Railay and Tonsai Beaches

If you are a fan of Samantha Brown, then you’ve probably heard of Railay Beach.

In an effort to begin planning our Thailand vacation, we watched her episode on Krabi, where we discovered this beautiful beach just a short 15 minute boat ride from where we were staying.

Railay Beach is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, with crystal clear waters, pure sandy beaches, and rocky islands emerging from the sea. It is known world-wide for its famous rock climbing routes, but there is a long list of other note-worthy activities there to enjoy such as deep water cliff jumping, hiking to the island’s lagoon, visiting the Phranang Cave, sunning on the beach while getting a Thai massage, or having a cocktail at one of the many beach bars.

Even though I couldn’t participate in the rock climbing fun, we were excited to spend a relaxing day at the beach as a family!

We boarded a traditional long-tail boat at the Ao Nang port for a quick ride to Railay Beach via this iconic Thai mode of transport. Along the way, we passed beautiful limestone karsts and dozens of other boats heading out to the different islands scattered throughout the Andaman Sea.

Once we arrived at Railay Beach, we were ushered off the small boat and left to explore the island for the day.

We arrived early in the morning so the beach was still pretty bare. We walked down past the restaurants and resorts to the edge of the beach and claimed a secluded spot on the sand.

Summer loved splashing in the waves of the warm, crystal clear water!

{patterns created by small crabs burrowing into their tiny holes in the sand.}

After relaxing on the beach for a few hours and watching Summer play, we decided to head to one of the island’s restaurants to get some lunch.

The restaurant served a good mix of food, local and international specialties, but our favorite was the Thai dessert staple, mango sticky rice!

That afternoon as rain clouds collected on the horizon, we packed up our bags and headed back to Krabi. We got caught in a rain storm while riding the small, long-tail boat back to mainland, and were instructed by the boat’s captain to put on our life vests. Despite my worry, Ryan helped me remain calm and thankfully, we made it back to shore safely!

This was definitely one of the more exciting experiences of our trip!

· More Information ·

Railay & Tonsai Beaches

Krabi, Thailand

· Tips ·

• Take a long-tail boat from the Ao Nang Port to Railay Beach.

• Bring a pair of sneakers if you are interested in hiking, rock climbing, and/or exploring the island.

• Visit the other beach on the island {Ton Sai Beach} by hiking a short, steep path through the rocks {there is a rope available to help you climb} or walk around the rocks during low tide.

 

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