I thought that the only way to reach Railay beach from Ao Nang, or anywhere else would be by boat because the beach is isolated from the rest of the land around due to the imponent limestone cliffs that turn this area into one-of-a-kind, and such a beautiful place to simply stroll around. But, apparently, there is a way to walk to Railay beach, and knowing that, I had to give it a shot.
How to get to Railay beach walking
So, I started up this trip on a Songthaew from Aonang to the Shell Cemetery. I didn’t leave the “ bus” at the last stop. I left it where I felt that it could have some beach to be explored. I simply rang the bell when the bus was near Joy beach Thai food and then walked from the main street to the beach having no idea what would I find. I’m glad I left here cause the view is beautiful and the beach is empty. Just a few locals were around their fishing boats. I had no idea what I would find during this day, so I took a lot of water and food with me, just in case. I had my lunch under a tree at the beach having in mind that I will attempt to walk to Railay beach which is about 8 km away from where I am.
I knew that I would have to do it during low tide, cause this is the only way you can reach Railay beach by land. The water recedes so much during low tide that it is possible to walk along the limestone cliffs that separate the Railay area from the rest of Ao Nang. So, once I see that the water is starting to get lower and lower, I start my journey which took about 3h. I was over-tired when I reached the final destination, but it was damn worth it.
From Ao Nam Mao Pier to Arawan Krabi beach resort
So, I started to walk towards Ao Nam Mao Pier. I followed the beach and found some cool-shaped trees that were out of the water as low tide was kicking in. I love the shapes of these trees, so I approached to check them out. What I was not expecting was to see something that I have never witnessed before in my life. The little “islet” that is formed around the trees when is low tide, reveals a type of crab that I have never seen before. Those were the cutest crabs I have seen. As I approach the trees, I start seeing hundreds of orange dots on the floor that would disappear as I reached closer. I was very confused about what was going on…
Then I decided to stop. And as I stop, the little fellas reveal themselves all over the place. WOOOOW so many tiny crabs with one big orange claw, and another one that I can barely see, how tiny it is. They are waving their orange claw at each other. OMG, that was the cutest BBC moment I have seen. If I didn’t move, I could watch them closely, so I did. I froze for several minutes just watching these crabs even tho the excruciating sun. I have no idea what were they doing… it was a mating behavior, or whatever because they were not eating a thing. They were just over there waving their claws like saying hello to each other. The most amazing thing was their numbers, the show was on such a large scale that it amazed me. Therefore, I spent way more time than expected in this place admiring these cute crabs. As soon as I took a step, they would hide inside their holes. Totally loved the experience.
But I had to keep on walking… My idea was to walk until the pier, always along the beach, and then follow the main street as apparently on the map, the beach would end. And it ends at the pier, but that’s when the mangrove forest starts. I analyzed my options and thought for a second if it wouldn’t be faster to cut my way through the mangroves instead of taking the proper street. Although it would cut a lot of walking distance, the fact is that walking in the mangrove area proved to be so slow that I think I would have made it faster if I did a long distance through the street path.
So, yeah, I gave it a try and walked through the mangrove forest until the limestone cliff starts, just where the hotel Arawan Krabi stands.
Walking in the mangrove area was not easy at all!!! The water was so far away that I thought that walking in the mangrove would be fine as the dirt would have dried. Well, it wasn’t dry at all. The trick here is to not step on the soil but follow the rocks always. The rockier the ground is, the safer it is to walk, easier and faster. When the ground is muddy, your feet can bury a significant quantity of centimeters. I don’t think it is safe, because I have no idea what things can be hiding over there, and it is surely not faster. Don’t know if you can actually get in trouble to get out. So, I followed the rocks all the time but still couldn’t avoid getting my feet dirty anyway. Whenever there was a muddy area, I would build a little rock bridge, by throwing rocks so I could step on, or I would have to walk longer through areas where the rocks are an often sight.
It took me a long time to cross that mangrove forest as I had to be very careful and watch my step all the time. There were some really funny-shaped trees along the way. It was a nice walk but without shade at all times.
