When it comes to choosing a place to stay while in Railay, Krabi, you are truly spoilt for choice. Do I stay on the West beach, where the sunset colours the sky? Or do I stay on the East beach, closer to the restaurants and pathway to Pra Nang beach? These are questions you will ask as you scroll contemplatively through the booking sites.
Views on the West Beach.
And even once you've chosen a beach, there are so many to choose! This is the situation I found myself in a few months ago while planning my honeymoon. In the end, my husband and I chose Railay Village Resort, for its proximity to the West beach and the positive reviews I read online. I don't regret this decision one bit!
Getting to the resort takes a bit of coordination though. Since Railay itself is inaccessible via land, the only form of transportation to the little peninsula is by boat. I opted to go through the hotel for direct transfer from the airport, and I would highly recommend this as opposed to figuring it out yourself - it costs quite a bit (1,600 THB to be exact), but it really saves you a lot of trouble.
The West Beach at your doorstep.
From Krabi International Airport, it's a 40 minute drive in the hotel van, followed by a short transfer by golf cart to the Ao Nam Pier, where you will be ferried to Railay East by longtail boat. A ten minute ride later, we were greeted by one of the hotel staff (a Mr. Abdullah) who carted our luggage through the little walkways over to Railay West, where the resort is located. Phew!
Our chalet for three days.
We checked into a beautiful chalet surrounded by greenery and fronted by a little fish pond. There is even some water prepared at the entrance so you can wash the sand off your feet before you go into the room.
A luxurious king sized bed.
I really loved the room we had. The entrance opens into a little space with a closet and dressing table, with doorways to the bathroom and bedroom. A king sized bed takes centre stage, with a day bed to the side, with enough space for a third person to sleep on. Floor to ceiling windows surround the day bed, offering a view of the fish pond and greenery outside.
The daybed, surrounded by floor to ceiling windows.
One of the highlights of this room though is definitely the gorgeous jacuzzi, connecting the bedroom and bathroom.
Perfect for unwinding after a long day out.
You can even watch the TV while you enjoy a good soak. Unfortunately the TV in the room we were in had some screen issues, and the audio was pretty bad. Thankfully the TV in the bedroom was in tip top shape. There were not a lot of English language stations, but we were content with the ones available - such as AXN, Fox Movies and Cartoon Network.
Breakfasts at Krua Village.
Our room rate included breakfast, which is served at the resort restaurant, Krua Village. With the scenic beach backdrop, leafy trees, and sea breeze, it's too easy to fall into that kicked back vacation mood.
Part of the breakfast spread.
The buffet breakfast was simple but good. I really liked how they included little chilli slices in the all-in omelette, and the servings of Thai style fish and chicken were very tasty. There was also a variety of little pastries and bread, and a salad bar.
We also had dinner here once, but that was a bad experience for us. We originally planned to order room service, but had so much trouble calling the restaurant from our room, we decided to just head out for the night. Then our order was forgotten, resulting in us only receiving our dishes forty minutes after we ordered. This was the one negative point throughout our entire stay here.
The sunsets here are gorgeous!
Food aside, the resort's convenient location means that you get the beach at your doorstep. It is also just a few steps away from the main strip of restaurants and shops which connect the West and East beaches. The boat ticket counter is also just a short walk away. And if you want some adventuring, you can even rent a kayak from the resort, just outside the reception area. We enjoyed a good hour out on the sea, exploring the waters off Pra Nang beach.
Preparing the kayak!
Once you're back from the day out, there are also the two resort swimming pools to relax in. The first one sits right at the restaurant area, while the second pool is at the doorstep of some of the non-chalet rooms.
One of the two swimming pools.
We enjoyed four days here in Railay Village Resort, and could not be happier. The location was perfect, service was good, and we did not regret paying more for the beautiful chalet accommodation. We would definitely come here again.
