Railay Beach Thailand

Welcome to Railay Beach, a tropical paradise located in the heart of Krabi province in Thailand. This secluded peninsula is surrounded by towering limestone cliffs, stunning beaches, and crystal-clear waters. With its laid-back vibe and natural beauty, Railay Beach is the perfect destination for those seeking a relaxing vacation away from the hustle and bustle of city life. In this article, we'll explore everything you need to know about Railay Beach, from its stunning natural attractions to its vibrant nightlife.

Introduction

Railay Beach, also known as Rai Leh Beach, is a small peninsula that is only accessible by boat, making it a true hidden gem in Thailand. The beach is surrounded by towering limestone cliffs that provide a breathtaking backdrop to the crystal-clear waters of the Andaman Sea. The peninsula is located in the Krabi province of Thailand, and it's a popular destination for tourists who want to escape the crowded beaches of Phuket and Koh Samui. Railay Beach is known for its stunning natural beauty, relaxed atmosphere, and adventure activities.

Getting to Railay Beach

As mentioned earlier, Railay Beach is only accessible by boat, making it a secluded and exclusive destination. The closest airport to Railay Beach is Krabi International Airport, which is about 30 kilometers away. From the airport, you can take a taxi or a shuttle bus to Ao Nang, which is the closest mainland town to Railay Beach. Once you reach Ao Nang, you can take a long-tail boat or a speedboat to Railay Beach. The journey takes only 10-15 minutes and costs around 100-150 baht per person.

Accommodation

Railay Beach offers a variety of accommodation options to suit all budgets and preferences. Whether you're looking for a luxurious resort or a budget-friendly guesthouse, you'll find something that suits your needs. The most popular areas to stay in Railay Beach are West Railay Beach and East Railay Beach. West Railay Beach is known for its high-end resorts, while East Railay Beach has more budget-friendly options. Some of the most popular resorts in Railay Beach include Rayavadee, Railay Bay Resort & Spa, and Bhu Nga Thani Resort & Spa.

Activities in Railay Beach

Railay Beach is a paradise for adventure seekers, with plenty of activities to keep you entertained. Rock climbing is one of the most popular activities in Railay Beach, thanks to its stunning limestone cliffs. The peninsula has over 700 climbing routes, suitable for all levels of climbers. If you're not into rock climbing, you can go kayaking, snorkeling, or scuba diving in the crystal-clear waters of the Andaman Sea. Railay Beach is also home to some of the best beaches in Thailand, including Phra Nang Beach, Railay Beach, and Tonsai Beach.

Nightlife in Railay Beach

Railay Beach may be a secluded and exclusive destination, but it doesn't mean that it's boring. The peninsula has a vibrant nightlife scene, with plenty of bars and restaurants to keep you entertained. The nightlife in Railay Beach is more laid-back and relaxed than in other tourist destinations in Thailand.

The Aeroplane Graveyard of Thailand

The below haunting photographs show the eerie tourist attractions where abandoned jets have been thrown to rot in Thailand. The derelict shells of two abandoned aeroplanes left by a cash strapped investor in Thailand to rot. The MD-82 jets were earlier operated by Orient Thai Airlines, are now at the mercy of the elements in Bangkok after a business venture to use them as a bar failed. 

 This year, 36 year old photographer Dax Ward took the stunning images of unconventional site, to take a peek inside the stripped aeroplanes. The Bangkok based photographer took the hobby photography as a challenge. He’s is actually a technology teacher explains, the aeroplanes were supposedly placed here few years ago by a foreign investor to create a special outdoor bar using the fuselage as a stage for the bands and service rooms for the bar crew. Hence, the project was a fiasco and the foreign investor left the site as it is. Currently, there’s no plan to move them, as land upon which they rest is extremely expensive. 

However the registration numbers of the two aeroplanes have been painted over, so it is difficult to decipher when the planes were operated or retired. The plane interiors were mostly stripped away to show the bare bones of massive crafts, but the carpeting overhead bins and bathrooms remain intact. Moreover, echoing the obliteration of a plane crash, oxygen masks, safety manuals and other debris are also scattered about the hollowed out craft. Indeed, it is very eerie in the graveyard. The children toys and other personal objects scattered around left by people who have stayed there for whatever reason, almost making it feel like a crash site. 

The Thai culture often observe such places as haunted, no one has actually passed away at the location. The tourists are charged 300 baht per person and the place is looked after by a lady who lives on the site with her extended family in some converted fuselages. Thailand is a country that thrives with culture, and such lively cultures tend to also include a deeply-rooted spiritual dimension. So, it's is filled with ghost stories and irrational belief regarding spirits and locations which are haunted by them. Such dogmas of a haunting can also arise simply because a site looks scary, which is why I think the graveyard would have such an image. 

Hence, I'm pretty happy exploring the site alone and take these photos. Also, there is generally someone hanging around the locations, be it human or animal, so I’m rarely completely alone.  As I'm not acquainted with aeronautical design so it is interesting for me to see the diverse levels in the plane and to get a sense of its actual size. In fact it is really impressive feat in engineering and physics that permits for such large, heavy objects to be propelled through the sky at high speeds.

Lotus Lake Thailand

Indeed Lotus Flower Lake is a marvelous natural surprise in Thailand’s northeast which is so popular for rice farming region and is about 45km south east from the Udon Thani ring road, at Lake Nong Han on the banks of Ban Diam, in the Kumphawadpi Reserve. The lake covers a large area of about 68 square kilometers and being 15km long and 5km at the widest point.

The wetlands remain mainly hidden by tall elephant grasses that belie the expanses of water lying beyond them, and are notorious for the most part only by the local villagers who venture out to fish and to collect snails and lotus stalks for use in the preparation of their daily meals. The Lotus Lake is widespread due to pink and crimson red flowers blooms in low season between November till end February. The flowers start to bloom in October just after rainy season and reaching at full bloom in December. The surroundings of lake transformed millions of lotus flowers stretch across 600 square acres area in every direction just like hot pink horizon.  

Red Lotus Sea is recognizing as world’s second strangest lakes by Travel & Leisure. Furthermore, another feature make this lake so attractive when you see number of  variety birds flying around the boats and over  lake gives you a pleasure. There might be three or four birds darting across the front of boat and dart back in the opposite direction. They may chase you and hovering till the end of your journey even when the boat comes to a stop. 

If you want to see Lotus Lake, then best time is 6:00am until 10:00am as the best displays remains when the sun is not bearing down on them. The limpid waters may only be visited on a wooden boat and millions of startling flamingo pink lotus flowers dances above the crystalline waters of the lotus sea. These stunning wetlands are home to more than 80 species including of birds, grey heron, purple heron, black kite, Brahminy Kite, and cotton pygmy-goose. You can easily say land of Lotus flower, because seeds and stem may both be eaten. Moreover delicious foods are also entice you to taste them, specially spicy salads, lime-bathed fish, fresh meat dishes, are favorite among the Thais. 

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