Railay West Beach (Krabi) – big review of amazing beach!

Railay West Beach (Krabi) – a great place for relaxing during the day, as well as for a longer holiday on the peninsula Railay. It is this wide beach of soft white sand and almost surrounded by cliffs and tropical greenery is often depicted in the tourist brochures, Krabi and on many souvenir postcards of Thailand. Despite the fact that the nearby beach Pranang (separated from Railay West high rock) is considered to be even more spectacular, in my opinion Railey West Beach also deserves attention and has many advantages. The review posted below – a detailed description of the beach Railay West with photos and video fragments that are made at different times of the day.

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How to get to Railay West Beach (Krabi)

Overland route from the mainland to the peninsula of Railay (to all of the beaches) is not. So to get to the beach Railay West you have to use the main vehicle for such purposes in Krabi – longtail boat. The easiest way to do this / when you are in the resort of Ao Nang. Because almost all of boats that sail from the beaches of the resort village Ao Nang to arrive directly to Railay West. Also to this beach arriving boats, which departing from the neighboring mainland resorts: Klong Muang and Tab Kaek. By purchasing tickets in Ao Nang, you have the opportunity to purchase them at once both ways. Below on the photo presented two tickets for 100 THB, which operate on the specified day to 18:00 pm (after this time the price rises to 150 thai baht).

Tickets for the boat from Ao Nang to Railay West and back

Boat goes to the Railay West beach only after the formation of the group of the required number of passengers (at least eight) on the beach. Then the boatman goes along with the passengers to the longtail boat on the coast and there is produced landing on board. Please note that in the center of Ao Nang beach no pier, so you need a little soak your feet after a few meters to the boats on the water. After boarding begins not very long, but very interesting trip, which takes about 12-15 minutes. Along the way, you can see a scenic cliffs, sometimes covered with tropical greenery and two lagoons, which are located in the beach Pai Plong (beach of hotel Centara) in Ao Nang, and a beautiful lagoon, which already located directly on the Railay peninsula (Tonsai beach).

On the way to the peninsula Railay (Krabi). A view of the cliffs from a boat

After about 15 minutes, long-tailed boat stops on the fine sand beach of Railay West, and again after little soak your feet, you will find yourself on the spot, and you can enjoy your holiday, after search the optimal place for this on the beach (more on that below). Slightly more complicated way to the beach Railey West, if you need to get to it from Krabi. In this case, the ticket price in one direction is 150 baht in the daytime, and the boat is approaching the opposite side of the peninsula Railay –  Railay East beach. Afraid it is not necessary, because the walking tour between the beaches takes about five minutes. Beaches are almost parallel to each other, so you need just cross the “land.” By the way, for better orientation on the resort will not be superfluous to look your way on the best maps of Railay (Krabi), a selection of which is available on a separate page.

Pointers to the best way between Railay East beach and Railay West beach

It is desirable to follow the signs for the trail between the beaches, then the road will be not only the fastest, but also enjoyable. Because you will go along the beautiful areas of luxury hotels Peninsula. Signs can be found in several places when you walking along the eastern beach of the promenade. You can also ask any employee’s  of tour desk or a coffee shop, and they will point you the right way. You must remember that straight road to the Pranang beach from neighboring West Railay is not exist (only detour through East Railay). Also road (or rather rocky trail) from Railay beach to Tonsai Beach is described in detail in the article “Big review of Tonsai Beach (Railay, Krabi),” so then duplicate the information here is not I will.

Review of Railay West beach (Krabi) 

West Railay Beach (Railey West) is surrounded by limestone cliffs, which are a result of centuries of erosion and the impact of sea waves have a very bizarre form. Peninsula Railay is located in the tropics, so all the more or less horizontal ledges on the cliffs and peaks covered with bright tropical greenery. Particularly picturesque two two hundred meter cliff, located in the northern and southern ends of the beach and serving a natural border between the Railey West and adjacent beaches.

The majestic cliff between the Railay West beach and Phra Nang beach

West Railay Beach has the largest length on the peninsula, and it is wide beach with soft white sands are a favorite subject of recreation for many tourists Krabi. On the Internet you can find information that the Railay West beach is the most crowded beach on the resort. In reality, the situation is somewhat different: in the daytime vacationers here is much smaller than the nearby Pranang beach. But the width of the Railay West is much wider than the width of the strip of sand on most of Phra Nang beach, so the concentration of tourists here there is even smaller.

