PATTAYA HOTEL REVIEWS

AS the quality and price of accommodation in and around Ao Nang inevitably increases, backpacking tourists are slowly but surely moving out to Ton Sai beach, next door to Railay West.

Potential visitors should be aware, however, that Ton Sai is far more inaccessible than its neighbour - which is just how the people who stay there like it. During the monsoon months, waves can be too big to ensure a safe passage, while all year round at low tide, longtail boats must moor far from the shore, leaving passengers to wade to dry land, with their luggage, over slippery rocks and mud.

The beach itself used to be beautiful and a nice place to relax on, but heavy traffic, both foot and boats, as well as an uninterrupted line of bars and cafes along its length means the only truly quiet and sandy part of it is at the far side towards Railay - at least during high season (Nov - Apr)*. The much nicer Railay West beach can be reached over the rocks at low tide, or by the clifftop path (some clambering involved) at any time. If you don’t wish to walk you can also jump on a longtail boat for 40 baht per person.

Climbing is the main activity in Ton Sai; the other is sitting around in the numerous beach bars getting stoned or occasionally playing frisbee. There are some dive schools also present here as well as kayak rental, so you can also paddle to Railay if you feel active. The vast majority of the people who stay in Tonsai Beach are twenty-somethings, or early thirties; there are, however, an increasing number of older people and families, as the ability to book rooms opens the market to these groups.

Only two bungalow operations are located directly on the beach in Tonsai; all other accommodation is situated at least a two minute walk up the hill behind the sand. Dirt tracks criss-cross the forest, passing smart resorts, rundown bamboo shacks, more coffee huts, makeshift staff housing and noisy generators. It is possible to keep walking on this hill and come to Railay East, although it’s a gruelling trek. In parts, up on the hillside, it is actually much more pleasant than down on the beach: quiet and green, in the shadow of the cliffs.

Restaurants are plentiful in Ton Sai, though both western and Thai food are very average, apart from a couple of decent pizzerias. Coffee shops and bars can be found almost every 10 metres. A couple of minimarts sell basic provisions; high speed internet access is also available; and there is now an ATM machine. For serious shopping, a trip to Ao Nang, or Krabi Town will be needed.

Phra Nang Bay (pictured top) is on the southernmost tip of Railay and, as the best beach on the peninsular, is where most people (including daytrippers from Ao Nang and Krabi) spend their days. If you want to spend your nights here, you will have to splash out on the super-luxurious Rayavadee Resort which occupies all of the land behind the beach. Because of this, public access to Phra Nang Bay is only by boat, or by a pretty cliffside pathway located at the end of East Railay.

Apart from sunbathing and swimming, the main activity on Railay is rock-climbing, which attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. An abundance of climbing schools also exist to teach beginners. Although this is still considered to be the best place to climb, many serious climbers on a budget have moved to the next door Ton Sai beach, which offers cheap accommodation and a more bohemian lifestyle.

The atmosphere in Railay can best be described as ‘hippy chic’. The real hippy crowd that ‘discovered’ this place ten years ago have all but disappeared, leaving the pleasant legacy of a slow-paced, shoeless way of life as well as a clutch of bars and coffee-cum-book-shops run by guitar-playing, dreadlocked Thai boys. It is now a great place for trendy, young-ish couples who have a bit money to spend but don’t want to stray too far from the ethos of their student backpacker days. Older people and honeymooners are also very well catered-for.

Nightlife varies from sitting around candlelit tables on the west beach to wild parties at the east side bars. Live music is a regular proposition, mostly reggae-inspired, although return visitor Fatboy Slim did play an impromptu set for a crowd of less than a hundred people. Other celebrities spotted out and about in recent years include Colin Farrell and Mick Jagger.

There are a couple of ATM machines on the Railay peninsula. One thing to note before you arrive is that prices in general in Railay tend to be higher than the rest of Krabi, simply because it is like an island. It has to sustain extra transport costs as well as high electricity bills - there is no mains current and everything is run by individual generators (although there are plans to lay an underwater electricity supply from Ao Nam Mao - this project should be completed by early 2007) . Food is possibly another minus point: both choice and quality are fairly limited as the restaurants are cooking for a captive market.

If you are looking for a beach holiday, pure and simple, then Railay is the perfect choice of destination. Longtail boats are available to explore the islands nearby. However, if you’ve got itchy feet and want to get out and explore the rest of the Krabi region, you may find that staying in Railay makes things a little difficult. Its relative inaccessibility may also not suit others like the elderly, the disabled or anyone else that has difficulty walking or getting in and out of a longtail boat.

