Keep Railay for short breaks

Posted by admin on April 19th, 2010 filed in Andaman Coast, Expat life, Island life

Visiting Railay beach is generally a wonderful experience. Undoubtedly one of the most picturesque settings to be encountered anywhere in the world, the island feel of Railay combined with its stunning limestone karst cliffs leave travellers in a awe-filled daze.

And the food on Railay East is tasty and great value. A couple of seafood skewers with thick red snapper fillets cost only 150 baht, and come with all-you-can-eat salad bar. And the chefs know what they are doing, not overdoing the delicate flesh and serving it with ultra-garlicky butter sauce.

It is, however, not the most practical place to spend a lengthy time. Those of us who travel to Thailand for work generally require reasonable internet and Railay is not thus blessed. After scouring the area for hours, the best value deal on offer was 300 baht for a day, perched on steps outside an internet cafe on the east side. Certainly better value than the standard six baht per minute offered elsewhere, but not a prime office environment conducive to productivity.

And although West Railay is absolutely gorgeous, the prices of accommodation available price most expats out for more than a few days. Although on East Railay there are admittedly a few more budget options, it comes at a high price of being surrounded with stinking mangrove swamps. So while it is great for a weekend break, Railay is not a practical place to settle down. But perhaps, that helps protect its appeal.