Where to stay · Railay
Which corner of the peninsula to sleep in, how your bags get there, and what changes once the day boats have gone.
Railay is a different stay from anywhere else on this coast because nothing drives in. Limestone cliffs cut the peninsula off from the mainland, and you, your luggage, your dinner and the beer in the bar all arrive by boat. That is what makes the evenings quiet, and it is also what makes everything a little harder.
The peninsula is small, but its corners are not alike. Where you sleep decides which landing is nearest, what you pay, and whether you have power in the afternoon. For a day visit, see the Railay guide; this page is about the nights.
Sleep here if you came for the cliffs, if you climb, or if you want the beaches early in the morning and late in the afternoon, before and after the day visitors.
Think twice if you travel with a lot of luggage or very young children, if you want a different restaurant every night, if your budget is tight, or if you plan an island tour every day: every outing starts with a boat, and many tours start from Ao Nang.
The Railay guide: what to see on the peninsula
Railay West and Railay East are back to back, a few minutes apart on foot, and most places to stay are on one or the other. Phra Nang Beach is at the southern tip, and Tonsai is the next bay north of Railay West, round a headland.
The sandy side, where you swim and where the longtails from Ao Nang come in. Travel guides agree that it has the widest range of stays and the most polish, from mid-range to upscale, set back behind the trees. Quiet in the evening once the day boats have left. Not for you on a tight budget.
The mangrove side, where the boats from Ao Nam Mao (a bay east of Ao Nang) and Krabi Town tie up at a pontoon. It is where most of the cheaper rooms and most of the bars are, and in peak season it is the livelier side at night. The shore is a shallow bay that turns to mudflat at low tide: you sleep here and swim at Railay West.
The beach where the cliffs come down onto the sand, with the cave shrine at one end. There is very little to stay in here, and what there is sits at the top of the price range. Most people sleep on West or East and walk over, by the path under the cliffs.
The rustic bay next door, a base for climbers, with simple bungalows and a rockier shore. You reach it over the rocks from Railay West at low tide, or by a steep jungle path. Its resorts run on generators, and at many of them power comes on only from evening to morning: ask before you book if you need to charge things or keep a fan on in the afternoon.
Choose your crossing by your luggage, not only by where you are coming from. The longtails from Ao Nang land on the beach at Railay West, with no pier: you climb down into shallow water and carry your bags ashore. The boats from Ao Nam Mao and from Chao Fah pier in Krabi Town land at the floating pontoon at Railay East, where you step off dry, and Railay West is then a short walk away.
A backpack is the easy option everywhere, and the only sensible one for Tonsai: do not try the rocks or the jungle path with a suitcase. Pack anything that must stay dry in a bag inside your bag, and ask your accommodation how they would bring you in.
How to get to Railay, and back with your luggage
Everything costs more. Rooms, food and drinks are dearer than on the mainland, because all of it comes in by boat. Budget for Railay prices rather than Ao Nang ones.
Bring cash. Sources agree that cash machines on the peninsula are few and not always working, and the boats are paid in cash. Take out what you need for your whole stay in Ao Nang or Krabi Town.
Small shops only. There are small shops, but not the choice of the mainland. Bring anything specific, from medicine to sunscreen you trust.
Power at Tonsai. On Tonsai, the resorts make their own electricity, and many switch it on only in the evening and overnight. We found no source describing cuts on Railay West or East: if it matters to you, ask the place you book.
In the evening the day boats leave, and the peninsula belongs to the people staying on it. The shared longtails back to Ao Nang run until early evening; after that, sources disagree on whether a shared boat still runs or only a private one, so do not plan a dinner on the mainland and a late crossing home.
The tide shapes your days here more than in Ao Nang. At low tide, Railay East becomes mudflat and the rocks to Tonsai become passable; at high tide, the reverse. From May to October, the southwest monsoon can make the sea rough on the Ao Nang side and the boats from there can be suspended. The crossing from Ao Nam Mao to Railay East, on the sheltered side, is described as the most reliable in those months. If you have a flight to catch, leave Railay the day before.
