Railay Peninsular is another beautiful area of beaches in Krabi Province.

Railay Peninsular is an amazingly beautiful area of towering cliffs and beautiful beaches South of Ao Nang in Krabi Province.

When you investigate travelling to the beaches and bays of the Railay Peninsular you might think that the area is an island because the only means of transport there and back is by boat.

Check a map and you will see that this area is not an island, it can only be reached by boat because of the high range of Karsts which run across the width of the peninsular – there is no road through these sheer sided cliffs.

Around Railay Peninsular

This area is definitely worth the boat trip; the scenery is spectacular and classically Krabi.

All around there are views of the Andaman Sea, long beaches of fine coral sand and limestone cliffs cropping up everywhere. There are pathways next to and partially under these fantastically eroded rock walls and the background is all native jungle covering a high range of karsts that separate this area from the rest of Krabi.

Food and Accommodation

Amongst it all there are cafes and restaurants and a great range of places to stay for all budgets; from backpacker dorms to highly regarded 5 star resorts.

If you are staying around Ao Nang or Krabi Town you can make your own arrangements for great day out, come for a visit on an organised day tour or stay for a few days..or weeks..or…

Beaches of the Railay Peninsular

There are four wide beaches on the peninsular all long and sandy. The most popular beaches are on the West Side.

Tonsai Bay

Tonsai is the closest to Ao Nang on the West side, it is the least developed area and still has a very backpacker traveller atmosphere.

Railay Bay West

When the tide is way out it’s possible to walk from Tonsai, along the wet sand to Railay Bay West, if the tide is in then you’ll need to take a ride on a longtail boat.

Railay Bay West is backed by small resorts bars and restaurants. The sandy beach is very long and the beach slopes away gently so it is safe for swimming.

Railay Bay East

Find a pathway at the back of Railay Bay West and follow it away from the beach it will twist and turn under coconut trees and past cafes made of bamboo and after 10 minutes you will arrive at Railay Bay East.

This bay is not known for its sandy beach, it is fringed by native mangrove and can be completely covered at high tide. Nonetheless the surroundings are beautiful and to get to Phra Nang Bay you will follow the beach South until the track turns West again at the base of the cliffs. The track follows the base of the cliffs and meanders through some amazing overhangs formed by wind and water erosion.

Phra Nang Bay & Beach

Well known for its beauty views Phra Nang Beach is featured in many travel guides as the classical bay of Krabi’s coastline read more about Phra Nang Beach here…

Railay Peninsular Activities

Climbing

The Railay Peninsular is a hot spot for climbers in South East Asia. There are many established routes of varying degrees of difficulty and from the top of every climb there is a spectacular view.

There are many climbing companies and instructors with years of experience on these cliffs. You can experience Railay climbing if you have never climbed before or if you are quite experienced.

More about rock climbing in Krabi.

Other Activities

Since you are surrounded by beaches there are lots of opportunities for sun bathing and swimming.

You will also find other options for some activity.

Kayaking

Along Railay East there’s normally kayaks for rent. If you are comfortable paddling around then hiring a kayak is a nice way to look around this beautiful coastline.

Hiking to the Viewpoint

If you like hiking and don’t mind a bit of a scramble there’s a view point on the cliff above Phra Nang Bay and Railay East. On the walking path between Phra Nang Beach and Railay East you might see a small sign post for ‘viewpoint’ indicating the way up a steep muddy trail. It’s a very steep trail but the view is great. To get to the viewpoint takes about 20 minutes.

Hiking to The Princess Lagoon

If you are looking for a bit more of a challenge then you can continue from the viewpoint.

The trail continues to climb and then it drops steeply. Passing through old jungle vegetation and some very big trees. The trail descends and at two points there are climbing ropes installed to assist you down and back up the rocks.

At the bottom of the trail is a pool, you are in the centre of the limestone cliff.

The pool is open to the sky but enclosed on all sides by high rock walls. It is a very special place formed by water erosion through the limestone rock that eventually formed a chimney from the top of the rock almost down to sea level. The pool level does change with the sea tides.

Transport

Getting to and From Railay

Shared Taxi boats.

Shared longtail taxi boats run throughout the day, the boats depart when they have a minimum number of customers. First boats are around 8am last boats around sunset time.
If you are in a hurry or on a schedule you can pay for the remaining number of tickets and leave immediately.

There are longtail taxi boats from the following places;

From Ao Nang buy a ticket from one of the longtail boat kiosks on the beach front.
From Krabi Town either take a song-taew to Ao Nang and get a boat from Ao Nang beach or if the weather is good for a longer journey by sea, you can take a longtail boat from Chao Fa Pier .
From Ao Nammao buy a ticket at the boat jetty.

The boats from Krabi Town, Chao Fa Pier and from Ao Nammao will take you to Railay Bay East.

During West Coast Monsoon season (June – October) boats will not always run from Ao Nang because of onshore winds and high waves. At these times you need to get to Ao Nammao and take a boat from there. From Ao Nang there are regular public song-taew pick-ups to Ao Nammao on every day, all year.

Longtail Boat Hire

From all the main beaches and Krabi Town it’s possible to arrange the private hire of a longtail boat directly with the boat driver.

You can negotiate the price. The price will be based on the distance to your destination(s) and how long you want to go for.
On a longtail boat the driver will always want to be back by sunset.

Private Boat Charter

Going out for a day with friends and family in your own private longtail boat or speed boat is a great experience.

For more details see our information page on private boat rental in Krabi.

Organised Tours

There’s a few organised tours which visit the Railay Peninsula.

The Four Island Tour

The ever popular Four Island Tour will visit Phra Nang Beach, Poda Island, Tup Island and Chicken Island.

Sunset Cruises

There are some great sunset cruise tours along the coast of Ao Nang and Railay.

Climbing Tours and Instruction

A trip with a climbing instructor will take you to a few spots around the peninsular and you’ll have the bonus of seeing even more awesome views from high above the beaches.

More about climbing tours here.