RAILAY is the name of a mainland peninsula just south of Ao Nang, but, as three of its sides are surrounded by the sea and it is backed by a range of spectacular limestone cliffs that cuts it off from all roads, it has the feel of a real island. Almost every square metre of habitable land has been developed, though the buildings are all low-rise, low density and, for the most part, tastefully designed.

The main attraction of Railay is that the two principal beaches are, without a doubt, the most stunning strips of sand on the Krabi coastline - perhaps even on the whole Thai mainland. We are talking world-class, picture postcard material. Long, gently curved, with white powder sand sloping down to emerald green water and framed by coconut palms against a backdrop of towering, craggy rocks. Awesome.

As Railay is so small - crossing from one side to the other takes less than 10 minutes, all accommodation can be classed as being close to the beach. Its three sides cannot all be considered equal, however.

West Railay (sometimes known as Sunset Beach) is where you will find the most of the big resorts offering high quality accommodation. Their reception areas, restaurants and most expensive rooms are situated right next to the sand, although the area they cover stretches right back almost to the east coast. The beach is beautiful, but can get a bit noisy in the day as it is also the arrival and departure point for longtail boats from Ao Nang. Evenings are blissfully quiet.

East Railay has the least attractive beach of the three. In fact, there is no actual beach as much of the water is lined with mangrove trees and seemingly continual construction work (rather than the tsunami, as some tourists seem to believe) along its length means it looks rather shabby. It is used as ‘the back door’ of Railay, the goods delivery point for all of the hotels, as well as the pier for taxi boats to and from Krabi Town and Ao Nam Mao. At low tide, the water recedes around 300m, so passengers have to wade out - with their luggage - in the slippery mud.

The bulk of accommodation is actually on this side of Railay and on the steep hill behind it. But why stay here? Well, for one, it is much cheaper. Most of the bars, tour offices and independent restaurants are also located here - but you will have to walk to get to a beach.

Phra Nang Bay (pictured top) is on the southernmost tip of Railay and, as the best beach on the peninsular, is where most people (including daytrippers from Ao Nang and Krabi) spend their days. If you want to spend your nights here, you will have to splash out on the super-luxurious Rayavadee Resort which occupies all of the land behind the beach. Because of this, public access to Phra Nang Bay is only by boat, or by a pretty cliffside pathway located at the end of East Railay.

Apart from sunbathing and swimming, the main activity on Railay is rock-climbing, which attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. An abundance of climbing schools also exist to teach beginners. Although this is still considered to be the best place to climb, many serious climbers on a budget have moved to the next door Ton Sai beach, which offers cheap accommodation and a more bohemian lifestyle.

The atmosphere in Railay can best be described as ‘hippy chic’. The real hippy crowd that ‘discovered’ this place ten years ago have all but disappeared, leaving the pleasant legacy of a slow-paced, shoeless way of life as well as a clutch of bars and coffee-cum-book-shops run by guitar-playing, dreadlocked Thai boys. It is now a great place for trendy, young-ish couples who have a bit money to spend but don’t want to stray too far from the ethos of their student backpacker days. Older people and honeymooners are also very well catered-for.

Nightlife varies from sitting around candlelit tables on the west beach to wild parties at the east side bars. Live music is a regular proposition, mostly reggae-inspired, although return visitor Fatboy Slim did play an impromptu set for a crowd of less than a hundred people. Other celebrities spotted out and about in recent years include Colin Farrell and Mick Jagger.

There are a couple of ATM machines on the Railay peninsula. One thing to note before you arrive is that prices in general in Railay tend to be higher than the rest of Krabi, simply because it is like an island. It has to sustain extra transport costs as well as high electricity bills - there is no mains current and everything is run by individual generators.. Food is possibly another minus point: both choice and quality are fairly limited as the restaurants are cooking for a captive market.

If you are looking for a beach holiday, pure and simple, then Railay is the perfect choice of destination. Longtail boats are available to explore the islands nearby. However, if you’ve got itchy feet and want to get out and explore the rest of the Krabi region, you may find that staying in Railay makes things a little difficult. Its relative inaccessibility may also not suit others like the elderly, the disabled or anyone else that has difficulty walking or getting in and out of a longtail boat.

NOPPARAT Thara is a long beach (around 5km), split into two halves by a river. The side closest to Ao Nang is the most developed as it is bordered by the main road; access to the other side is by boat only, or by a dirt track from the road to Klong Muang.

