IN SEARCH OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH, KRABI, THAILAND
Krabi – Pearl of the South
On Phuket, THE tourist destination of Thailand, we couldn’t really enjoy ourselves. Maybe our stay was too short (we only stayed at Kata Beach for three nights) and we didn’t give the island a real chance to fascinate us. Our beach was pretty nice and although it was very touristy it was not as crowded as Phuket’s Patong beach. OMG! It’s was so international there that we almost forgot where we were… in a fun park. Oh no, it was Thailand. Sorry, I mixed it up again.
Okay, I just lied to you. There was one thing we actually really enjoyed on Phuket. It was our trip to Red Mountain Golf Club. We spent a very nice day there. Have you seen our video yet?
Wind blows through the palm leaves
After a quick „bye, bye!“ we are heading to our next destination: Krabi. Krabi is a southern province of Thailand on the shore of the Andaman Sea. During the 180km ride to Ao Nang I have enough time to leaf through the Lonely Planet guide book. Suddenly one sentence catches my eye: “Hat Phra Nang is probably one of the most beautiful beaches of our planet.” Whaaaattt??? That is exactly where we plan to go! I feel how my expectations suddenly touch the sky. All of us get super excited.
With a longtail boat off to paradise
The colorful longtail boats of Krabi
First we have to go to Ao Nang which is the tourist hot spot of Krabi. Ao Nang is not particularly beautiful but it’s the gateway to Railay Beach from where you reach Hat Phra Nang. Railay Beach is located on a peninsula at the southern end of Krabi and only accessible by boat. With a traditional longtail boat it takes only 20 minutes (200 Baht per person return) to Hat Railay West.
The engine of our longtail boat starts, wind blows through my hair and water sprays in my face. It is a lovely relief from Thailand’s heat.
I don’t know why but this moment is amazing.
The boat approaches the coast of Hat Railay West and we are welcomed by a fine beach of white sand and shallow water surrounded by lush green and giant limestone mountains. My heart starts to beat faster. Wow!!! I don’t know why but this moment is amazing. Everything seems so relaxed. We are not stranded on a deserted island and there are many other travelers around us but we don’t care. Everything fits together perfectly.
Instinctively we want to spread out our towels, but nope, this is not paradise yet!
Hat Phra Nang is hidden in the neighboring bay and after figuring out which way we have to go (to be honest there is only one way but it took a few minutes to realize that :-)), we pass the little shops and juice stands of the “Walking Street” and reach Hat Railay East. It is quieter here because this stony beach doesn’t invite to go for a swim. The excitement gets bigger. Just a few more steps and one of the best beaches of our planet will be right in front of us.
A little baby monkey with his mummy
Oh no, we do one more stop… a small group of monkeys catches our attention. What we don’t realize in the first second is that there is a super cute reason why all other tourists are starring into the same direction. Except us. Oh my God, there is a baby monkey clinging to his mum and wondering what’s going on around him. I am sure all girls around me, including myself, would love to cuddle him. He’s so sweet.
We feel that the beach is coming closer. Oh no, we stop again. Lars discovers a rope coming down from the top of some limestone formations. A wooden sign tells us that this is the way up to the viewing point. No! This rope? I can’t believe it. But it‘s serious. This is the only way up to the viewing point. I don’t even think about it. No. I‘m too boring for that. Let‘s find THE beach.
The climbers of Railay Beach
And there it is… ah no, what’s going on here? 50 people or more are all looking to the left. More monkeys? No, a man climbing up the rocky limestone. He looks strong. And he’s really high. I get nervous just looking at him. Being afraid of heights is a weird thing.
Okay finally… my pulse increases… and there it is… Hat Phra Nang.
My first thought: Let’s go back!
Can you spot me in the crowd?
We should have known it before. When the LP writes it’s a highlight then it’s full of thousands of people. The limestone formations on one end of the bay and the giant rock in the crystal clear water look beautiful. Yes, that’s what we’ve always wanted to see. But surrounded by thousands of selfies taking people I don’t feel comfortable.
At least one nice shot ?
We walk along the beach and wonder how this beach would look like without all those bikinis and shorts running around. Of course, also we have to take a few pictures and even have a short swim. It’s nice and refreshing.
After half an hour it’s time to leave and to go back to Hat Railay West. By now it’s 4pm and the beach is a bit quieter than before. We finally enjoy spreading out our towels and after taking a deep breath the water is calling again. This beach is beautiful. Here I want to stay. The wind blows through the palm leaves and some tourists spoil themselves with an early dinner. Or a late lunch? You can see that they also enjoy this place.
I would have loved to stay there longer
Slowly I start to realize that we cannot stay here. We have to take the last boat back at 6pm. Oh no! We should have made a reservation in one of these few hotels. But it’s too late, another room is booked already.
I enjoy the last views of the beach, the longtail boats and the limestone formations and I’m thankful for having seen this gorgeous place. The engine starts and the beach slowly disappears behind a cliff.
Thanks for reading and safe travels,
Liane
PS: Have you been to Krabi, Railay Beach or even to “one of the most beautiful beaches on our planet”, Hat Phra Nang? How did you like it? Which beach did you like the most and why? Leave me a comment below!