· Thai Islands - West Railay Beach, KrabiKrabi, Thailand · Added 22nd Nov 2007
The Secret West Railay Beach, Krabi
West Railay Beach looks and feels like what many tourists expect of the Thai islands: craggy karst cliffs and gorgeous beaches, reachable by a 20-minute boat ride, and, to get onshore, a wade through the surf with your bags overhead. The irony is that Railay is not an island at all; it's on the mainland, near the river town of Krabi. But when a spot is this isolated and undeveloped, with only four bungalow operations carved out of the thick seaside jungle, who cares that it's not surrounded by water?
Railay is carefree and casual. Resort staffs take over sections of the beach for pickup soccer matches around sunset. Although the concentrated cluster of bungalows brings longtail boats roaring in and out of the heart of the beach all day, it's not too difficult to find a peaceful stretch of sand. From a position on the beach facing out to sea, turn right and walk a couple hundred feet to the end, then wade out around the little headland. The beach beyond is nearly abandoned.
There's precious little difference between the four bungalow resorts at Railay; each consists of modern cottages lining a garden-like cement walkway running back from the beachfront. Railay Village Resort gets top marks if only because it tends to be the cheapest of the lot. The resorts are also the only games in town for meals (though there is a mini-mart/cybercafe where you can buy snacks). One drawback to Railay's being so far out in the boondocks is that prices for everything from lodging to bottled water are double or triple what you find on the islands. Don't let that discourage you from coming here. Even with the rates jacked up, things still seem inexpensive to most international travelers.
Lodging:
- Railay Village Resort Ao-Nang, 011-66/75-622-578, railayvillage@hotmail.com, $13--$20 with fan, $30--$63 with A/C
Url: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content//article/2006/12/13/AR2006121301389_2.html
West Railay Beach looks and feels like what many tourists expect of the Thai islands: craggy karst cliffs and gorgeous beaches, reachable by a 20-minute boat ride, and, to get onshore, a wade through the surf with your bags overhead. The irony is that Railay is not an island at all; it's on the mainland, near the river town of Krabi. But when a spot is this isolated and undeveloped, with only four bungalow operations carved out of the thick seaside jungle, who cares that it's not surrounded by water?
Railay is carefree and casual. Resort staffs take over sections of the beach for pickup soccer matches around sunset. Although the concentrated cluster of bungalows brings longtail boats roaring in and out of the heart of the beach all day, it's not too difficult to find a peaceful stretch of sand. From a position on the beach facing out to sea, turn right and walk a couple hundred feet to the end, then wade out around the little headland. The beach beyond is nearly abandoned.
There's precious little difference between the four bungalow resorts at Railay; each consists of modern cottages lining a garden-like cement walkway running back from the beachfront. Railay Village Resort gets top marks if only because it tends to be the cheapest of the lot. The resorts are also the only games in town for meals (though there is a mini-mart/cybercafe where you can buy snacks). One drawback to Railay's being so far out in the boondocks is that prices for everything from lodging to bottled water are double or triple what you find on the islands. Don't let that discourage you from coming here. Even with the rates jacked up, things still seem inexpensive to most international travelers.
Lodging:
- Railay Village Resort Ao-Nang, 011-66/75-622-578, railayvillage@hotmail.com, $13--$20 with fan, $30--$63 with A/C
Url: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content//article/2006/12/13/AR2006121301389_2.html
