March 2, 2019

Thailand – Morning at Railay Beach

Railay beach is ridiculously beautiful. It has white sands, clear warm water, and vertical limestone karsts that shoot up from the ocean on either side of the beach. The only way to get to Railay Beach is by boat. With the long tail boats pulled up to shore, it is supremely picturesque. Due to its beauty, it can also get very busy, so plan to get there early and enjoy a morning at Railay beach. I cannot imagine anything that screams “vacation” any louder.

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Getting to Railay Beach

We decided to break up our travels from the White Temple in Chiang Rai in the north to Koh Lanta Island in the south with a stop in Krabi. 30 minutes from Krabi is the town of Ao Nang, with quick access to Railay beach. Railay beach is only accessible by boat and due to the timing of our flights, we would have arrived after dark. Instead, we decided to do a single overnight in Ao Nang and spend the morning at Railay Beach. This turned out to be an incredible way to spend a morning on vacation. I cannot say I enjoyed Ao Nang that much, but I will get into that a little later.

To catch a longtail boat, walk down to the end of the main street to the ocean. You will see what looks like a hundred of longtail boats waiting in the water. You can purchase a roundtrip ticket at kiosk stand right next to the entrance to the beach. There were a number of guys who looked Thai wearing blue shirts and travelers waiting in the shade. I was unclear if they wait for a full load of people or depart at a specific time because not long after we bought our tickets did they lead us down to the beach and broke us up into smaller groups of 8 or so.

The boat ride was probably about 10 to 15 minutes long with a view of the gorgeous coast with dramatic limestone karsts. I didn’t realize how loud the longtail boats are! But it was fun to experience the classic longtail boat. Before I knew it, we had arrived at Railay Beach.

At a Glance:

Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, would do it again in a heartbeat
Intensity: Casual clothes with a bathing suit
Location: the nearest city is Ao Nang
Cost: Free, but 300 baht for a boat ride
Restrooms: the ocean
Timing: 1 – 3 hours

Highlights:

Enjoy a picturesque beach surrounded by cliffs
Longtail boat ride to the beach
Clear warm water

Lowlights:

Can get busy in the late morning and afternoon
Cost of a longtail boat ride to the beach

Hanna walking in a white dress through ankle-high waves between the long-tail boats in Thailand beach

Longtail boats lined up in the water with anchors in the sand

Hanna spinning in the sand on one of Thailand's most beautiful beaches. Spending the morning at Railay beach is probably one of the best thing do in Ao Nang/Krabi.

Hanna walking toward the blue water on the beach

Hanna walking toward the camera with her white dress billowing in the sun while in front of the long tail boats that are docked in the sand in front of the karsts at Railay beach.

Rebecca standing with a striped dress in front of longtail boats and large rock karsts at Railay Beach in Thailand.

What to do at Railay Beach

Railay is an international destination for rock climbing, however, you do not have to do any climbing for beautiful views. The longtail boats drop you off at one segment of the beach, but you can walk over to the area where there is a designated swimming area. Railay beach is best suited for people who simply want to relax in the sand on the beach. Of course, you can go swimming and build sandcastles, but there are no other designated activities. There is at least one restaurant where you can grab a blended drink or some food.

In the morning at Railay beach, the palm trees provided a bit of shade. However, the shade disappeared to have a lot of sun exposure. This will make clear waters even more enticing. When we arrived there was only a handful of other people on the beach, but by the time we left at 11:30 am (?), it was already beginning to fill up. If you want a peaceful morning at Railay, go early.

We decided to head back in the morning to catch our ride to Koh Lanta. The boat drivers wanted us to either wait for a full boat or pay more to get back. After waiting with no luck for 10 minutes or so, we negotiated the price down to 150 baht and got a private boat ride back to Ao Nang. I didn’t love that we had to pay more, but that would have been the cheapest we would ever get a private boat. It was super fun!

Pack this for your trip to Railay Beach

Hanna looking out to the ocean from the front of a longtail boat in Thailand. In the background are the large karsts and greenish blue water. Although it costs more to leave when you want, taking a private longtail boat was a phenomenal activity in Ao Nang/Krabi.

Hanna looks over her shoulder in a white dress while standing in front of longtail boats in thailand

The large karsts of Railay Beach as seen from the greenish blue clear water. It is so stunning it was hard to leave.

Hanna looking over her shoulder while riding in the front of a longtail boat. She has on a white flowy dress, sunglasses and curly ponytail. Riding the longtail boat was a fun way to get to Railay beach in Thailand and an excellent thing to do in the morning

Hanna walking in the sand in front of a series of longtail boats and large rock karsts

Rebecca looking over her shoulder while riding in the front of a longtail boat in Thailand. She is wearing a stripped dress and sunglasses. Don't forget the sunscreen!

What to expect at Ao Nang

Ao Nang is a fairly busy town near to Railay beach. From the map, it looks like a small town, but in person, it is quite built-up. There are a number of high rise hotels and restaurants lining the streets. This was a completely different vibe than what we experienced in Chiang Mai and Koh Lanta. It felt very much built for tourists. This is where we had our most expensive meal of two entrees and one non-alcoholic drink in Thailand. I did learn later that southern Thailand is typically a bit more expensive than northern Thailand, but our meal at a casual vegan-friendly restaurant cost more than a meal in Bangkok. This is also where we were repeatedly encouraged to enter a reggae restaurant by 4 guys on the street. I would not recommend Ao Nang for anyone wanting a more cultural or relaxing experience in Thailand.

Overall Thoughts: Morning at Railay Beach

Though we visited other beautiful beaches on Koh Lanta, nothing compared to the picturesque beauty of Railay Beach. I am glad we broke up our travels from Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai down to Koh Lanta to see the enormous karsts. It was a relief to breathe the clear air compared to the burning season in the north and relax in the water. If I were to go back, I would look into options of staying at Railay beach rather than Ao Nang. We were booking too late with only luxury or backpacking options available and wanted to spend more time on Koh Lanta. But it would be a lovely getaway to spend time at Railay.

What is the most beautiful beach you’ve ever gone to? Please let me know in the comments so I can look into it in the future. Also, I’m curious, would you ever go out of your way for a picturesque beach?