Where am I again?
Region: Southern Thailand> Province: Krabi> Location: Railay Beach

Getting There and Away

Air

The closest airport is Krabi International Airport.

Boat

Because of the mountainous terrain in the middle of the peninsula, the Railay Beach peninsular is completely inaccessible except by boat.

Boats between Ko Phi Phi or Phuket and Ao Nang will pick up and drop off passengers on East Railay Beach (see travel info for Ao Nang). Otherwise, to get to those and other destinations, you'll have to head into Krabi Town first.

The sure-fire way to get to Railay Bay is to make your way to the Ao Nammao pier, and catch one of the regular songthaew--boats which leave from 08:00 until very late in the evening, but only depart when a compliment of 8 passengers has arrived. Getting eight passengers is usually not a problem during the day, but if you're in a rush or no one else shows up late in the evening, you'll have to pay 200B for the entire boat. Individual fares for full boats are fixed at 50B per person before 18:00, 70B thereafter. There are two piers at Ao Nammao about fifty metres apart, one for high tide and one for low tide, so be sure to sort out which one you're supposed to be waiting at to catch a boat. Boats also leave from Ao Nang and from the Chao Fa Pier in Krabi -- departures are catch-as-catch-can, and should cost about 100B per person -- the prices aren't fixed so prepare to bargain hard.

Getting off Railay is a matter of making your needs known to the boat guys and waiting around until there are enough people to go. Boats to Ao Nammao leave from Railay East and are the most reliable -- a lot of locals use these boats to get to and from work on Railay. Over on the west side you can catch boats to Ao Nang, but especially in the low season you'll have to wait for a while, or pay for the whole boat. Generally speaking, the longer you hold out the lower the price gets.

To get to Ao Ton Sai you pretty much have to go to Railay first, though you might try chatting up the boat pilot and see if they'll drop you off directly. Boats leave when full from Railay East, and should cost 40B per person, or 200 THB (negotiable) to rent the whole boat. It's a ridiculously short trip, though, so consider that a last resort.

At low tide, the beach between Railay West and Ao Ton Sai is walkable, but it's a bit tricky -- making your way through tidal pools and over jagged rocks. If you take this route, footwear is a must and you need to take your time -- it's not a good place to take a tumble. The other option is to climb over the headland by taking the path that leads from Railay Cabana over to the 'high road' on Ton Sai beach. It involves some steep, rocky slopes, but most people seem to be able to manage it, and it's a bit of an adventure. The walk takes about 30 to 40 minutes.

Getting Around

Transportation around Railay is restricted to flip-flops only.