The Railay Viewpoint Hike is one of the most amazing things to do in Krabi. There’s no better way to see the stunning view of Railay Beach from up amongst the rocks after a great hike. In this blog post, I’ll share everything you need to know before you do the Railay Viewpoint hike in Thailand.
RAILAY BEACH BOAT TOUR
Before I share my experience of hiking to the Railay Beach Viewpoint. You may want to book yourself onto the most popular boat tours to explore Railay Beach.
The 4 Islands Tour is the top-rated tour in the region taking you to attractions:
- Visit Princess Cave at the famous Phra Nang Cave Beach
- Swim and snorkel in the crystal clear waters off Poda Island
- Enjoy a Thai-style buffet lunch on the beach
- Sail around the “head” of Chicken Island
- Walk along the sweeping three-pronged sandbar at Tub and Mor islets
RAILAY VIEWPOINT HIKE
This is a blog post about both ‘the less popular’ Railay Viewpoint and the regular viewpoint. The unpopular route is still legal, signed, and has ropes but most tourists don’t stumble upon it. The regular viewpoint has views of the east and west beaches. I have added the info about the ‘regular/popular’ Railay viewpoint at the bottom of the blog post.
How to get to the Railay Viewpoint Hike
How did I get to Railay Beach? Read how I kayaked from Ao Nang to Railay Beach to Phra Nang Cave in half a day… and hiked the viewpoint. However, the most common way to reach Railay Beach is by booking on to a longtail boat or a speed boat. You can do this down by the beach or with local vendors for less than $10.
Skip a minute into the following video to see the hike and the amazing view!
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Where is the Railay Viewpoint Hike?
Down the southern end of the Railay West Beach where the longboats are parked, there are several pathways that lead up the cliff. Take any path that leads up the cliff as they all intersect and there really was no clear main path.
Railay Viewpoint Hike Conditions
The second section of the hike gets much steeper and it becomes more of a rock wall. At this stage, it isn’t really dangerous but the wall gradually becomes more and more vertical until it is a straight-up climb.
There wasn’t an abundance of great footholds but several sturdy ropes guided me to what I will call the viewpoint. From where I stopped to enjoy the view there seemed to rope leader around the corner and higher. I decided I had met my match as it looked like it got a lot tougher if I was to continue further.
Railay Viewpoint
From this viewpoint, I could see a glimpse of Railay East Beach and the entirety of Railay West Beach. I even managed to spot my little green kayak that was sitting safely on the beach. Enjoying the view, I sat up there for a while, dreading the challenge of scaling the vertical wall back down. I am not a rock climber by any means and this pushed me so far out of my comfort zone I was self-talking myself down the climb. I would suggest climbing to this viewpoint for people able to pull their own weight only with their arms and people with some climbing experience.
Railay Viewpoint East
Very close to Railay East and only a short walk from Railay West is the well-known viewpoint. I didn’t attempt this one but thought it deserved to be on your Ao Nang Bucketlist as I did have similar views from the other hike. It looked extremely muddy and had lots of fun with views of both Railay East and West but I was short of time.
There weren’t too many signs directing people to the hike but it was on the path between Phra Nang to Railay East. A large assortment of flip-flops at the base of the walk identified its beginning. The emerging and highly muddied tourists were evidence of the challenging climb. The views on this hike seemed great from the photos I saw but not as good as the hike I did… by mistake! I was looking for this hike and accidentally climbed to a different viewpoint.
Where to stay in Ao Nang Krabi
Ao Nang Cliff Beach Resort – Luxury: This resort has rooms all the way up the cliff with views of the entire ocean. The room had a bath on the balcony with sunset views! The infinity pool at Ao Nang Cliff Beach Resort was amazing at sunrise and sunset.
Ibis Styles Krabi Ao Nang – Value: The Ibis Styles Krabi Ao Nang has a pool that looks out to the limestone cliffs and it is just the perfect spot for sunset. You will find that this hotel has all of the trimmings, and is 3-star but only $60 for a night.
Link Hostel Ao Nang – Budget: For just $8 a night in a dormitory room you have cheap, budget accommodation. However, you also have a beautiful pool and really modern facilities.
What are my favorite pieces of hiking gear?
There are four pieces of gear that I simply never forget when I go on a hike. These are four items that I using right now and this list gets updated every year! Here are my hiking essentials.
- Arcteryx BETA AR Rain Jacket: This is my go-to rain jacket. It’s super light, folds down into a tiny ball, and protects brilliantly in a storm. This one never leaves my backpack.
- Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX Hiking Boots: For the best ankle support, waterproofing, and durable exterior I’m a fan of tough but light hiking boots like these Salomons for my adventures.
- Black Diamond Head Torch: I can’t tell you how many times, I’ve arrived back from a hike unexpectedly late. I always keep this lightweight but strong headtorch in my bag for the unexpected.
- Darn Tough Socks: These are the most comfortable hiking socks I’ve ever worn and last for years. They also have a lifetime warranty and you just send them in with a hole and they replace it no questions asked.
Renee
Tuesday 12th of March 2019
Me and my friend were also looking for the other viewpoint and we ended up at the same climb and hike in Railey west. We made it to the same viewpoint you did.
So dangerous! They really need to post better signage or set it as a climb with actual harnesses. In hindsight I, stole adventurous it was stupid and I would never do it again.
It's not worth the risk. I hope they post better signage soon and set it as an actual top rope climbing route.
Renee
Wednesday 13th of March 2019
Also, one of the ropes at the viewpoint area with that stalactite that is badly frayed from erosion against the rock. Removing it would be dangerous - if I had a means to create a waterproof sign I would have attached a "do not use" sign on the end of that rope.
If you're climbing up and happen to use that rope - it could be a death sentence. I didn't trust the ropes much myself so I tried to rely on rock holds the most.
The friend that I went with is an avid boulderer and rock climber and I have a bit of experience myself and we were still pushed out of our comfort zone! Definitely agree that it is only a climb for people who have some climbing experience (technique and knowing how to look for holds being key here) and are strong.
I can't imagine traversing to the other ropes past that lookpoint and I can't imagine being the people who originally put those ropes there. I hope they were clipped in!
Van het mooiste uitzichtpunt tot de perfecte witte stranden; Ao Nang it is! – Off the road trip
Friday 4th of January 2019
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Nidia
Monday 17th of October 2016
This site is really interesting. I have bookmarked it. Do you allow guest post on your site ? I can write hi quality articles for you. Let me know.
Jackson & Jessie
Thursday 27th of October 2016
Hi yes I have had guest posts in the past! Email me with your article proposal to [email protected]