February 2, 2023

After breakfast, I ventured out to see the rest of the peninsula. I want to call it an island because it is landlocked by the giant limestone cliffs from the mainland, but it is just a peninsula.

I walked over to Phra Nang Beach, which could likely be the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen. The sand is almost blindingly white, and the multiple shades of blue, vibrant greens, and tall white cliffs make it quite a site. More than one of the giant rock cliffs had additional beaches where they met the water. At low tide, even more beaches appear. I really need to get a better picture because the ones I got don’t do it justice.

I crossed the beach to check out Bat Cave. Bat Cave is a large cave at the far end of the beach. Getting into it requires a climbing rope and a couple of bamboo ladders. An Australian couple endorsed it though, so up I went.

The cave offered unique views of the beach landscape, as well as an adventurous climb into darkness for those up for it. I didn’t go far in, because I needed two hands to climb through some section, and I didn’t have a headlamp for lighting. 

The other end of the beach has two shallow caves, each a shrine of penises. Apparently the local men put them there as an offering for fertility.

I went back to my hotel to change into my swimsuit and picked up more water. Despite the plastic problem in Thailand, there’s no place to refill my water bottle on this island. I went back to the beach and laid around for a few hours.

I really like this place. I’m so glad I decided to stay on Railay Beach instead of Ao Nang. Maybe I’ll get bored after a few days, but for now I’m in heaven.

I found an active women’s travel group on Facebook and got great advice about another island in the Phang Nga Bay that I had been considering. Looks like my next two stops will be Koh Lanta via Koh Phi Phi and Ko Yao Noi.

I decided to grab an early dinner then head out to Railay West Beach for sunset. As I left my room, I saw four monkeys hanging out on the balconies across from me. One had found a can of Pringles someone must have left out. Two others hopped onto a balcony where a man was sitting outside. They cleaned up whatever he had on his table. Seeing monkeys is now a daily occurrence. 

I picked up a mango smoothie on the way to the beach. 50 baht. Someone made an impressive sandcastle. Long boats are in and out constantly, making their way to and from Ao Nang. One of these days I’ll head over there for a day trip.

Probably a couple hundred people came out for sunset, with the long boats still shuttling back and forth. Once the sun set there was a light applause.