It took taking a ferry from Phi Phi to Krabi, outside truck from Krabi to Ao Nang, and finally a long-tail to get to Railay. It was a long hungover hot adventure but one that was well worth it. This place, that seems like an island but is not, is one of the most beautiful places I have been. We stayed at Railay Beach Resort and Spa which was maybe 200 feet from where we got off the long-tail. We arrived in Railay on Thanksgiving day so our agenda was really what any Thanksgiving is; eating, relaxing and drinking. We checked in and changed into our bathing suits and then went to the pool which was right on the beach. Some napped, some drank, some swam. It was calm and perfect.
In the past friendsgiving adventures we have had a special dinner planned for Thanksgiving but because Railay is in a desolate area since it is cut off from the main parts of Thailand because of the limestone mountains we hadn’t planned anything. Ashley, the “really makes anything happen and can get you into any party” type of girl decided it was time to get something fancy set up. What we got was a preset meal and VIP table. As you can see below it looked like prom. It was hilariously awesome. We picked up a few other people at this point, three friends of Ashley’s, and it was great to have a full table for Thanksgiving. We all sat there, new and old friends, and said our thanks and ate amazing Thai food.
Now let me talk about mango sticky rice. I am a dark chocolate lover but my dessert of choice is really something creamy and sweet and a hint of fruity. Looking at the picture below you can see why I put myself in very uncomfortable situations whenever mango sticky rice was part of a meal. And how could I stop eating with a sticky rice that looks that good?!
(Joy Beach Bar)
We decided to go out in Railay East after dinner and went to Joy Beach Bar. We sat on the top and relaxed in the chill ambience and comfy pillow environment. We spent a few hours there and then headed to The Last Bar. Which is really easy to find because it is the last bar on the strip—hence the name. We ended the night at the only other bar we found in the area with people still out while walking back to our hotel—I forgot to make a mental note of the name of this spot.
The next day we made our way over to East Railay again to Phra Nang Beach where the rock climbing happens. Here you will also find the Phra Nang Cave is also known as the Prince Cave or or Penis Cave which was something that was a must see on our list. The legend of this cave is that a sea princess’s spirit is trapped there and fisherman believe making a phallic symbol offering will result in good fishing. Also Phra Nang is a female spirit that represents fertility so many give offerings to help with fertility; and these are just two of the legends. Whichever of the legends you believe it was weird.
