Railay Beach Lagoon is the epitome of type II fun, hard to get to but well worth the views. Although I must warn, it’s in no way for the faint of heart. I struggle to even call this a hike, better to be described as a muddy multi-pitch rock climbing mess that should require actual climbing gear but doesn’t. Therefore, making it high on the sketch list.
Nowadays, true hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path adventures are hard to come by. Especially in places like Krabi, Thailand a tourist hot spot sitting only 2 hours away from Phuket. With the rise of social media, many ‘secret’ places just aren’t so secret anymore. Meaning, that the only places left to discover are those that are hard to get to, the ones that usually require type II fun. (If you’re unfamiliar with the fun scale – scroll to the end for an in-depth explanation).
If you’re up for an adventure (or came for the story) this is the right place for you.
Hiking to Railay Beach Lagoon was probably one of the most exciting things I have ever done (coming from an adventure seeker). I do love a good hike, but what I love even more is a good challenge. As easy or fun as I may make it sound, just know Haley was in tears multiple times throughout this journey. Managing risk vs. reward is always a personal choice and was something we stopped to regroup about multiple times throughout the day. Come prepared to take the hike seriously.
What you’ll find in this guide
How to get to Railay Beach
Railay Beach is only accessible by boat as there are no roads to this breathtaking peninsula. But don’t worry, as getting to Railay Beach is quick, easy and cheap. If you’re located in Ao Nang head over to the Ao Nang Boat Service Point and grab a ticket. Tickets cost 200 baht round trip and leave when the boats are full. This can be as quick as just a few minutes! The traditional long tail boat takes about 15 minutes. Be prepared to get wet, and wear appropriate water shoes and shorts. The boats load from the beach, meaning a bit of wading is often involved.
How to get to Railay Beach Lagoon Trailhead
There are three main beaches on the Railay peninsula, Phra Nang Beach, East Beach and West Beach. Most boats arrive at West Beach (although it’s less than a 10-minute walk from one to the other). The trailhead is located just off of the East Beach. Follow the signs to the viewpoint & lagoon, or ask any of the hotel workers to point you in the right direction. The trailhead is not hard to spot, because, well it’s quite literally a rock wall with ropes. The first part of the hike tends to be busier as many people are hiking to the Viewpoint rather than the Lagoon.
What to Expect
After reaching the trailhead of the Railay Beach Lagoon hike, you will instantly see your fate lying (or should I say standing) in front of you. The trail holds no secrets, immediately showing you what to expect. If you don’t believe me just check it out.
Ya, you thought I was joking. The hike to the ‘top’ isn’t very long, but it is extremely steep, the fun kind of steep where holding onto ropes is a must. Just remember, going up is easier than coming down. It took us maybe 15 to 20 minutes to hike to the ‘top’. (The key here is that the Railay Beach Lagoon is actually up and over this climb).
Once arrived at the top of this climb, stop, take a breath & reevaluate. Ask yourself how doable the first part of the climb was, if you’re thinking that was a bit sketch or close to your maximum comfort level, it’s time to stop. The remainder of this hike is at minimum twice as hard as the first climb.
After arriving at the top of the first climb there are two paths to take. The path to the left goes to a viewpoint and the path to the right goes down to the Lagoon. Take the right path. Here you begin the descent down to the Railay Beach Lagoon. Unfortunately, as you go down it gets increasingly difficult (on the bright side – going up is much easier).
Expect to tackle a few steep and muddy down climbs only slightly harder than the initial ascent. After this, the fun begins. We encountered 3 nearly vertical pitches each equipped with only a few muddy ropes. At this point, the Lagoon is in sight and is enough to keep you going. Be patient with the rock, it can be very muddy, one foul step can lead to serious injury.
Once at the bottom, you can now finally enjoy the Railay Beach Lagoon for all its glory. A perfect place to swim on a hot day, or to purely take in the natural beauty.
When to visit Railay Beach Lagoon
Here is the trick: go during high tide. As we hiked down to Railay Beach Lagoon we only saw a handful of people. A few were disappointed by the lake of actual lagoon, describing it as just a muddy mess. The tides here in Krabi can change drastically, not properly planning your hike for the tides will make or break your adventure to the lagoon. We knew high tide would fall right at 2 pm on the day we went and we arrived just a few minutes before. The hiker who went even just an hour or so before us didn’t enjoy the same views and swimming as we did, unfortunately for him.
Do not go if it has been raining. We had been in Ao Nang for 4 days and it had only drizzled once. Even with just a little drizzle the day before it was muddy and with mud came crazy slippery rocks.
Railay Beach Lagoon is truly a hidden gem. It’s well-known but difficult to get to, making it the perfect afternoon getaway. We completed this hike on a Saturday afternoon in August (low season but the beaches were still very crowded) and only saw 2 people hiking up from the lagoon as we went down.
Types of fun
- Type I fun: This is easy fun. Minimal effort, maximum reward. Enjoyable while you’re doing it, no regrets.
- Type II fun: Personally my favourite type of adventure. Type II fun is, really, not as it sounds, it’s not fun while you’re doing it. Often type II fun is chaos combined with physical exhaustion and the questioning of your life choices. BUT, type II fun comes with a massive reward at the end, knowing you just accomplished something well worthwhile. Think of it like climbing a mountain, hard, exhausting and not fun until you’re done. Extremely rewards at the end when you can look back and acknowledge what you’ve accomplished.
- Type III fun: Usually just stupid and not fun. Typically entails, hard-core regretting your life choices and glad you made it out alive.
