Railay Beach
Railay Beach
4
About
West Railay, Phra Nang, and East Railay Beach make up this tranquil strip of sand. Accessible only by boat, you can easily find a secluded and peaceful spot to relax, sunbathe, and enjoy the crystal clear waters. There are pursuits like cliff jumping, rock climbing, and kayaking for the more adventurous. Park yourself at a Reggae bar and sip a delightful cocktail as you watch the sunset. The dry season between November and March is the best time to visit Railay. You can take a boat from Krabi, Phuket, or Koh Phi Phi to get there. – Tripadvisor
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- manchester1976Manchester, United Kingdom476 contributionsGorgeous beach but over run with tourists and tourist boatsWe stayed in Railay beach, the beach itself is small, perfect sand, shallow, warm sea you can walk in for a good 20-40 meters. Great caves and mud patches to explore when the sea goes out. However come 9.30 everyday it’s full of noisy, petrol motored tourist long boats that pollute the sea, bringing excessive amounts of people to the small bay. There are no sun loungers and the sand is over run. However the beach remains stunning. Not great for snorkelling as not many fish. Enjoy a cocktail at sunset on a beach matVisited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 14 November 2023
- 1234emmaEngland, United Kingdom692 contributionsNot so good on a day, magical on a night!Too many boats, noisy, fumes and pollution. Lots of people visit for the day and leave at dusk, this is when the beach transforms. Spectacular, you can get a mat and a lantern and chill on the beach. There’s a walking street with bars, restaurants, shops and massages. The ferry arrives on the opposite side of the strip, not far to walk.Visited December 2023Travelled with familyWritten 2 December 2023
- Wendy M43 contributionsWorth a tripWe stayed in Ao Nang and took the long tail boat to Railay for a day out. Lovely fine, sandy beach. Plenty of cafes and restaurants for food and drink. Beautiful scenery.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 15 December 2023
- LeaPortsmouth, United Kingdom46 contributionsLush lush lush!Such a nice vibe here. The beach is busy but gorgeous. Lots of bars and restaurants with a cool vibe and reasonable prices. A must to visit for either a day or couple of nights. Tip - Cross over to the other side, there's a bar on the outskirts with amazing views.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 6 January 2024
- Katrine S8 contributionsCrowded and loud.Went here twice during our 2 weeks stay in Ao Nang. Beach is crowded and loud because of the long tail boats. Water isn’t that clear and lots of big waves (because of the boats coming and going.) Second time visiting we walked across the island to the Princess cave and Phra Nang beach. The hike to the view point was great but Phra Nang beach was even more crowded than the main beach but had lovely clear water and much better views - and no boats! Overall fine beach to visit but lots of people and lots of noise. Won’t be visiting again.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 11 January 2024
- Kevin and Rhond... TSherwood Park, Canada242 contributionsStunning!Beautiful, albeit busy beach with people and longtail boats. It has jaw dropping, limestone cliffs surrounding it that take your breath away upon first sight. The sunsets here are the most beautiful we have ever seen of all our travels around the world!Visited February 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 13 January 2024
- Masya ZKuala Lumpur, Malaysia7 contributionsA place to destressIt's my first experience going to Railay, and I got to know about Railay from a friend. I went there solo, with no expectations. I stayed in Railay for 4 nights. The view in Railay is really breathtaking. I basically doing nothing in Railay. I woke up at 7 ish, and I'm already at Phra Nang Beach (near Rayavadee Hotel) by 8 ish am. Stayed there, getting massage, reading and stayed there till noon. Went for lunch after that, get some rest at the hotel I stated, and went back out to Railay Beach (i believe it's the West Pier). And this is my routine during my stay. Never regret, and will repeat again, probably during the low peak season.Visited September 2023Travelled soloWritten 25 January 2024
- Erin W78 contributionsSea liceRailay Beach is beautiful and the water is inviting. But there was sea lice and no warnings. My husband is not affected by them but me and my daughter were. We could not enjoy the beach. Instead we hired a long tail boat to explore.Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 25 January 2024
- JustSieaPhuket, Thailand21 contributionsMust See in Krabi!We LOVED Railey! We highly recommend that everyone who comes to Thailand visits Railey. We took a speedboat from Phuket to Ao Nang then a long tail to Railey. It is a small little town with much to do! The beaches are beautiful, lots of hiking and long tail boats that will take you around. We rented a long tail for the day for 3500 baht and he took us to the 4 islands. We would recommend doing this but only for half a day, as a full day was too long. The restaurants are good, basic Thai and Pizza, with live music and rooftops. We loved our stay at Railey Village Resort!Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 11 February 2024
- Rasel HussainManchester, United Kingdom164 contributionsAmazing sunset and viewsMost beautiful sunset view ever!!! Make sure I stay till sunset and see the amazing views and beautiful sunset. Highly recommended and well worth the wait..make sure I see the viewpoint tooVisited February 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 16 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.0
5,869 reviews
Excellent
3,012
Very good
1,665
Average
740
Poor
258
Terrible
194
SergioPQ
Paderborn, Germany69 contributions
Jan 2020
Our thrid and last time on Railay beach, which should now rather be called Railway Station beach - this is how it looks like. An exremely overcrowded beach, where swimming is now no longer possible. Mass tourism is no longer a proper word for this. When you cannot even place your towel then something absolutely wrong there. The authorithies simply don't want to reduce the influx on daily visitors to this nice place. Staying here makes no sense. If you would like to swim, then search for other serene island, where you can at least stand for minute without being pushed by other people every several seconds.
