• Thailand Guide

  • Introduction to Thailand
  • Weather
  • Things Not to Miss
  • Getting around
  • Money
  • Public holidays
  • Entry requirements

• Explore Thailand

  • The central plains
  • The north
  • The east coast
  • The northeast: Isaan
  • Southern Thailand: the Gulf coast
  • Southern Thailand: the Andaman coast
  • The deep south

• Cities

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  • Chiang Mai
    
  • Chiang Rai
    
  • Chumphon
    
  • Hat Yai
    
  • Kamphaeng Phet
    
  • Nakhon Si Thammarat
    
  • Pattaya
    
  • Phitsanulok
    
  • Surat Thani
    

Thailand Guide

Southern Thailand: the Andaman coast

Laem Phra Nang: Railay and Ton Sai

• Accommodation

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.

Laem Phra Nang has four beaches within ten minutes' walk of each other. The loveliest and most popular 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 stretch of shoreline, and longtail boats from Ao Nang pull in here too, so it gets crowded.

A few minutes walk from West Railay, on the other coast, EAST RAILAY's mangrove swamps make it unsuitable for swimming. The development here is mostly an uncomfortable mix of uninspired, low-grade developments and unsubtle bars with names like Skunk and Stone, much of it despoiled by trash and building rubble. Inland however 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.

South along the boardwalk from East Railay, the diminutive, cliff-bound beach at AO PHRA NANG (also called Hat Tham Phra Nang after its famous Princess Cave) is exceptionally pretty but gets quickly overrun with day-trippers.

The murky beach at AO TON SAI, north across the oyster rocks from West Railay or a 20-minute inland hike from the back of East Railay, is not the prettiest. But its orange-and-ochre-striped cliffs are magnificently scenic, dripping with curlicues and turrets that tower over a central tree-filled bowl and host scores of challenging rock climbs. The vibe here is green and comradely, with climbers doing their thing during the day and partying at the several chilled bars after dark.