Rallying to see Railay Beach, An Amazing Stop and Hailing Krabi to the Top

Day 4 in Krabi, a day trip to Railay beach! My hostel roommate asked to join me on the trip so both of us took the ferry over there. I got ready and then went out to get my coffee and pb toast. I returned at 8:45am, and we went to the pier and had to wait 15-30 minutes for enough people to come so we could leave on the boat. I am glad we didn’t go any earlier because I think we would have just been waiting there even longer. 

We got on our ferry, aka a longtail boat that hurtled through the water and the engine pounded into your ears, but it was a quick and inexpensive ride over to Railay Beach. We had to take a boat because this area didn’t have any roads that connected it, it was surrounded by these rock formations and must not have any good access point to create a road. So, as we were walking around the island, we saw so many boats that were bringing food to restaurants and supplies to hotels. It was interesting to see how heavily this area of Krabi relied on boat transportation to get around and to get things to them. I almost stayed in Railay because I found a lovely hotel here, but once I learned how inaccessible it was, I was a bit deterred knowing that I would want the ease of being near more restaurants and ports for boat trips. I am really glad I stayed in Ao Nang and just took a day trip to Railay. 

I packed this in as a third day of straight activities and being in the pure sun. The weather looked iffy for the rest of the time I was here and it looked relatively clear for the day so I decided that it was best to muster my strength and go out for another day, and then when the weather isn’t as good, stay near my hotel and chill those days. I am so glad that I went to Railay because the day I did because it was so beautiful.

We spent the first hour exploring all of the area, it had a few beaches, some caves, and walking trails. We checked out the first beach that we docked on, walking along and admiring the cliffs that surrounded this beach. Then, we found the “walking street” that hosted all of the restaurants and stores you would need for your time here. Then, we followed the trail to the next beach, but the tide was so high that you couldn’t walk on the sand plus it was more grovey and where boats would park and come in for these hotels to get their daily food and necessities. We walked along this sidewalk for a while, until it was to the point we thought best to turn around and see the other sides of the peninsula. Our next stop was walking through a cave.

I saw it on google maps and thought it would be worth the visit. It was a higher entrance fee than I expected (200 baht which is about $6) and the duration we were in the cave was only about 10 minutes. You walked into it, and walked through the narrow pass until it opened up a bit and had the walkway circle the larger cave. It was such a quick walk and stay, but I wouldn’t have known unless I saw it and it was cool enough. We were the only ones in there at the time so that was great to have it to ourselves. There were so many bats, it was eaky to hear all of their communications, and if you looked up you could see a large grouping of them hanging from the ceiling and slightly moving but very likely were just trying to sleep. 

When we walked out, I knew it was time to find a spot to plant for the day. We walked to the third beach, unknowingly saving the best for last. The tide was so high that for a portion of our walk, we waded into the water and when the waves would crash against the rocks to the right of us, it would create a bigger splash than the waves coming in from the left. We got pretty wet from this walk, but soon enough made it to the actual beach and the laying out area. I found myself a shady patch to make my own for the next few hours, with a beautiful view of a unique rock formation, on the soft sand, and the crazy clear blue water just steps from my towel. 

Sadly I forgot my kindle, but I had my book on my phone as well so I read on that, swam in the water a bit, and kept creeping my towel back to escape the sun as it moved closer to my skin. The sun is so powerful here and so warm, as great as it feels to have the sun fall on your skin, here its more of a cook than it is a nice bake in the Minnesota sun. The air is warm enough of a blanket to keep you heated and happy. I really enjoyed just chilling, but it was so hard to choose between sitting and staring at the view vs. reading my book. I didn’t want to peel my eyes away from the view but I also needed to make some progress on my book! 

I read for a while and chilled, but my stomach was getting hungry so I headed back to grab some lunch. In my way back I ran into some monkeys and seeing wildlife always makes my day. I went alone because my hostel friend that joined me stayed on the beach because she brought snacks to tie her over. The go to place for food here is 7-11, but they don’t have tons of vegan snacks or fresh foods, so I don’t really get too many things from there and instead just have three big meals. You can easily find a thai curry with coconut milk and vegetables, so vegan meals aren’t hard to find, but sorting through all of the different snack options and translating the nutritional facts is an endeavor. So I often just skip snacking and splurge on a good big meal. I ended up getting a black pepper tofu and veggie stir fry, and then treated myself to a dessert that I enjoyed on the beach, bananas in coconut cream. I returned back to the first beach, laid out my towel and sat down to feast on this lovely dessert I took for to-go. I loved my sweet treat with an even sweeter view, and then spent the next 15 minutes staring out and taking in my view. Incredible. Railay is truly a dream destination. In the distance, some clouds were rolling in and the sun had seeped into my skin and made me crispy and tired, so I headed for the ferry boat where I met back up with my friend and we headed for the mainland. 

I immediately took a shower, tended to my slight redness from the day, despite applying layers of sunscreen and staying in the shade as much as possible, it wasn’t enough to defeat the smoldering sun and it’s power over you. Thankfully it wasn’t too bad and with some lotion I hope to have it mended by the next day. I chilled in my room until it was time for dinner. 

Madison, my friend from the phi phi islands tour, invited me to join her for dinner at this hilltop restaurant and it was absolutely beautiful up there. I decided I would treat myself once in each city, and this was the night I would do just that. I wanted to follow the same beat as my new friend, so as she ordered a virgin mojito, I joined her with a pina colada. I ordered pad thai and she got pineapple fried rice and the most perfectly cooked crispy tofu that she kindly shared with me. Then, for dessert we both got our own mango sticky rice. I almost never get a drink and meal plus dessert, so I felt like I truly was treating myself. All of that with the most amazing view was still only a $12 meal. I have hopes of coming back for the tofu, and she was raving about the pineapple fried rice so I starting scheming a lunch stop here, then being able to enjoy the view a little longer, and get another amazing meal. I know that when I am home and thinking about this trip, I will be so happy with myself that I spent the extra few dollars on a quality meal and having such vivid memories of a great time and enjoying great food. So, I treat myself when it feels right, and find the time to save money when most appropriate. But, with everything much more affordable here, even treating yourself is just like a normal day in USA, if not a bit cheaper, so I don’t want to be too hard on myself or nail myself down too closely to a budget. 

We chatted, watched the sunset, and enjoyed each others company! I feel like I really did make a new friend and it is such a joy to able to stay connected through social media! She is headed to Japan after she leaves Krabi and I as well on my way to new countries, so to keep it touch will be great to cheer each other on as we travel the world! That concluded my night, another great day in the books, solidifying Krabi as a top spot on my trip so far.