Just believe me: when a new boat with dozens of new tourists arrive evey 10-20 seconds (this is NOT! a joke!), then they cannot really call it a beach.
Just believe me: when a new boat with dozens of new tourists arrive evey 10-20 seconds (this is NOT! a joke!), then they cannot really call it a beach.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
baronoir
8 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Take the public boat (long tail) from the Pier for 100 baht per way per person at 8am. Boat leaves when full (8-10 people)
Go to the smaller beach and book a place under the trees. Nice view and beaches.
On the flip slide: lots of noisy boats
Go to the smaller beach and book a place under the trees. Nice view and beaches.
On the flip slide: lots of noisy boats
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nikky P
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK81 contributions
Jan 2020
Easy 5 minute longboat trip from Ao Nang beach ( 100baht) tickets at a kiosk on the seafront.
We went to climb but it was too hot and busy with the local climbing school using the popular areas.
Lots of places for lunch or hotel complex but what I loved were the longboats providing cold drinks, fabulous smoothies, club sandwiches ( delicious 😋) and lots of other great food. Loved this and just sat and absorbed the lovely views. Lovely for swimming too. Well worth a visit....oh and there were a few monkeys too
We went to climb but it was too hot and busy with the local climbing school using the popular areas.
Lots of places for lunch or hotel complex but what I loved were the longboats providing cold drinks, fabulous smoothies, club sandwiches ( delicious 😋) and lots of other great food. Loved this and just sat and absorbed the lovely views. Lovely for swimming too. Well worth a visit....oh and there were a few monkeys too
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WYC
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia184 contributions
Mar 2020
took boat (by ao nang boat service club, blue shirt) from ao nang beach to railay (west) beach, walked from railay beach to phra nang beach, return to ao nang beach from phra nang beach. ticket 100B per way (bought return ticket 200B). at phra nang beach, the boat operator asked to pay another 200B (for 2) to go back to ao nang beach or have to wait till full board of 8 person. i rejected and walked back to railay west (15min walk), and boarded the boat, headed to ao nang beach, with only 2 person on board. no waiting.
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kari Q 🇨🇦
Picton, Canada923 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Beautiful setting for a meal on the beach. Lots of floating longtail boats to buy a meal (ours was included on our tour). Or just buy a cold beer and enjoy the magical sunset. The cliffs on the far end turn red with the setting sun, stunning 👍👍
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yvette F
Buckingham, UK382 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
Was staying in ao nang so got a longboat taxi from beach to railay. 100baht each way, 15 mins in longtail. Can buy return ticket and the boats go when they have 6-10 passengers waiting. Went immediately going out and had to wait about 20 mins on way back for boat to fill. Beach is beautiful, with several bars coffee shops and tourists shops in the town. Very chilled hippie vibe to it, advertising mushroom shakes and hash brownies, though not sure about authenticity. Also access to phra nang beach 15 min easy flat walk. You cannot access these beaches by road and they are worth the visit, crystal clear waters, rock climbing, kayaking. There is also a chemist if you need.
Written 11 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda M
Hastings, UK28 contributions
Mar 2020 • Friends
The islands are worth visiting. We had a group of six so hired a long boat. This took us to four islands we could stay at each as long as we wanted then back on the boat to the next one. Railey island has a few eating places and we ate at a hotel restaurant. The food was expensive but really nice.The island has several caves. It's nice to swim there with lots of fish in the water.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oscar D
23 contributions
Nov 2022 • Friends
Would highly recommend going early in the morning to beat all crowds. The beach on a good day had incredible views and crystal clear water. Arrived around 8:30am and basically had a private beach.