The southern part of the Railay West beach in the middle of the day

But in the evening, a few hours before sunset, Railay West beach becomes a favorite place for outdoor enthusiasts. The wide and gently sloping sandy strip of beach, especially at low tide, perfect for a game of beach volleyball and football. It is also very common local game called “Takro”. Its essence is to toss without hands special wicker ball. The fact that Railey West beach faces west, allows us to observe from its territory magnificent sunsets over the sea.

Railay West beach during the big low tide. The beach has become much wider!

Since most of the guests to relax on a rest day at this point already leaving the peninsula and there is more peace and quiet than during the day. Of course, to see the tropical sunset on a Railay West beach will need to donate a small amount of money, because after dark, or rather even a little earlier – from 18-00 pm, ticket price on the boat from peninsula to Krabi and Ao Nang increases 1.5 times. As an alternative – you can stay at a hotel in Railay (not necessarily on Railay West), because then you will have the opportunity to see also sunrise on the peninsula, which can be seen on the eastern beach (Railay East).

Place for longtail boats in the central part of the Railay West beach

West Railay Beach is beautiful in its every part. Steep cliffs in the south, which in the morning casts a shadow on the beach and some water area; tropical greens and coconut trees, as well as some beautiful long-tailed boats, decorated with flowers and colorful ribbons in the central part of the beach; jumble of black boulders from a high cliff in the northern part of Railay West, where begins the rocky path to the nearby beach of Ton Sai (Tonsai)

Railay West beach – view to the north side of the beach in the morning time

Swim at the Railay West beach is convenient for both adults and children, because entry into the water on the soft sand flat, and the depth starts at some distance from the shore. Probably the best place for families with young children – the southern tip of the beach, where the sea is the most shallow, especially at low tide. Personally, I prefer the northern end of the beach, where the entrance to the water a little sharper, making a comfortable depth for swimming closer to shore there. In the central part of the beach is convenient to sunbathe, but to swim because of the many boats (and the sound of their engines) some uncomfortable. Sunbeds and umbrellas on Railey West is not provided (only a small amount on the territory of the coastal hotels).

View to the hotel’s territory from the road between Railay East and Railay West

In my opinion it is even better, because the rows of plastic deck chairs would violate the natural charm of the place. Therefore, if you planning to spend much time in the sun on the beach railay West (or on other beaches of the peninsula) – you can pre-buy in Ao Nang (or directly on Railay beach, but slightly more expensive) special beach mats. They are sold everywhere and are inexpensive. As elsewhere, you can sunbathe on the your towel. A lot of people on the resort, who prefer to lie down right on the soft sand, close to the water’s edge when slowly roll to the shore the waves caress the body. Just do not forget how to sunbathe properly in Thailand and be sure to use sunscreen.

A view of the entire Railay West beach with the northern tip

Hotels, located on the beach Railey West, relate to secondary and higher price categories, but it is really a very nice hotel that worth the money and left many pleasant memories, especially if you are traveling with someone you love and want to please him (and yourself) rest not only in a prime location, but really in a comfortable environment. If you travel on a tight budget, this is not a reason to be upset, because there on the peninsula you can easy find much more cheap options (which are located primarily on the east coast of Railay).

Walking Street on the Railay West beach

In the article “What to do on the Railay peninsula (Krabi)” already describes the main activities, which are available in varying degrees on the beaches of the peninsula and in its central part. If we talk about Railay West, for active life in the center there is a small Walking Street, which starts right in the middle of Railey West. Here are concentrated a large number of travel agencies that organize trips to the islands and to the mainland Krabi attractions, diving, bike tours, horse and elephant.

A view of the entire Railay West beach with the southern tip

On the Railay West beach you can find a considerable number of bars, restaurants, souvenir shops, and shops for tourists, where you can buy the most necessary things on vacation. Also of of this is enough and on a nearby beach Railay East, so you can learn the prices and choose the best option for themselves. The active nightlife of the peninsula is more developed in the Railay East beach, so after sunset many people massively going there. But order a glass of cold Thai beer and sitting on the sand beach, watching as the disk of the sun turns red and quickly slips over the horizon, is certainly better on the Railey West beach. Below you can see a short video from the Railay West beach (at different times).

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