left behind by her husband - and fishermen still leave incense and flowers for a safe return; the shrine is also known for its heaps of carved wooden phallic offerings, left by people who believe she grants children and good fortune.
Railay was a backpacker secret in the 1970s and grew into the best-known spot on the Krabi coast, yet the geography has kept it compact. Walking from one side to the other takes minutes, and the most memorable views are free: the towers at low tide, the light going amber on the western cliffs, the boats lined up in the shallows as the day ends.
Getting there
Railay lies about 10 km from Krabi town and about 19 km from Krabi International Airport (KBV). Because the cliffs block any road, access is by boat: long-tail boats run from Krabi to East Railay, and from Ao Nang, roughly 15 minutes to the north, to the western beach. Ferries from West Railay also connect with Ko Phi Phi and Phuket.
On these lists
From the encyclopaedia
Railay, also known as Rai Leh, is a small peninsula between the city of Krabi and Ao Nang in Thailand. It is accessible only by boat due to high limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access. These cliffs attract rock climbers from all over the world, but the area is also popular due to its beautiful beaches and quiet relaxing atmosphere. Accommodation ranges from bungalows and medium-priced resorts in East Railay to a collection of luxury resorts focused on West Railay, though one, Rayavadee, spans both waterfronts and also has a beachfront restaurant at Ao Phra Nang. The four main areas of Railay consist of Phra Nang, West Railay, East Railay, and Ton Sai. Ton Sai caters to climbers and the backpacker set and is more rustic than the glitz of West Railay and the shops and restaurants of the East Railay boardwalk.
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