Written 17 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Miguel N
New Westminster, Canada2 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
All the beaches at the Railay region are astonishing... Literally jaw dropping but, due to the non-stop boat traffic it is close to impossible to hear the nature or enjoy some quiet moment. Due to the nature of my work I'd say that if you close your eyes it is the same as being inside a open pit mine.
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
50cab50
Bracknell, UK424 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Paid 200 THB return per person for the long tail boat to Railay. This does not seem to be negotiable as the Ao Nang Long Tail Boat Service Club seem to have a monopoly on it, with booths along the promenade and at the pier entrance. If you buy from the booths further away from the pier, they will taxi you to the pier, but you need to get your own transport back to town - plenty of tuk tuks around for negotiable prices.
The long tail boat won’t travel in bad weather and the booths will put a sign out.
We had a fab day on Railay, despite overcast weather. We went early (about 9am) and arrived at Tailay West which is a beautiful arc with towering cliffs at each end. There are select hotels along the front, and then a shopping street with mainly restaurants and bars, juice stands and a couple of massage parlours. Walk along this street to the end, and turn right (following the wall on your right) to get to Railay West. The tide was in by late morning so not much beach, but follow the signs to Phra Nang Cave for a wow beach where you can see Chicken Island in the distance, watch people having a climbing lesson (book on the shopping street) and see the famous cave (a bit disappointing).
Boats leave at 5, but we left at 4 to avoid any rush. Boats leave when full so we had a ten minute wait.
The long tail boat won’t travel in bad weather and the booths will put a sign out.
We had a fab day on Railay, despite overcast weather. We went early (about 9am) and arrived at Tailay West which is a beautiful arc with towering cliffs at each end. There are select hotels along the front, and then a shopping street with mainly restaurants and bars, juice stands and a couple of massage parlours. Walk along this street to the end, and turn right (following the wall on your right) to get to Railay West. The tide was in by late morning so not much beach, but follow the signs to Phra Nang Cave for a wow beach where you can see Chicken Island in the distance, watch people having a climbing lesson (book on the shopping street) and see the famous cave (a bit disappointing).
Boats leave at 5, but we left at 4 to avoid any rush. Boats leave when full so we had a ten minute wait.
Written 6 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi. I'm travelling from Railay to Koh Lipe on 25th Jan 25 & all the transport options seem to leave from Ao Nang/ Krabi airport / bus terminal from 6-7am. I assume none of the transfers include pick up from Railay and I'm not sure if the long tails would depart early enough to accommodate us getting to Ao Nang early enough. Any info greatfully received. I've tried to ask 12Go but can only contact support after I've booked but unsure if can physically get there as dont think we can get out of Railay by any other means than boat
Written 26 October 2024
hello,
i read your review and wanted to ask a question please. we are planning to go to Railay Beach Club for a week but are dissuaded due to the noise comments. Was it bad always? Was it all over the beach? can you give us some more information as we are really looking for a quiet holiday.
Written 28 August 2024
Hello, I will be visiting and staying on Railay this coming summer. After my stay, I'll be flying out of Krabi Airport with a departure time of 0830AM. I was wondering if it will be easy to find a long tail to take me to Krabi Town around 4 or 5 am in the morning so that I can catch a taxi from town and make my flight. How long is a boat ride from Railay to Krabi Town typically?
Written 31 May 2024
Is there a currency exchange in Railay (no matter if east or west)? Thank you
Written 10 February 2024
Is it easy/ safe to walk from east to west Railay at night? I understand there is a path but checking if we can stay in one area and then walk to another in the evening for dinner. Thanks
Written 19 September 2023
Yes, that would be fine. I wouldn't recommend going to Ton Sai beach area at night though as the rocky jungle path would be to difficult to navigate at night. East to West is fine though😃
Written 28 September 2023
Are there cliff jumping options available (tours or private boats) around Railay or the nearby islands?
Written 28 June 2022
Hi we were in railay beach in february , i can honestly say no jumping from cliffs to the water , but plenty of rock climbing , but there are plenty of boat trips to nearby islands with lunch and snorkelling equipment , these trips are brilliant and suit both couples and families with children .
have a good trip.
Written 2 July 2022
Is is better the avatar or the sand beach? (I know avatar is in the other side, not in the west side)
Written 18 January 2020
Definitely the Sand Beach, the other side is nice for the Sunrise, but the Shows is on the West Side!
Written 10 March 2020
Is there any other boat apart from the long boats that can get to the island.
Written 7 November 2019
Try Ploy Siam speed boat charters. They are a little more cost, but not as crowded and very accommodating if your schedule is tight.
They still have to shuttle you in on Long Tail boats. Prepare for a knee deep splash as you disembark the smaller boats.
Written 11 December 2019
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