The vibe and the scenery surrounding Railay reminded me of the many beautiful islands in the Philippines, but with Thai food and more tourists. Shrugging the resemblance aside as a no-biggie, I felt excited about being there. The fact that I was then one step closer to visiting Maya Bay—a majestic dot on that planet which had become a fascination of mine since I first watched the Danny Boyle film (based on Alex Garland's novel) that all backpackers knew well about—made me consider Rai Leh a perfect pit stop.
A Few Good Days at Railay (Rai Leh) Beach
The boat ride from Krabi town took around thirty minutes, and as we arrived under deep blue skies, I could not wait to wade through the sparkling green waters and plant my feet on the shining white sands that stretched as far as my eyes could see. We settled at Railay East, opposite where most of the expensive resorts were located, and found what could have been the cheapest accommodation on the Railay mainland at just under 400 Baht.
The plan to stay there for a couple of days was extended to another day. I loved the laid-back environment, which surprised me a bit considering that Railay teemed with tourists. All three days were spent under the sun, so by the third day, my back felt like I had laid down on a bed of burning charcoals because of the massive sunburn.
I went there with fellow travel blogger Angeline, who accompanied me because she lived a couple of hours from Krabi, where she worked as an English teacher. The routine became like that: by morning, I looked forward to breakfast by the beach; afterward, I tried to read a few pages of my book while lying on the sands; then late lunch consisting of stir-fried chicken and Thai fried rice with Tom Yum soup; then more beach bumming and capping it with a dinner buffet.
Sandwiching the island hopping around Maya Bay and Phi Phi Island, getting burned by the scorching sun at Railay Beach afforded me a few good days without worrying about the world out there. I quit checking my email and just enjoyed the beach as much as I could.
If it had not been for a bout of laziness, I would have tried wall climbing at the many rock-climbing routes found all over Railay. The towering limestone cliffs and protruding karst formations that enveloped the beach provided a paradise setting for wall-climbing junkies.
For beginners like me, a three-day rock-climbing course could set one back $200 but advance one forward with a better experience of doing something other than beach lounging. I should do that the next time I come back to Railay.
Fire dancers took center stage during the night as people gorged on sumptuous Thai food at the many diners and reggae bars lined up at Railay West and East. A group of young students from Canada was seated beside us one night, and we learned that they were on a twenty-one-day island-hopping trip around Thailand for which they paid a bit over $1,000 Canadian dollars. They started the trip not knowing each other, but watching them at that time—one would notice the absence of strangeness. What a marvelous way to make new friends than to travel altogether.
At the Phra Nang beach side of Railay, a phallus cave could be seen near its mouth. While a small lagoon nearby would hide one from the crowd for a short while. Still, at East Railay, just following the path toward the end led to the "Last Bar," a joint perfect for hanging out with good music. Another nice side attraction was the hordes of monkeys hanging around along the pathway leading to the Phallus cave in Phra Nang beach.
