damian1

For the fifth day in a row, I wake up at the Pop In Hostel in Ao Nang, Krabi Province. Today is finally the day that we are on our way to a new destination. A place that is not accessible via the mainland, but is also not an island. Wonder if you have any idea what it could be? Read on and you will find out!

Starting the day

Once again I'm getting breakfast at Saad Kitchen. I just couldn't get enough of the delicious fresh fruit with delicious yogurt in the morning. The fruit was so fresh, something I could ever experience in the Netherlands. So I had to make the most of it and enjoy this delicious breakfast one more time. A better start to the day is almost impossible.

Breakfast at Saad Kitchen

The last thing I had to do before I could make my way to the next destination was to check out at Pop In Hostel. This hostel with its great location was a perfect base to discover the surroundings of Krabi province. We have seen many beautiful things here, such as Khao Ngon Nak Nature Trail and The Tiger Cave Temple. Are you ready to discover what the new destination will be? Okay, I'll tell you ...

Goodbye Pop In Hostel, maybe we will meet again!

**Railay Beach
**So if you're still trying to figure out what I meant by “A place that is not accessible via the mainland, but is also not an island”, I will tell you! My next destination will be Railay Beach, a small peninsula only accessible by boat. High limestone cliffs are cutting this bit off for mainland access.

Hostel to Railay Beach

As I told Railay Beach is only accessible by boat. A ticket for the boat trip of about 5 minutes on a longtail boat costs 150 baht ($ 5). The time at which these boats will leave is not fixed. Railay Beach attracts many tourists, some stay overnight, but also many of them are doing a day trip to this idilic place. Boats come and go to this beautiful island. During the boat trip I was able to take the following picture of a boat that came to accompany us.

Thai longtail boat boot

And this time too the boat was powered by a gigantic old truck engine. I mean, look at the smoke coming out of the engine in the photo above. This cannot be good for the environment, I am curious for how long longtail boats like these are still allowed in Thailand. Still, it remains special to sit on such a boat (see video for truck engine).

Truck engine on a longtail boat

Arriving at Railay Beach

Since I had booked an overnight stay on the island, I had to bring all my belongings with me. It was manageable to enter the boat with backpack and a daypack. But getting off the boat with the same luggage definitely became a bit more difficult. We had to climb down a rope ladder, and this time the water was almost up to my waist. A nice challenge, but luckily the Thai boat driver came over to help me.

I arrived on the west side of Railay Beach, however my hotel is on the east side of the island. I was happy that it was only a 10 minute walk to my stay, the Rapala Rock Wood Resort. Before reaching the hotel, I had to conquer the long and steep stairs of the hotel. Luckily they had a lift for the luggage, so the stairs were not as bad as it looked.

My Backpack taking a lift 😂

For one night in the cheapest accommodation in Ao Nang, I had to pay 540 Baht ($ 17). Once I arrived at my room I quickly unpacked my belongings and packed my daypack with the things I needed. With my swimming gear on, I left to explore the island. I soon found out that Railay Beach was a bit more expensive than all other places in Thailand. You quickly paid double for food and drinks, especially beer. I soon found out what caused this, I saw a boat coming full of new stock for a shop. The boat had to be unloaded by a tractor with a trailer. He drove into the sea to collect the goods from the boat. Very special to see the reality and life of Railay Beach.

First of all, I decided to go to Phra Nang Beach, about the southernmost spot of Railay Beach. To get here I had to walk on a nice path, long cliffs with Stalactite
and monkeys.

Stalactite

**Phra Nang Beach
**Although the walk was already beautiful, the beach certainly was. On the beach of Phra Nang Beach I decided to spend my day. I laid out my towel on the beach and decided to take a walk on the beach.

The view from the beach was really great, beautiful rock formations lay at the edge of the beach and even in the water. This also makes this place so popular with tourists, because it was ridiculously busy. I therefore decided to look for a slightly quieter place. During this search I walked along the beach, and suddenly saw boats in the water selling food. This looked so cool that I had to buy something to eat.

I decided to get a chicken baguette. I decided to eat it in the shade opposite the rock formation, enjoying the view. 😍

Sunset

After some time on the beach it was getting quite late. I knew that the sunset on the western part of the island would be very beautiful. I quickly decided to go walk this way, so that I could buy myself a beer and enjoy the sunset. After some time on the beach it was getting quite late. I knew that the sunset on the western part of the island would be very beautiful. I quickly decided to go this way, so that I could buy another beer and enjoy the spectacle. I arrived at this section of the beach just before sunset. The view was already very beautiful, with all longtail boats in the water, with gigantic rock formations in the background.

Railay Beach (West)

It was my best decision of the day to go to this side of the island. Enjoying the sunset with a delicious cold beer could be deserved. After a day full of new impressions, this is a nice end to the day. Without too many words, I just let you enjoy the photos.

Cinnamon Video

Of course, this blog wouldn't be complete without a Cinnamon Video. And if I say so myself, I think this week's video is very special, and it gives a very nice picture of the boat trip, the island and of course the sunset. See it for yourself!

https://cinnamon.video/watch?v=402816216051221754

Only Coil subscribers can see the 9 bonus pictures!

Continue reading with a Coil membership.