Christmas in Railay

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The bus from Malaysia into Thailand all went very smoothly and soon enough we arrived at our first destination in Thailand, Krabi. We didn't stay in Krabi Town itself but made our way to a place in the Krabi region called Railay. Railay is on the mainland but is only accesible by boat due to the high limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access. These towering limestone cliffs shelter incredible beaches which are surrounded by the warm Andaman Sea and lush jungle. The cliffs attract rock climbers from all over the world, but the area is also popular due to its beautiful beaches and quiet relaxing atmosphere.

As we approached Raliay on a longtail boat the huge limestone cliffs came into view. They loom over the emerald waters and the goldden beaches and create a truly stunning sight.

Railay is divided into four sections, the East Beach, West Beach, Phra Nang and Ton Sai. We decided to stay on the East Beach which isn't the most beautiful but is fairly cheap and only a short walk from the more appealing West Beach. It was quite late when we arrived so after finding a bungalow we just went for some tea and then bed.

The next day we had an explore. Our first stop was the amazing Phra Nang beach, the nicest of Raileys beaches. The beach only has one resort, rooms start at about 1000 pounds a night, so the jungle backdrop to the beach is unspoilt. The sand is beautiful, the water is clear and warm and floating staring upwards at the huge limestone cliffs above was very peaceful despite the fact the beach was fairly crowded.

After a day spent relaxing here we decided to walk to the the Ton Sai area in the evening. Ton Sai is the most isolated of Raileys beaches. The East, West and Phra Nang beaches are within easy walking distance of each other but Ton Sai is either a twenty minute trek through the jungle or a longtail boat ride away. We loved it here and decided we would move the following morning. It was much more lively with more backpackers and climbers, the other beaches attract older couples and families to their classy resorts, basically people with a bit of money which certainly isn't us. Their were many more restaurants and bars and it had a much better vibe than the other beaches. We had some dinner at a restaurant and watched the sunset behind the sea before trekking back to our East side bungalow.

The next day we took a longtail boat to Ton Sai and found ourselves a little bungalow just back from the beach which was to be our home over the festive period. It was very cheap and was nice enough allthough we did share it with a couple of rats who stole some of our bananas. We spent the day chilling out along the beach and checking out the various bars and restuarants, there was an amazing place by the beach which did BBQ'd marinated chicken with sweet chilli dipping sauce. That night we went to watch the sunset again on beach, the colours in the sky were magnificant and they were mirrored beautifully in the calm waters, as the light faded we could see sillouhettes of the boats on the water and the outlines of the cliffs before they vanished into darkness. We then went to a bar for a few drinks, which are served in buckets, and watched an amazing acoustic duo. Everyone was having a good dance and there were fireworks going off on the beach, we were starting to feel a little bit festive.

The next day was Christmas Eve and we spent it watching films. Our resort had a big resturant and in one corner was a big lounging area with cushions on the floor and a big TV on the wall with loads of movie chanels. It was nice to do something similar what we would back home. We went out that night to a bar right on the beach. The beach was lit with lanterns and candles and many bars had cushions and tables out on the beach so you could enjoy a beer and listen to the sea. Their were some very tasty looking sea food BBQ's going on too. The bar we were at had some free BBQ turkey for everyone which was nice. The staff were dressed in santa hats, one was in the full attire and handing out little presents. Fire shows were going on along the beach with people spinning and throwing sticks of fire, floating lanterns were lit and let off into the starry sky, illuminating the darkness with pricks of light, a band was playing ska and reggae music, buckets were flowing and it was a really good atmosphere.

Christmas day was much like any other day for us really. We spent it watching films and in the evening we went to a beach side restaurant and had some sea food which was flammbee'd at our table.

On Boxing day we went on a boat trip to visit some of the small, undeveloped surrounding islands. The first stop was Poda Island. It was an absolutely beautiful place, just what you'd expect form a Thai island. The water was aquamarine as appose to the emerald colour around Railay. The beach went the whole way around the island and just of the shore was a huge limestone rock standing out of the sea. The next stop was a snorkelling spot at a place called Chicken Island and after this we went to Tup Island. Tup is infact 3 small islands (2 of them are tiny, you could walk round them in literally 2 minutes) which are joined by sandbanks and when the tide is low it is possible to walk between them along these banks without getting your feet wet. It's a really amazing place and obviously incredibly beautiful. On our way back to the mainland it started to rain and we got throughly soaked.

Railay and especially Ton Sai was a great place to spend Christmas, it is a paradise. However we did feel like we were perhaps there too long, we felt like we were starting to rot after a while. It sounds terrible but there is only so long we can spend at the beaches without wanting to see something more.

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