The beach is known locally as Klong Haeng or ‘dry river’, a reference to the distance the water retreats at low tide, often so far that you can walk out to the small islands in front of it! Klong Haeng is also the name of the village closest to the beach, some 700m away.

The name Nopparat Thara is that of the local National Park to which most of the beachfront land supposedly belongs; however in the last 2-3 years most of the trees have been felled and hotels and shopping plazas put up in their place. Even the National Park itself is building more bungalows to accommodate the Ao Nang ‘overspill’ and has also created a large car park and camping ground for the Thai daytrippers and school groups who come to picnic here.

All this activity now means Nopparat justifies a page of its own (although much of the information we provide about neighbouring Ao Nang also applies here).

As befits a place that has been developed higgeldy-piggedly, there is a stark range of accommodation along the recently widened beach road. There is one huge five-star complex in the style of a Thai palace (Ayodhoya Suites - still under construction); several 3-star hotels; a family resort; smart new guesthouses; and a whole host of locally-run budget bungalows, set further back from the beach, along the dirt road to the boxing stadium.

Many people who stay here catch a tuk-tuk (20B per person) to Ao Nang to eat and drink, although there are a growing number of decent restaurants and small bars along the centre of the strip near Deang Plaza, as well as around Luna Bar at the corner nearest to Ao Nang and at the far end of the beach near the river.

On the other side of the river the beach continues and it is also possible to stay here, if you are looking for real seclusion - it is only accessible by (irregular) boat - and don’t mind the sandflies which can plague sunbathers.

The main beach area is more pleasant and open than Ao Nang, especially now with the new benches, pavilions and off-road walkways along its length. It also attracts more of a mixed crowd, including at the weekend many Thai people, who like to splash about in the shallow water. In general the scene is more ‘backpacker’ than Ao Nang but also includes those of all ages who want the convenience of staying near Ao Nang (access to tours, transport etc.), without the Ao Nang crowds and prices. Nopparat certainly offers better value for money if you take proximity to a beach as the measure.

AO NANG is, without a doubt, the centre of the tourist scene on the Krabi mainland, with the most developed services and hotels on offer. Most people who come to Krabi stay here as it offers the widest range of accommodation and is ideally placed to explore the rest of the region. It is also a great destination in itself - the local people pride themselves on being known as the friendliest and most laidback in the region.

Most of the activity is concentrated on and near the recently widened beachfront road. You’ll find countless souvenir and cheap clothing shops, tour agents, banks and ATM machines, restaurants with a wide selection of international cuisine and seafood, bars, massage and beauty salons as well as a range of hotels. The road means that no accommodation in Ao Nang can be situated directly on the sand; however, the advantage of this is that the beach is permanently visible and accessible by everyone - and the view is amazing, especially at sunset.

The beach itself is pretty and palm-fringed, although - for Krabi - relatively unspectacular, especially now part of it is used as a parking lot by the longtail boat drivers that will take you to the more beautiful nearby islands. However, it is still a popular sunbathing spot as its gently sloping sand offers some of the best swimming in the area.

Daytime in Ao Nang tends to be fairly quiet and relaxed, as most people go off on tours, island-hopping or simply lie on the beach. Night-time is busier, especially on the Beach Road, with its concentration of shops, bars and restaurants. The crowd in Ao Nang is very mixed, with old and young people, couples, families and groups of friends. Typically Ao Nang can accommodate them all: there are quiet restaurants and cafes, loud and boisterous bars, sports pubs and, of course the beach or the terrace of your hotel for an evening under the stars.

The huge and rapid development of Ao Nang over recent years has brought benefits such as these: choice and availablity of leisure options, higher standards of hotel accommodation and service and much better infrastructure - banks, ATM machines and pharmacies are now everywhere. On the other hand, many (particularly those who visited it years ago) feel that it has lost some of its charm as a result.

Ao Nang Beach is a definitely a holiday resort in the truest sense in that businesses are there to cater exclusively for the tourist trade. However, the village of Ao Nang, which used to be a sleepy fishing hamlet, still exists, around 1km back from the beach. There is a strong sense of community here; most local people have not left and many still live ‘old-style’, in traditional houses.

As always, with holidays abroad, there is a trade-off between convenience and authenticity. If you are looking for a more ‘real’ Thai experience, you may like to consider renting accommodation near the village, or in Krabi Town, where tourism is very minimal. However, if the prime concern of your holiday is comfort, relaxation and choice, you can do no better than the various pleasures of Ao Nang beach.