Travel to Rai Leh Beach, krabi Thailand

Rai Leh Beach, Thailand 

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.

Get in

Ordinary passport holders of most countries, including the United States, Canada, European Union countries, Russia, Japan and Australia, do not need a visa if their purpose of visit is tourism and if their stay does not exceed 30 days. Thai immigration requires visitors' passports to have a minimum of 6 months validity and at least one completely blank visa page remaining. Visa-on-arrival is available at certain entry points for passport holders of 20 other nations, including India and China. Check the latest scoop from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . By law, you must carry your passport with you at all times

Proof of onward transit, long happily ignored by Thai immigration, has for unknown reasons been zealously enforced again since 2007. (Airlines, who have to pay for your return flight if immigration doesn't let you in, also check this.) A print-out of an e-ticket on a budget airline is sufficient to convince the enforcers, but those planning on continuing by land may have to get a little creative. Buying a fully refundable ticket and getting it refunded once in Thailand is also an option.

Overstaying in Thailand is dodgy. If you make it to Immigration and are less than 10 days over, you'll probably be allowed out with a fine of 500 baht per day. However, if for any reason you're busted overstaying by regular cops — and drug raids etc are fairly common — you'll be carted off to the notoriously unpleasant illegal immigrant holding pens and may be blacklisted from Thailand entirely. For most people it's not worth the risk: get a legal extension or do a visa run to the nearest border instead.

By plane

Bangkok is one of Asia's largest hubs; practically every airline that flies to Asia also flies to Bangkok, meaning competition is stiff and prices are low.

There are also international flights directly to/from Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Ko Samui, Phuket, and Pattaya.

The national carrier is the well-regarded THAI Airways , with Bangkok Airways  filling in some gaps in the nearby region. Bangkok Airways offers free internet access while you wait for boarding to start at your gate.

Many low-cost carriers serve Thailand - see Discount airlines in Asia for an up to date list.

For a full at-a-glance list of all Thai-based carriers, see the Thai airlines .

Eat

Rai Leh 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 Leh 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 Leh 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).

 

Sleep

Rai Leh primarly caters to two groups: honeymooners/families and rock climbing backpackers. Fortunately, there is accommodation to suit both ranging from bamboo bungalows to concrete three story hotels. Prices typically double during high season (November-April inclusive)

 

Budget

Most Rai Leh budget accommodation is found on the east side of Rai Leh. For the best variety of budget accommodation (wooden bungalows) try neighbouring Ton Sai Beach - a ten minute walk or one minute long-tail ride - where rooms can be had for a few hundred baht/night.

                      Railay Cabana Bungalows — The cheapest accommodation on Railay are a collection of bamboo bungalows, found behind Diamond Cave on Rai Leh East. Prices can be as low as 100 baht in the low season, July/August. Reaching 700Baht in high season. The savings does come with a price, expect a 10-15 uphill walk from the beach.          

 Mid-range

     Rai Leh West has several beach front hotels/bungalow operators located on the west side of Rai Leh. While the prices vary greatly depending on room type, they're all priced a cut above your average budget operation.

                     Railay Village Hotel  has a collection of concrete bunglows, each with private bathroom and fan or air con, set back off the beach among a garden setting. High season rates 500-2000 baht for double occupancy.                   

                      Sand Sea Hotel  is similar to Railay Village Hotel in that it is a collection of concrete bunglows, private bathroom, choice of fan or air con and quietly set back off the beach among a garden setting; Although the included breakfast buffet is nothing special for Thailand, the rooms have marginally nicer decor, and has a nice swimming pool -- which attracts a more family oriented clientèle. High season rates 1950-2500 baht for double occupancy.                

                    Rai Lay Bay Resort & Spa Hotel  is the largest and offers a combination of concrete bungalows and two-storey deluxe hotel rooms with marginally nicer decor. The hotel rooms are slightly closer to the beach, while the bungalows almost stretch right across the peninsula through their gardens, and there's a nice swimming pool. High season rates 2500-9900 baht for double occupancy, including a good buffet breakfast.                

                     Rai Lei Beach Club  rents private houses. The homes are located on the western side of Rai Leh, adjacent to CoCo's, and vary in size and quality. None have air conditioning or hot water but include daily maid service. High season rates begin at 3500 baht for a single room home and range up to 13,000 baht for a three bedroom home that sleeps twelve.                    

      Rai Leh East has no beach front hotels/bungalows; accommodation is either set back from the water or up on the hills. Many of the hotels offer fine views of the bay and surrounding mountains.

                   Sunrise Tropical Resort & Spa, 39 Moo 2 Aonang, Muang, Krabi 81000, 27 rooms: 2000-6500 baht            

                     Diamond Cave Resort  is at the far end of Rai Leh east, with steps from near the beach leading up to well maintained gardens with a pool, surrounded by a variety of concrete bungalows, several of them nestled into the jungle marking the edge of town. High season rates 2000-3400 baht.                    

                    Diamond Private Resort  is situated on the landscape over looking the andaman sea and limestone of Rai Lay Bay on the east in Krabi province - Address 36 Mu 1, Tambon Ao Nang,Ampur Muang, Krabi 81000 Tel.66 75 621 729.                     

                    Anyavee Railay Resort, 390 Moo 2, Ao Nang Beach, Muang  Krabi 81000, rooms: 1800-7200 baht 

                    Yaya Resort  is situated on the landscape over looking the andaman sea and limestone of Rai Lay Bay on the east in Krabi province - Address 1 Mu 2, Tambon Ao Nang,Ampur Muang, Krabi 81000.

                       Railay Viewpoint Resort  is a perfect Resort set in beautiful natural surroundings boasting unbeatable views of Railay Beach and the hanging limestone crags beyond. over the mountain through the natural forest, then back down to West Beach for the 30 minute sunset to the sandy white beaches of Railay.

                        Railay Princess is a new hotel located on the east side Rai Leh, near YaYa's Bungalows. It is a three story hotel style building that is set inland from the beach. While it lacks any beach front, it is quiet, and features a lagoon and pool with views of the surrounding mountains. High season rates start at 3000 baht, including breakfast.

  ( Wikipedia.org )