Explore Southern Thailand: the Andaman coast
Seen from the close quarters of a longtail boat, the combination of sheer limestone cliffs, pure white sand and emerald waters around the LAEM PHRA NANG peninsula is spectacular – and would be even more so without the hundreds of other admirers gathered on its four beaches. The peninsula (often known simply as Railay) is effectively a tiny island, embraced by impenetrable limestone massifs that make road access impossible – but do offer excellent, world-famous rock-climbing; transport is by boat only, from Krabi town or, most commonly, from nearby Ao Nang. It has four beaches within ten minutes’ walk of each other: Ao Phra Nang graces the southwestern edge, and is flanked by East and West Railay, just 500m apart; Ao Ton Sai is beyond West Railay, on the other side of a rocky promontory. Almost every patch of buildable land fronting East and West Railay has been taken over by bungalow resorts, and development is creeping up the cliffsides and into the forest behind. But at least high-rises don’t feature, and much of the construction is hidden among trees or set amid prettily landscaped gardens. Accommodation is at a premium and not cheap, so the scene on West and East Railay, and Ao Phra Nang, is predominantly holidaymakers on short breaks rather than backpackers. The opposite is true on adjacent Ao Ton Sai, Krabi’s main travellers’ hub and the heart of the rock-climbing scene.
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West Railay
West Railay
The loveliest and most popular beach on the cape is WEST RAILAY, with its gorgeous white sand, crystal-clear water and impressive karst scenery at every turn. The best of the peninsula’s bungalow hotels front this shoreline, and longtail boats from Ao Nang pull in here too, so it gets crowded.
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East Railay
East Railay
Follow any of the tracks inland, through the resort developments, and within a few minutes you reach EAST RAILAY on the other coast, lined with mangrove swamps and a muddy shore that make it unsuitable for swimming; boats from Krabi town dock here. Accommodation on this side is a bit cheaper, and there’s more variety in price too, though – aside from a couple of gems – it’s mostly an uncomfortable mix of uninspired, low-grade developments and unsubtle bars with names like Skunk and Stone. Depressingly, much of East Railay’s hinterland is despoiled by trash and building rubble, but inland it’s another story, with a majestic amphitheatre of forested karst turrets just ten minutes’ walk away, on the back route to Ao Ton Sai.
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Rock-climbing and kayaking on Laem Phra Nang
Rock-climbing and kayaking on Laem Phra Nang
Ton Sai and Railay are Thailand’s biggest rock-climbing centres, attracting thousands of experienced and novice climbers every year to the peninsula’s seven hundred bolted routes, which range in difficulty from 5a to 8c (see wrailay.com for a full rundown). Of the many climbing schools that rent out equipment and lead guided climbs, the most established include King Climbers at Ya Ya Resort on East Railay and Basecamp Tonsai on Ton Sai. A typical half-day introduction costs B1000, a full day B1800, while B6000 will get you a three-day course, learning all rope skills; equipment can be rented for about B1300 per day for two people. If you don’t need instruction, the locally published and regularly updated guidebooks, Basecamp Tonsai’s Rock Climbing in Thailand and Laos and King Climbers’ Thailand Route Guide Book, will give you all the route information you need. Unaided over-water climbing on cliffs and outcrops out at sea, known as deep-water soloing, with no ropes, bolts or partner, is also becoming a big thing around here and can be arranged through most climbing schools for about B1000.
Kayaking around this area is also very rewarding – you can get to Ao Nang in less than an hour; kayaks cost B200 per hour to rent, for example on the beach in front of Flame Tree restaurant on West Railay. There are plenty of other activities in the Krabi area that you could hook up with from Laem Phra Nang.
