22 March 2018
When vacationing in Krabi, Ao Nang town would be a good place to stay for a few days as there are plenty of activities and day trips available from Ao Nang. Trips could be made from here by speedboats to Hong Islands, Phi Phi Island or by traditional long-tail boats to the nearby Tup, Poda, Chicken Islands or Railay Peninsula.
For our first outing in Krabi, we were considering whether to do the popular but hectic 4 Islands Tour (which includes stops at Tup Island, Poda Island, Chicken Island and Phra Nang Beach at the Railay Peninsula) or just spend a relaxing day exploring a few of the white sand beaches at the Railay Peninsula by ourselves.
We chose the latter and I was glad we did.
Railay is not an island but it felt like one. It is actually a peninsula located just south of Ao Nang. With three of its sides surrounded by the sea and a range of steep limestone cliffs that cuts it off from all roads to the “mainland”, the only way to get to Railay is by boat.
There are four main beaches at Railay – Railay West, Railay East, Phra Nang and Tonsai, plus small ones with no names and some even appearing only at low tides. Phra Nang Beach according to reviews and tips from previous visitors is the best in terms of water quality, scenic quality and attractions.
From Ao Nang beach, regular long-tail boats carried us to Railay for just 100 THB one way or 200 THB for two-way return tickets. There are ticket booths located at both ends of Ao Nang beach. We had options to alight at either Phra Nang or Railay for the same price.
We bought the one way tickets and sat on plastic chairs under the shade of trees that lined Ao Nang Beach. The boatman will wait for 8 passengers to fill the boat before leaving. We did not have to wait very long in the morning as Railay is a very popular destination from Ao Nang. Once 8 passengers to Railay were confirmed, the assigned boatman led us to his boat.
Boatmen and passengers relaxing under the shade by Ao Nang beach. The steep cliffs of Railay Peninsula could be seen in the background on the left of photo. That’s where we are heading.
There are no jetties or piers. We had to wade out to the boats in knee deep waters to climb up a ladder hung down the side of the wooden boat.
The 15 minutes ride to Railay offered splendid views of the karst landscape of sea cliffs and tall rocks sticking out from the emerald green waters. I did not shoot many photos due to the spray from the bow of our fast moving long-tail boat raining down on us occasionally.
Our boat landed on the northern end of Phra Nang Beach first. Although we had told the ticket sellers that we wanted to go to Railay Beach, we decided to alight at Phra Nang Beach with the rest of the passengers since there were few people at this beach and the scenery and waters was so inviting.
Panoramic photo of Phra Nang Beach near where we landed from our long-tail boat from Ao Nang.
Excellent swimming area at Phra Nang Beach.
There was plenty of space under the shade of trees by the edge of the white sandy beach for us to deploy the colourful straw beach mat and towels that was provided by the Pakasai Hotel in Ao Nang. I was just amazed by some sun-bathers who chose to sit under the blazing Krabi sun to tan themselves.
We chose to just laze under the trees and/or take dips in the warm, clear water.
It was low tide when we first arrived and there were folks who swam or waded to the small limestone karst island just off the beach.
Phra Nang Beach has a sandy bottom with clear water and no rocks or corals. Good for a dip in the clean clear water but very little to see for snorkelers.
It was nice to see that the swimming area was cordoned off by lines of yellow floats. No boats are allowed within this area for safety reasons.
One of the attractions at Phra Nang Beach is the Princess Cave (Tham Phra Nang Nok), located at the southern end of the beach. Local legend claims the cave is the home of a mythical sea princess and since ancient times, fishermen had come to make offerings believing that their offerings will bring them success in their fishing and protect them from danger.
I wonder who started making offerings of lingams or carved wooden phallic symbols to the princess as the cave is now littered with hundreds, if not thousands, of these fertility symbols. Quite a sight.
Princess Cave, located at the southern end of the beach.
Thousands of lingams or carved wooden phallic symbols, offerings and other objects believed to help with fertility left inside the Princess Cave.
Since it was low tide, we could wade to the sea caves next to the Princess Cave.
Exploring the sea caves of Phra Nang Beach at low tide.
Panoramic view of Phra Nang Bay through the cavernous opening of the sea caves.
The tide was slowly rising, so we did not linger too long at the sea caves.
Can you spot the rock climbers?
The southern end of Phra Nang beach is more crowded than the northern end. There were rock climbers scaling the almost vertical cliffs at this end. Beginners could sign up for a crash course in rock climbing from tour operators.
