ARRIVING AT RAILAY BEACH AND LEAVING MY FLIP FLOPS10 min read

THE THAILAND SERIES, DAY 5&6

BANGKOK – KRABI – RAILAY BEACH – PHRA NANG CAVE BEACH

Arriving at Railay Beach and Leaving My Flip Flops. Thailand is much more than just islands, but most of its highlights can be found around those in the south. From the parties on Koh Phangan to the more chilled vibe on Koh Lanta, there is something for us all.

ITS BEEN 6 YEARS SINCE I’VE VISITED ANY THAI ISLANDS AND IT FELT EVERY DAMN SECOND OF IT

I spent a number of weeks, nearly months, on these islands and loved every minute of it, so I was keen to return and see how things were post-COVID.

WHERE IS RAILAY BEACH?

Railay Beach

WHICH ISLANDS

Originally, I didn’t have time for going this far south, but I had visited Thailand too many times since going to this region, so that’s the reason why this trip is 2 weeks and not a lot less.

However, this does give you a near-impossible decision on picking the islands to explore on an already tight timeframe. If you’ve visited most, then you’ll know it’s hard to choose between them.

Arriving at Railay Beach and Leaving My Flip Flops

Arriving at Railay Beach and Leaving My Flip Flops

RAILAY BEACH

Personally you will only visit the islands on the east if the full moon part coincides with your visit, so that was out of the question. Not to mention my days of crawling around a full moon party are probably over. However the islands on the west are less explored for me and I wanted to get back and see if I’d missed anything.

For example I was only ever on Railay Beach for maybe an hour because we came for sunset and it pretty much happened as we were on the boat so had to head back to our hotel on the mainland before it got too dark. Like Phuket, Krabi (the region encompassing Railay Beach) is the gateway to the smaller islands around, Koh Phi Phi, Yao Noi and the famous Maya Bay. This was enough to make a decision.

Arriving at Railay Beach and Leaving My Flip Flops

Arriving at Railay Beach and Leaving My Flip Flops

RAILAY BAY BEACH RESORT

It might have been a taxi, flight, bus, or boat, but like any travel within Thailand, it was painless, and I was in my hotel in no time. There are fewer places easier to travel within than Thailand; it never disappoints!

Railay Bay looked like a decent hotel, much better in the photos than in real life, but as usual, the staff here are on a different level; nothing is ever too much hassle for the locals here.

FIRST SUNSET

Of course, one of Railay Beach’s best offerings is its sunsets, one of the best in Thailand. Tonight, along with the other 3 nights, will be spent eating, having a beer, and looking out to the sunset and incoming storms, pure bliss!

IS THERE A BETTER SUNSET SPOT…

PHRA NANG CAVE BEACH

The next morning was a free one, so a kayak to a nearby beach was always going to be the answer. I found out you can walk to Phra Nang Phra Nang when I had to go back for my flip-flops.

I recently saw a video of Railay walking street pre-COVID, and the difference is incredible. Right now, it’s like any chilled-out resort should be, a good number of people walking around and a decent atmosphere. But the video tells a different story. It shows countless people on the beach and in the surrounding bars and restaurants. I think I prefer the new Railay.

TODAY’S YOUTUBE VIDEOS

If you want to see today from a different perspective and catch a few different stories from the front row, then check out today’s YouTube videos below.

FINAL THOUGHTS

To say it’s good to be back in Thailand is an understatement, but to be back roaming the southern islands is a different level altogether; it feels bizarrely like being back home…

NEXT UP

Boat Trip from Hell, island hopping from Heaven!! Click to read.

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
152/229

This post was part of The Thailand Series. If you would rather read the rest of the series from the blog just click here.
To see a different side of my trip head to my social channels; YouTube, Instagram & TikTok. Links at top of the page.