Rai Leh, also commonly known as Railay,
is a tourist area located on the Andaman Coast of
Thailand, in Krabi Province. Rai Leh is primarily
known as a rock climbing hot spot, attracting climbers
from all over the world to its superb towering limestone.
How to get here As Rai Leh is a peninsula surrounded by ocean
and mountains, final access can only be by boat.
Long-tails depart from Ao Nang (10 minutes, 60 baht/person)
and Krabi (30 minutes) on demand, making those towns
the gateways to Rai Leh. It's also possible to access
Rai Leh via regular ferries that run between Ko
Lanta, Ko Phi Phi, and Phuket (more frequent
in the November-May dry season - times available
from local travel agents, or check online ferry
schedules).
The Krabi,
Phuket, Ko Lanta and Ko
Phi Phi articles have information on reaching
the gateways to Rai Leh from throughout Thailand.
From Bangkok there are flights to Krabi and Phuket,
direct bus services, and trains to Surat Thani with
onward connections by bus.
NB: If departing from Ao
Nang, be aware that you're expected to walk
out several meters into the surf before getting
on a boat (depending on the tide). It might be best
to change into clothese suitable for getting wet,
or at the very least be sure you don't have more
luggage than you can carry a few meters into the
ocean.
Getting around
Rai Leh is considered to be all of the peninsula,
which has four primary areas:
Phra Nang: a fine white sand beach,
on the southern tip of the peninsula
Rai Leh East: the mangrove side
of the peninsula, used by long-tails to/from Krabi
Rai Leh West: a fine beach of white
sand and shallow water, where most long-tails
arrive from Ao Nang
Ton Sai: a cove around the corner
from Rai Ley West where rockclimbers and backpackers
hang out in cheap accomodation and practice climbing
It's a 5-10 minute walk between any of these landmarks.
The village itself is a pedestrian's dream, as there
are no cars, and the uneven bumpy walkways make
even bicycles impractical.
Whare to see
Phra Nang Cave, also known as Diamond Cave,
on the east side of the peninsula, to the north
of Rai Leh East, is an interesting place to explore
and one of the few strictly sight-seeing destinations
at Rai Leh. A nominal entrance fee pays for a short
walk along the lit boardwalk through formations
that glitter as if they were full of diamonds. Though
not breathtakingly large (and thus easily viewed
in about fifteen minutes) it is quite beautiful.
The cave is a common stop for day trips from Phuket
and Ao Nang.
Phra Nang Shrine, north end of Phra Nang
Beach. Dedicated to the spirit of the drowned princess
(phra nang) who gave the beach her name, this small
shrine in a small cave is notable primarily for
the dozens of carved red-tipped phalluses donated
by fishermen seeking her favour.
What to do
Climbing
Thaiwand WallRai Leh is perhaps the best winter
sport rock climbing area in the world, with over
a thousand bolted routes up limestone faces with
breathtaking views over the ocean. If you are an
avid rock climber, chances are you already know
about this place and the spectacular cliffs are
the reason you are here.
Climbing is graded on the French scale,
most is steep and challenging with only limited
possibilities for beginners. Due to the corrosive
nature of the seaside location, the steel bolts
may be of questionable integrity, bolt failure is
not uncommon here, and threads (rope tied through
holes in the rock) may be of questionable integrity
as well. Overall the rock quality is superb; however,
like everywhere else, you will find the occasional
loose section including the famed Rai Leh stalactites.
Required climbing gear: Rai Leh and around is all
sport climbing. Beyond a 60 metre (200 foot) rope,
sixteen quickdraws, your harness, shoes and a lot
of chalk, you won't need much else. Anything you
forget or don't have can be rented at the climbing
shops.
Guides: Rai Leh and Tonsai have several guide operators
with services ranging from introductory rock climbing
courses to rent-a-belay partner.
Phra Nang Adventures [1]
- on Ton Sai Beach (50m from Rai Leh). American,
British, Swedish, and Australian guides. Exclusive
guide to Ko Lao Liang for climbing/diving/camping.
King Climbers [2] - on the
east side of Rai Leh, next to Ya Ya's accommodation.
Cat's Climbing Shop - sells guide books and chalk
in addition to their guide services and intro
courses. You'll likely find a cat and small kitten
or two wandering around the shop which is located
on the west side of Rai Leh near Railay Village
Resort.