Landing, the tide and the monsoon, in detail
Every way out starts with a boat. For island days, a longtail to Ao Nang usually comes first, unless your tour picks up on Railay: check when you book. Some ferries between Ao Nang and Phi Phi call at Railay East, which can save a crossing if Phi Phi is your next stop. For Krabi Town, the longtail from Railay East to Chao Fah pier lands you in the town itself, on the same side of the province as the airport; from Ao Nang, the airport is a longer ride.
Rock climbing introduction at Railay
| Corner | The stay | Landing | Evenings | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Railay West | Mid-range to upscale | Wet, on the beach | Quiet | Prices |
| Railay East | Budget, and the bars | Dry, at the pontoon | Livelier in peak season | Mudflat at low tide |
| Phra Nang Beach | Very few rooms, top end | Walk from East or West | Quiet | Day crowds from tour boats |
| Tonsai | Simple bungalows | Rocks or jungle path | The climbing crowd | Power hours, luggage |
9 tours
The four islands and the Hong Islands, by shared or private boat, from Ao Nang and Railay.
2 tours
Half-day climbing classes for beginners on the cliffs of Railay, with an instructor.
Things to do · the islands
Four islands for a first day close to Ao Nang, Hong for the lagoon, Phi Phi for Maya Bay, Phang Nga Bay for James Bond Island: four different days at sea, and the boat matters as much as the island.
Things to do · the beaches
Krabi has beaches you drive to and beaches you reach by boat, beaches for a swim and one, at Railay, that turns to mud at low tide: the tide and the season decide more than the sand.
Things to do · Ao Nang
Where most Krabi trips are based and most days out begin: the beach and its tide, what is within walking distance, which boat leaves from where, and what to do when the sea keeps the boats in.
Things to do · Railay
Railay is reached only by boat. Which boat, where it lands you, what to see once you are there, and whether to sleep on the peninsula or come for the day.
Things to do · inland
Away from the coast, Krabi is forest, limestone and fresh water: a temple at the top of a long staircase, a green pool you can swim in, hot springs, waterfalls and mangrove caves. What each one asks of you, and whether to go on a tour or by yourself.
Things to do · Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta is two to three hours from Krabi Town by road and car ferry, all year. What separates it from Ao Nang, how to get there in each season, and what to see once you are there.
Things to do · Phi Phi
Phi Phi is two islands: Phi Phi Leh, with Maya Bay and its rules, seen on a day from Krabi, and Phi Phi Don, the island you can sleep on. What each one is, what disappoints, and how to fit them in.
Things to do · Night markets
Krabi's evening markets do not all open on the same nights. Which one runs when, where to find it, and which times we could confirm and which we could not.
Where to stay
Ao Nang for convenience, Railay for the cliffs, Krabi Town for a Thai town, Klong Muang for quiet: the base you pick decides how your days start.
Travel info · Krabi
The season and the sea decide more of a Krabi trip than anything else. When to come, which boats run, what the national parks close and charge, then the airport, the visa, money, health and the rules.
West if you want to wake up on the swimming beach and can pay for it; East if you want a cheaper room, the bars, and a dry landing with your bags. They are a few minutes apart on foot.
Sources agree there are few, and that they do not always work. Bring enough cash for your whole stay from Ao Nang or Krabi Town; the boats are paid in cash too.
Yes, but the resorts run on generators, and at many of them the power comes on only from evening to morning. Ask the place you book if you need it in the daytime.
Come in by Railay East: the boats from Ao Nam Mao and Krabi Town tie up at a floating pontoon, so you step off dry. The boats from Ao Nang land on the beach at Railay West, and you wade ashore with your bags.
Yes, but the boats from Ao Nang can be suspended when the sea is rough. The crossing from Ao Nam Mao to Railay East is described as the most reliable from May to October. Leave a day of slack before a flight.