After exploring the southern end of Phra Nang Beach, we returned to the northern end where we had left our mats and belongings under the trees. Thankfully, they were still there.
This beach got more and more crowded when the tour boats doing the 4 Island tour arrived near noon time.
The boats that came to this beach included the “food boats” that sells a variety of food and drinks at reasonable prices.
Wondering what is good for lunch. Plenty of choices.
These included Thai food, fast food (Burgers, Sandwiches, Baguette, Kebabs), BBQ, seafood, fruits, shakes, cold and hot drinks etc. We bought our lunch consisting of a baguette with beef and salad, a pita bread chicken sandwich and a cold canned drink from one of the boats.
Tip: Stay away from the baguette! Tough as rubber tires.
Since we came to Railay for relaxation, leg massage and foot reflexology at the beach after lunch is a must.
It was about 2 PM when we left Phra Nang Beach to walk to Railay West Beach via Railay East Beach. The trailhead is at the southern end of Phra Nang Beach, near the Princess Cave, where people were doing rock climbing.
As we made our way to the southern end of Phra Nang beach again, we saw that the tide had risen.
The initial part of the trail to Railay West beach was beneath the towering rock cliffs, followed by forest where sometimes monkeys could be spotted.
Start of the steep muddy trail to the Railay Lookout Point.
There was a detour to the Railay Lookout Point along this trail. To get to the lookout point, one has to go up a steep muddy path. Ropes were provided to assist climbers but I think this was too dangerous for us to attempt.
We passed by Railay East Beach first on our way to Railay West Beach. This beach is muddy and flanked by mangroves.
This beach has a small wooden jetty and many hotels and resorts are located along this stretch. The views are picturesque but this beach is not ideal for swimming, even at high tide. Railay East has a few hotels and resorts with restaurants serving food or drinks for those looking to have a proper sit-down meal.
From Railay East, footpaths between hotels and resorts led us to Railay West.
More luxurious hotels are located at Railay West and this long stretch of white sandy beach is popular with visitors. Kayaks were available for rental but it was too late in the day for us to do kayaking.
Mango smoothie at the Railay Bay Resort and Spa, Railay West Beach.
I went for a dip at the southern end of Railay West Beach. The water was slightly murky.
Beautiful scenery but not so good water quality at Railay West Beach.
Although sunset from Railay West Beach is supposed to be very beautiful, we decided to go back to Ao Nang Beach at about 4.30 PM since getting a long-tail boat from Railay to Ao Nang would be more difficult at night.
Railay West Beach where long-tail boats could be boarded for trip to Ao Nang.
From Railay West Beach, we took the long-tail boat back to Ao Nang. There is a ticket booth at the area where many long-tail boats were parked. Once again, we bought the ticket for 100 THB each and waited for the boat to fill before heading off back to Ao Nang.
Planning a trip to Railay? Here are some pointers to share.
- Getting on and off the long-tail boats requires wading into the sea as there are no jetties. Many wore sandals or flip-flops. We wore aqua shoes, shoes that are designed for water activities.
- Protect your electronics, e.g. phones and cameras, with a waterproof bag or waterproof casings for your mobile phone. This are sold at many shops along Ao Nang Beach Road.
- Bring beach mats or pool towels. Our hotel in Ao Nang (Pakasai Resort and Spa) provided beach mats and pool towels that we could take to the beach. Alternatively buy a beach mat at one of the shops along Ao Nang Beach Road.
- No need to bring snorkelling gear for trips to Railay. There are better snorkelling at the offshore islands. Not at Railay.
- There are restaurants selling food and drinks at all beaches. At Phra Nang where there are few restaurants, you could get decent food and drinks from the “food boats”.
- Bring a hat, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen. The Krabi sun is no joke.
- Go on a weekday and go early in the morning to enjoy the beaches without the crowds.
- Buy return tickets instead of single trip tickets for the long-tail boats to and from Ao Nang. With a return ticket, you may have the option to board a boat at Phra Nang Beach back to Ao Nang. I did see any ticket booth at Phra Nang Beach.
- The regular boats operate from 8 AM till about 6 PM (before sun down). Thereafter, you may have to pay more or charter our own long-tail boat back to Ao Nang.
- Lastly, in terms of water quality, I think Phra Nang Beach is the best beach that is on the Railay Peninsula or even the Krabi mainland. Do not miss.
No comments:
Post a Comment