Hot Rock Climbing School
[3] - on the west side of Rai Leh, near The New
Scholar Real Coffee shop, and the owner Luang
has been around the area for over 15 yrs.
Guide books: There are three different guide books
published in a variety of languages by the local
guide shops, each providing excellent directions
and route finding. Most were updated around 2004
or more recently and can be ordered online, directly
from the guide shop, or your local climbing store
might carry stock.
Thailand: A Climbing Guide [4] published by The
Mountaineers and written by Sam Lightner Jr. All
the money earned from it is to be donated to the
re-bolting cause:.
Diving & snorkeling
Rai Leh is not a major diving spot as the local
coral and sea life is not as diverse or spectacular
as other areas of Thailand. However there is a dive
shop that will certify divers and take them on boat
trips to decent dive sites, including a sunken wreck.
Serious divers tend to prefer the Similan Islands,
Ko Phi Phi or Ko Lanta for quality diving.
King Cruiser is a car ferry that sank in
1997, providing the area with its only wreck, located
at 30 meters. Unfortunately its condition is deteriorating
fairly fast in the warm waters. This is the most
popular dive site in the area.
Snorkeling is not a major draw for Rai Leh
though it is possible to swim out and see coral
and fish a few meters off the sandy beaches. Beware
of the ever present longtail boat traffic.
Most looking for some snorkeling fun rent a longtail
and head for the islands south and west of Rai Leh,
such as Poda Island, but even there the snorkeling
is only moderate. Some hotels organize snorkeling
trips or you may prefer to charter your own boat
for the afternoon. A one way trip usually takes
less than 25 minutes.
Kayaking
While not as good as at Phang Nga, the kayaking
around the peninsula at Rai Leh affords a great
alternative to climbing and a stunning view of the
area. Several of the limestone islets off Phra Nang
beach have sea caves eroded into their bases, including
a few large enough to offer opportunities to beach
the kayaks and explore. Paddling into caves and
through subterranean passages is particularly interesting,
but watch out for low, jagged ceilings. For those
with more ambition, a short open-water crossing
(about one hour of steady, heavy paddling) leads
to the private island of Ko Poda which has beautiful
and relatively isolated beaches.
Several bungalow resorts on the Rai Leh West side
of the peninsula have sea kayaks available for rental
for around 600 baht/half-day, 1000 baht/full-day
(including life-vests). The kayaks are simple two-seat
plastic models, but perform fine on the millpond-smooth
water of the bay. A half-day is probably plenty
long enough to explore the immediate environs of
Rai Leh. A bottle of water, a hat and plenty of
sun protection are essential!
Eat
Rai Ley has a variety of restaurants to choose
from, although none are remarkable (for Thailand
at least) in character or quality. In general however,
the food is what you would expect for southern Thailand
- tasty and inexpensive.
Rai Ley West has four restaurants: one for each
of the three hotels on the beach, and a smaller
restaurant near CoCo's bar. All offer breakfast,
lunch, and dinner along the beach with a lovely
view of the surroundings.
Rai Ley East has more restaurants and the variety
is much greater, though none offer the scenery of
the west beach (restaurants near Diamond Cave may
be an exception where they offer an impressive view
of the bay from their position higher up the hill).
Drink
There are several other bars situated on the beach,
each attached to one of the hotel restaurants, and
all quite pleasant for a relaxing sunset cocktail.
CoCo's is the only stand-alone bar
on Rai Leh West. It is quite small with only a
couple of tables but they layout beach mats on
the sand during the evenings which makes for an
ideal location to enjoy the sunset.
Rai Lay Bay Resort Bar is attached
to the restaurant at the Rai Lay Bay Resort and
Spa Hotel. The bar is beachfront and is lined
with stools and shaded by the nearby palm trees.
As it is the largest bar on Rai Leh West, it usually
fills up quite quickly prior to sunset. NB: Currently
under renovation.
Last Bar really is the last bar. At the end of
Rai Leh East, it is the closest thing to a dance
club Rai Leh has to offer. With nightly shows,
and plenty of travelers, it is the place to spend
the night if you plan on having a few Chang beers.
Rai Leh East offers more in the
way of energetic bars with dance music. These
bars can be found near the Diamond Cave Bungalows.
About Rilay, (Railey), Raileh, Krabi Thailand
