We journey from Ko Lanta to Railay on a small ferry followed by a long-tailed wooden boat that drops us off a few meters from shore. Railay is a peninsula in Thailand's Krabi province and only accessible by boat. I love it immediately. Dramatic limestone karsts surge from an emerald sea lapping soft, white sand. And there are no cars--none. We arrive at West Railay which is the busier and more expensive beach. Backpacker-oriented Tonsai is our destination. To reach it, you can either pay 80 baht for a boat ride or a fifteen minute scramble over rocks separating the two beaches. We opt for the rock route which is a little cumbersome the first time weighted down by our packs but fine afterwards.
Tonsai has a relaxed rasta-vibe and is full of rock climbers but other colorful characters as well. Dreadlocked guys in fisherman's trousers lounge on the sand, a thai woman sweeps her porch with a wiry broom, and a mother and her son play checkers with bottle caps. Our bungalow, Andaman resort, is located on the "main street" which is nothing more than a dirt path. A single bed with a blue mosquito net canopy sits on a wood slat foor. We have an asian style bathroom off to one side and electricity only during the evening hours. But our lodging is posh compared to some travelers--Eli from Finland is camping and takes his showers at the beach shacks where he buys his breakfast.
Highlights include Tham Phra Nang cave which features tons of carved penises. There are tiny ones and ones as tall as me in a variety of colors and shapes. They are placed there as offerings in hope that the spirit will provide fisherman with a plentiful catch! Another day, I hike to Sa Phra Nang with a German guy named Fabian. Sa Phra Nang is a hidden lagoon accessible by a fairly intimidating hike/climb. One guy we met said he hiked to the same point on three separate trips to Railay but still could not drum up the courage to descend a particularly steep spot. (Should this have deterred me? haha) I felt emboldened by having another person with me and the promise of a gorgeous, secluded spot. The lagoon didn't disappoint--the warm green water is completely surrounded by immense cliffs. I float on my back and look into a blue sky shaped like an eye.
But my favorite experience is the snorkeling trip. With our guide, Lek, we push off from Railay's shore in a long tail boat bound for the island of Poda. This first site turns out to be my favorite due to the sheer proximity to the marine life. I see a black spiky sea urchin whose single orange eye follows my movements. An clown fish floats by except that his white stripes are tinged florescent green. Tubes of soft pink coral sway back and forth and the strange purple mouth of a hard coral opens and closes. I notice a fish covered in the pattern of a giraffe's skin. We swim through caves. I like floating through the darkest part then emerging into the sunlight. After snorkeling we boat to Chicken island, uninhabited except for a single family with a food shack. After the most incredible sunset of my life, I watch as thousands of bats fly overhead. Lek explains they are headed for phi phi island but in his broken english I cannot determine why. We dine on seafood curry, brimming with robust shrimp by the light of four tiki torches. Lek leads us to a spot for a night swim to see the glowing phosphorescence organisms. Peering through a snorkel mask, they look like tiny diamonds swirling around my arms and legs. As our boat heads back to Tonsai, I lay on my back to gaze at constellations positioned differently than I remember them.
Tonsai has a relaxed rasta-vibe and is full of rock climbers but other colorful characters as well. Dreadlocked guys in fisherman's trousers lounge on the sand, a thai woman sweeps her porch with a wiry broom, and a mother and her son play checkers with bottle caps. Our bungalow, Andaman resort, is located on the "main street" which is nothing more than a dirt path. A single bed with a blue mosquito net canopy sits on a wood slat foor. We have an asian style bathroom off to one side and electricity only during the evening hours. But our lodging is posh compared to some travelers--Eli from Finland is camping and takes his showers at the beach shacks where he buys his breakfast.
Highlights include Tham Phra Nang cave which features tons of carved penises. There are tiny ones and ones as tall as me in a variety of colors and shapes. They are placed there as offerings in hope that the spirit will provide fisherman with a plentiful catch! Another day, I hike to Sa Phra Nang with a German guy named Fabian. Sa Phra Nang is a hidden lagoon accessible by a fairly intimidating hike/climb. One guy we met said he hiked to the same point on three separate trips to Railay but still could not drum up the courage to descend a particularly steep spot. (Should this have deterred me? haha) I felt emboldened by having another person with me and the promise of a gorgeous, secluded spot. The lagoon didn't disappoint--the warm green water is completely surrounded by immense cliffs. I float on my back and look into a blue sky shaped like an eye.
But my favorite experience is the snorkeling trip. With our guide, Lek, we push off from Railay's shore in a long tail boat bound for the island of Poda. This first site turns out to be my favorite due to the sheer proximity to the marine life. I see a black spiky sea urchin whose single orange eye follows my movements. An clown fish floats by except that his white stripes are tinged florescent green. Tubes of soft pink coral sway back and forth and the strange purple mouth of a hard coral opens and closes. I notice a fish covered in the pattern of a giraffe's skin. We swim through caves. I like floating through the darkest part then emerging into the sunlight. After snorkeling we boat to Chicken island, uninhabited except for a single family with a food shack. After the most incredible sunset of my life, I watch as thousands of bats fly overhead. Lek explains they are headed for phi phi island but in his broken english I cannot determine why. We dine on seafood curry, brimming with robust shrimp by the light of four tiki torches. Lek leads us to a spot for a night swim to see the glowing phosphorescence organisms. Peering through a snorkel mask, they look like tiny diamonds swirling around my arms and legs. As our boat heads back to Tonsai, I lay on my back to gaze at constellations positioned differently than I remember them.
I love your descriptions of the scenery and the snorkeling. You have a nice writing style. I wish I was young and on an adventure like this. It sounds wonderful. Best wishes.
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