We have been in Thailand for about a week now, spending our days tucked away on laid back Railay Beach. After arriving by a wooden longtail boat and wading through the thigh high water to the fine sand beach, we knew Railay was going to give us the exotic beach and authentic Thai experience we were looking for.  This first stop in Thailand was only supposed to last 3 days but quickly changed after we took in the sheer beauty of the beach and watched our first breathtaking sunset.  We extended our stay FOUR separate times, giving ourselves a full week to enjoy this little slice of heaven.

Railay is a small peninsula on the Andaman coast of Thailand in between the city of Krabi and Ao Nang Beach. This hidden gem is accessible only by boat due to the iconic limestone cliffs cutting off it’s mainland access.  Because of its limited access, there are no cars or scooters in Railay…making you feel like you are on a remote island in the middle of the sea somewhere.  In fact, our favorite part about Railay (besides the ah-mazing beaches) is the fact that there really isn’t much to do but relax.  Visitors peruse Railay by foot, casually exploring the 4 beaches, 2 caves and very few shops located here. 

Not an island, nor a beach town, the Railay peninsula is one of a kind. – Travelfish.org

We spent our days sipping exotic fruit smoothies, exploring the limestone cliffs, kayaking to nearby beaches and simply taking in the paradise that is Railay (rough life I know).  The peninsula is rimmed with 4 beaches, each one rivaling the one before it.  At one point, Austin & I were the only two people on a long stretch of fine sand…we had an exotic beach all to ourselves (let’s cross that item off the bucket list)!  Our nights were filled with colorful sunsets, beers on the beach, authentic fire shows and tasty food! 

 

After making our way through chaotic Vietnam, Railay was the perfect introduction for our month in Thailand.  The beaches were gorgeous and the laid back vibe was just what we needed.  This small peninsula (you can walk from East to West in 5 minutes) really encompasses the quintessential island life and Thai culture.  I had heard over and over again that I would love the people in Thailand…I don’t know if coming from Vietnam made it that much better or the fact that I was somewhere that felt like a remote island, but the people lived up to that statement in every aspect.  Always smiling and patient, we finally felt respected and genuinely welcomed by the Thai people. 

On one of our last nights in Railay, we spent hours at a local beach side bar listening to live music & watching the impressive fire show.  As we were gathering our belongings for our walk back home, one of the fire show performers started a conversation with us…just small talk really, asking us where we were from and how long we would be there.  Somewhat skeptical at first and waiting to be sold some sort of service, we kept our answers short and simple.  But as this local’s enthusiasm and genuine interest in us became more apparent we couldn’t help but to let our guard down.  Long story short, we spent 2 more hours with our new friend learning about his life experiences and sharing stories about ours.

Needless to say we are already in LOVE with Thailand.  We are excited to continue exploring and learning about this beautiful country and it’s culture.

xo Brittany