For some people all a beach needs is sand, water, and sun and I can respect that point of view. Actually I’m a lover of beaches even in crappy weather – a good storm at the coast can be fun. But when you’ve seen a bunch of beaches over years of travel you start to think about which are your favorite beaches and why. What makes a beach memorable and did the beaches of Thailand check off those boxes?
A view from the ferry as we pulled into Railay West beach. The giant limestone sentinels guard the white sand beaches.
Sand. I like soft, powdery sand – maybe that’s not the best for sandcastles but it sure is nice to walk on and great for spreading a blanket and laying down for some relaxation. All the beaches we visited in Thailand had perfect sand.
The beach at Ao Nang was not our favorite but the town was lively and the restaurants were good.
Waves. In my younger days nice big waves that were crashing near to shore for body surfing was my preference. But now a calm bay with gentle waves that is good for swimming, snorkeling or just floating is more my speed. In Thailand we mostly experienced the calm waves of protected bays but one of the islands did have waves that were big enough for body surfing.
Klong Nin beach on the island of Ko Lanta had long stretches of white sand, medium waves and was lined with beach bars and restaurants.
Amenities. Isolated beaches can be quite beautiful and relaxing but if you need a bathroom, a drink, a bite to eat or maybe a little shade then you’ll want some amenities. Thailand was very convenient for amenities with either restaurants on the beach or boats pulling up and selling sandwiches and drinks to the hungry beach goers.
Long tail boats at Railay West beach ferried day trippers in and out since there is no road access and no cars at Railay.
This tiny bar in Railay East is called Bang Bangs. The smiling guy on the right is Bang Bang himself and he is a mixologist extraordinaire with an artistic flair.
Beautiful scenery. We only sampled five beaches and they were all within a two hour radius but I have to say that the beaches we visited had some of the most spectacular scenery we have ever witnessed.
View from within a cave at the Phra Nang Cave beach.
View from the Railay viewpoint. Railay West on the left and Railay East on the right.
Adding to the beauty in Thailand were fun things to see and do like caves, animals, rock climbers, kayaking and colorful long tail boats.
The Princess cave where local fisherman make phallic shaped offerings believed to help with fertility.
The Dusky Langur Monkeys hung out in the fig trees right on the beach in Railay.
We saw three of these water monitors roaming around Railay. Including their tails they were about three feet long and they moved like miniature versions of Komodo dragons.
The Crab Eating Macaques were very active and apparently they eat coconuts too.
Railay is a mecca for rock climbers. Some climbing locales let you climb to the top and then you can jump off into the sea.
Kayaking among the massive limestone sea stacks was very cool.
The long tail boats are colorful and an efficient way to get around but they are quite noisy.
And I have to admit that I prefer a beach with a sunset versus a beach with a sunrise so that I can sip a drink and watch the light show.
Sunset at Ao Nang beach.
Sunset at Klong Nin beach on the island of Ko Lanta.
Sunset at Railay West beach.
We spent ten days on the beaches in Southern Thailand and enjoyed every minute of it. We planned our days around meals and sunsets with pool time and naps in between. The beaches in Thailand definitely fit our vision of what makes a great beach and the scenery was stunning. The beaches were a perfect way to end our vacation before heading back to the wet Portland winter.