After a few weeks of life in Surat it has become apparent to me that we live in a very ideal location for weekend and short trips out of town. Besides the obvious trips to Koh Phangan and Samui we are surrounded with other great and lesser-known destinations such as Khanom. Rai Lai, though it is becoming a bit more well-known among the backpacker scene, has managed to remain on the periphery of the top destinations in Thailand. This is of course is not to say that Rai Lai doesn't deserve to be among the likes of Phangan, Samui, Changmai, or Phi Phi, when debating your next holiday in Thailand. In fact, many people privy to travel among Thailand would even suggest that Rai Lai actually stands out above those other more well-known destinations. At this point, I cannot give you an honest opinion when comparing Rai Lai to these other Thai destinations because I have yet to visit them, so I will simply share my experience. In order to get to Rai Lai you must first go to Krabi. There are plenty of buses leaving from Surat to Krabi throughout the day. Unfortunately, I have none of that information because I drove myself. Krabi is about 211KM from the Talad Mai / Chonkasem intersect. If you're up for the drive, expect it to take between 2 ½ hours to 3 hours (2 hours if you're able to maintain a speed between 100-120km). On a scooter you shouldn't expect to pay much in gas, which I cannot say for myself. Though I was able to get there in around 2 hours, I spent around 800-900 baht in gas by the time I made a round trip. The luxury of having a full sized motorcycle obviously comes at a cost. Either way, I would expect a scooter to get there and back at a relatively low cost. If you plan on going for a weekend and are on a bit of a time crunch the convenience of driving yourself far outweighs the small amount of money you may save by taking a bus. If you do plan on driving, here are some directions: From Talad Mai take Chon Kasem out of Surat.
Once you get near Rajabhat University, which you will find on your left a couple of K outside of the city center, fill up on gas. There are a few gas stations near the University. Make sure you fill up because once you're on route 44 there will be no stations. You don't want to run out of gas! Shortly after passing the University there will be a detour to the left on a bit of a torn up road which you will have to follow. After a minute or two you will see a turn to get onto the highway, route 44. Once you get onto the highway you will immediately see signs for Krabi, which will require a uturn shortly after the sign. Once you've made the uturn it's smooth sailing for a majority of the trip. You will be on route 44 until you are around 50-60km from Krabi, at which point you will have to exit and continue to follow the signs to Krabi Town. Route 44 is a newer road in nice condition and at points it is virtually empty. Once you get into Krabi Town just continue along the same road you followed into the city. You will know you're heading the right way if you pass the sign for the pier. You'll keep passing signs for beaches and resorts but continue on your way straight ahead. You'll know you've reached your destination once you start seeing A TON of guest houses, bars, and restaurants all clustered within a few blocks. This is the backpacker district. Now, depending upon the time you've reached Krabi, you can decide whether you're going to head to Rai Lai now or later. The last long boat leaves around 6:00PM. Once you've located the backpacker district if you look to your right you should see the river. There is a pier here with boats going to various places, including long boats to Rai Lai (Note: this is not the same pier you will see a sign for when coming into Krabi Town, so don't be confused and follow the signs to the pier before reaching the backpacker district). As far as I could tell there is no set departure / arrival time for boats leaving to, or coming from Rai Lai. However, it did seem that they do follow a starting and stopping time (no boats leaving to Rai Lai after 6:00PM as I said before. I believe the earliest boats leave at 7:00AM) Depending on the time of the day and how many travelers there are trying to get to Rai Lai you may have to wait for a little while to get a long boat. Most of the boats won't leave unless they have at least a half full boat, which is around 6-8 people. If you're lucky and there are other travelers waiting to head out with you then you should be able to avoid a long wait. You should not expect to pay more than 150 baht a ticket for the 40-45 minute trip to Rai Lai.