I was so happy when I made it to the little beach that can be found just next to the limestone cliff. I guess that might be a beach only used by the guests of the 2 hotels that can be found there. I think that during high tide, there is a chance that there is no beach at all haha
From Arawan Krabi hotel to Railay beach
So, now I knew I would really go to Railay beach by land and by myself. I could see that it was already possible to walk along the limestone cliff. I was just very worried that the water would start to rise and I haven’t reached proper land, because I was not sure about tide times. I knew that the lowest tide would be at 4 pm. I confess that this thought haunted me all the way haha I was really skeptical about the fact that this trail was really doable. I was afraid that at some point I would have to go all the way back, so that stressed me out a bit, so all the trail was done at a high pace. I am usually a slow traveler, but in this case, I wanted to move fast. This way, when there was a proper spot to stop for a while and enjoy the view, I never stayed for a long time because I was rushing. But I have come across several different beaches on my way through the cliffs.
Beaches that would only be reachable by boat and therefore completely empty and wild. Probably those beaches can’t be seen during high tide.
There are different types of paths along the way. Either I was walking on the sand and had a lot of room between the water and the cliff, or the cliff was my support, and one wrong step and I would end up in the water. These parts were not easy at all. I had to walk in a squatting position hanging onto the cliff as the rocks as slippery and the water is splashing all over. I managed to see some corals in holes naturally dig on the rocks. Cool sight! These were the hardest parts. Oh, and there was a part where the rocks were muddy, therefore extra slippery. I had to walk as slow as I could cause I was feeling my shoes slipping all over the place- oh I did it with sandals, with probably didn’t help haha
The path is beautiful!! As I mentioned, I walked across several deserted beaches surrounded by orangy limestone cliffs- what a sight. Pity that time is counted in this case…
Crossing the limestone cliffs into a safer area took way longer than I thought it would. It took about 50 minutes to walk along the cliffs, but halfway there, I was already sure that this was a possible mission. Once I know the tide can’t cut me off from the rest of the world, I slow down my pace and exhale in relief. I see Ao Nam Mao pier so far away from where I’m standing. WOW, the size of a pea. I was proud of myself and that I have this trail that I’m sure not many people do, and I like that feeling of doing different things.
Reaching Hat Railay beach
My safe haven is when I reach the beach opposite Hat Railay beach. I was also comforted a while before because I was seeing some locals standing on the water and they were pretty far from shore. Here I saw 2 monitor lizards coming out of the water. The beach was empty. I’m sure not many people come to this side of Railay. This is the furthest you can walk from Railay beach when the tide is high. The beach doesn’t offer great views so I moved on to the next one to make my 1st stop since I started walking more than 2h ago. That place is Hat Railay east.
Finally, the view I was hoping for even though I’m still 30 minutes away from Railay beach itself.
But I stopped here and enjoyed the view. No one else was here and I’m not sure how big is this beach during high tide. But it definitely has a nice view. There is this bar nearby that I can recommend, only because of the view, because I didn’t stop there so can’t tell a thing about it. It is called Tew Lay Bar and offers majestic views of the opposite limestone cliffs that hide the Emerald lagoon. I think that a walk from Railay beach here is worth it. The view was really nice!! And I also don’t think many people do this trail. At least I didn’t come across many…
The next destination was Railay beach East and from there, 10 minutes walk away is finally Railay beach itself where I will hop on a boat back to Ao Nang. This was the third time I visited this area since I moved to Krabi, but still can be amazed at the limestone cliff view. Besides the view, I celebrated the fact that I made it to Railay beach by land weeeee
Reaching Railay beach
Railay beach at last. Off for a dive and little rest on the sand as the last boat departs at 6 pm, and I reached the beach not much before that.
So there you have it, another thing that can be done in Railay beach. If you start this trail at Arawan Krabi beach resort, you will not be so tired, but will not enjoy the mangroves or crabs haha
I was lucky that it didn’t rain that day, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been fun. If you have spare time and are up to doing something unusual in Krabi, I really recommend this little “adventure”. Check tide times in reliable sites and you can rest your mind ☺ It is a possible trek, at the right time only.
