Railay (West and Phra Nang beaches)

Only by boat — and which beach to head for

Railay is the limestone-cliff peninsula you have seen on every Krabi postcard: sheer karst towers, white sand and turquoise water, cut off from the mainland road by the cliffs themselves. The only way in is by longtail boat, and the usual launch point is Ao Nang beach. A shared longtail runs about 100-150 baht (roughly £2.30) each way, paid on the sand, and leaves once it has filled up — so there can be a short wait for passengers, and crossings depend on the tide and weather. The hop takes ten to fifteen minutes, and you generally wade the last couple of steps ashore, so plan on wet feet.

You land on Railay West, the broad main sweep of sand that catches the sunset. But the better beach is Phra Nang, a few minutes’ walk round the headland on the eastern side, past the resorts: smaller, prettier, backed by towering cliffs and the well-known cave shrine, with the nicer water for a swim. The two are joined by an easy path, so most people do both.

Beat the day boats

The honest catch is crowds. Railay is a fixed stop on Krabi’s island-hopping and day-trip circuit, and from mid-morning the organised boats pour in and the sand — Phra Nang especially — gets busy and noisy. The fix is simple: go early. Catch one of the first longtails out of Ao Nang and you get quieter beaches, calmer water and the morning light raking across the limestone before the bulk of the boats arrive.

There is no entry fee for the beaches; the boat fare is the whole cost, though chartering a longtail to yourself runs a good deal higher. Crossings thin out and stop after dark, so keep an eye on the last boat back if you stay for the sunset, and confirm current crossing times and prices locally on the day.