Once you get into Rai Lai the boat will drop you off on the east side of the peninsula. This side of the peninsula is more of a bay of mangroves than it is a beach, and is full of bars, restaurants, and accommodations. Personally, I didn't spend much time searching for the best deal when it came to a place to sleep but I did find a really nice place. If you go right once you get off the boat down past the bars and restaurants you'll find a sign for some bungalows called Garden View. You'll have to hike up some steep (and slippery at times) wooden steps to get to the bungalows, which are a bit hidden up the hill amongst the jungle. The prices ranged from 1,200 and up. I was with 2 friends so we split a 3 person bungalow for 1,500 baht (500pp), which was not the cheapest place I've stayed in S.E. Asia. In fact, I found the bungalows to be a bit expensive. The place was really nice though, and it included a good breakfast. It was a traditional Thai wooden bungalow with a great balcony and was surrounded by nice trees. I've spoken with others who have been to Rai Lai and have said that it's not hard to find a whole bungalow for 500baht. So, depending on how motivated you're feeling to shop around after the journey to Rai Lai, I'm sure it's not hard to spend less money. Things to do: Rock climbing: Rai Lai is famous for rock climbing and once you get there you'll see why. The whole peninsula is covered in stunning limestone karst formations. If you're interested in doing some climbing there are few spots offering climbing tours. Check around the east side of the peninsula for day climbs. The lagoon: There is a lagoon, which requires a decent hike if you're up for it. I personally did not visit the lagoon but spoke with others who did. The lagoon is tidal and is best explored at high tide. It also requires a bit of a steep climb up and then a bit of a daring rope climb down into the lagoon. There is, so I've been told, an amazing view point along the climb, which allows you to see most of the peninsula and its jutting limestone karst formations. Day Trips: There are a ton of islands around Rai Lai, the most notable of course is Koh Phi Phi. There are daily boat tours leaving multiple times a day for relatively inexpensive. There are also snorkeling tours. Kayaking: It is possible to rent kayaks and explore the coastline independently. There are also some good snorkeling locations along the coast, which can be reached when kayaking. Snorkeling: The water clarity varies between good and amazing. As I said above there are apparently good locations near the beaches, which can be reached via boat/kayak. If you're feeling a bit lazy but still want to snorkel a bit, the beaches are quite nice and if you swim near the rocks you can see quite a lot of fish. Phra Nang Cave: To the north of Rai Lai east you can find the Phra Nang cave. This cave supposedly is full of glittering minerals and is also known as Diamond cave. The Beach: Ultimately, this is probably why you are going to visit Rai Lai. There are 2 main beaches on Rai Lai peninsula. There is the western beach and Phra Nang beach. The beaches can be reached via paths that cut through the peninsula from west to east. The walk from most accommodations on the peninsula should take no more than 20 minutes to reach the beach.
Both of these beaches are stunningly beautiful and I'd be lying if I said I'd ever been to one more impressive. West beach has a lot more restaurants and bars easily accessible. Phra Nang beach is a bit less developed and quite possibly more beautiful. The water at both beaches is turquoise-blue, warm, and quite clear. Lest I forget the nice sugary white sand that goes out about as far as you'll swim. It is worth mentioning that Phra Nang beach has a shrine at its southern most point. There is also a nice cliff which you can jump off of if you are feeling brave enough. The climb up is a bit more scarey than the jump itself and at high tide the water below is deep and clear. This part of the beach also has LOADS of monkeys. If you walk towards the northern end of the beach you'll see long-tail boats pulled up in the sand. Some of these boats sell a variety of food and drinks. I bought some chicken curry for about 60baht and was not disappointed. Drinking: Prepare yourself because this is not Surat. Drinking is a lot more expensive in Rai Lai than you may be accustomed to. Don't be surprised if you pay 100-130 baht for a beer. There is no shortage of bars in Rai Lai and most of them can be found on the eastern side of the peninsula. If you're walking north on the eastern side you'll pass a plethora of watering holes, one of which even has a Muay Thai ring set up. We were lucky enough to catch a free slugfest around 10:00PM. It's free to watch the fights but they would prefer you buy drinks from their bar. Right past the Muay Thai ring is a bar called The Last Bar. I could be wrong about the name but I'm not far off if that's the case. This place has really awesome fire shows at night with about 10 different guys performing. It was quite impressive and well worth your time. The fire shows start around 10:00-10:30PM and go on for as long as people are interested.
Eating: Right past the Last Bar is a restaurant, which I believe is part of the bar. You have to climb a set of stairs to reach the 2nd level restaurant. The name of the restaurant may even be Last Bar Restaurant. It's not hard to miss since it is right past Last Bar on the left and up the set of steps. I cannot recommend this place enough. I ate here 2 times over the weekend and both times it was exceptional. I would actually go as far as to say that what I ate was the best Thai food I've had. I'd recommend the Massaman Soup and the penang curry. This place offers other food like western and Indian dishes, which you should avoid. The Thai food in this place far outshines the other options. Also, visit the long boats on Phra Nang for some good cheap food and a cool experience. Accommodations: As mentioned above most accommodations are located on the eastern side of the peninsula. Places range widely in price as well as luxury. If you're looking for a good mid-range price I would suggest the Garden View. However, there are cheaper options available as well as much more luxurious. ** Rai Lai is quickly becoming much more popular with travelers. It's still far less traveled and busy than most of the more well-known islands, which is one of it's main selling points. The peninsula has a laid back vibe and there is no shortage of rastas and hippies floating around. There are tons of shops to buy local made handicrafts and plenty of things to see and do. My recommendation is to go and go soon before it is covered with as many resorts as it is dreadlocks and drum circles.