Railay is on the mainland and you cannot drive to it. Limestone cliffs cut the peninsula off from the road network entirely, so every arrival is by longtail boat from Ao Nang or Krabi town — a fifteen to twenty minute crossing — and the peninsula functions as an island despite being attached to the continent.
That geology is the whole of Krabi. The province is karst: towers of Permian limestone rising sheer out of the water and the rice fields, eroded into overhangs, caves and stalactites that hang over the beaches. The same rock that blocks the road is why climbers come — Railay's bolted limestone is among the best sport climbing anywhere, and the routes go straight up off the sand.
Where the good beaches actually are
Krabi is not one resort strip and the four areas are very different.
Railay and Tonsai, the boat-only peninsula, have the cliffs, the climbing and the most dramatic beaches. One luxury property and a handful of smaller ones. No cars, no through traffic, and the last boats back run in the early evening.
Ao Nang is the mainland town and the transport hub: the boat departures, the restaurants, the shops and the mid-range hotels. The beach is serviceable rather than remarkable.
Klong Muang and Tubkaak, twenty minutes northwest, are the quiet resort coast, facing a scatter of islands with sunsets over them and almost no development between the hotels.
Koh Lanta, a ferry or a long drive south, is a proper island with long west-facing beaches, a slower pace and its own small collection of good resorts.
Beyond them, Koh Phi Phi and the Hong islands are day trips, and both are busy.
The season is not negotiable
Krabi is on the Andaman coast, so it takes the southwest monsoon from roughly May to October: rain, rough seas and longtail crossings to Railay that are sometimes cancelled outright. November to April is the dry season and the reason to come.
If you are set on Railay, that matters more than elsewhere, because the boat is the only way in or out.
The eight below are grouped by area.
Railay
Boat access only, under the cliffs.
Rayavadee occupies ten hectares between three beaches at the tip of the peninsula, in pavilions scattered through coconut palms with the limestone rising behind them. It is the only property of its kind on Railay and it is the reason many people come to Krabi at all.
Rayavadee
Railay peninsula · 5★ · $$$$
Ten hectares between three beaches, reachable only by boat
Check availabilityTubkaak and Klong Muang
The quiet coast northwest, facing the islands.
Tubkaak Krabi Boutique Resort sits on Tubkaak beach in a low property of teak and thatch looking out at the Hong island group, with a pool along the sand and a genuinely quiet stretch of coast.
Tubkaak Krabi Boutique Resort
Tubkaak beach · 4★ · $$$
Teak and thatch facing the Hong island group
Check availabilitySofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort occupies a large site at Klong Muang with a lagoon-style pool, a spa, a golf course nearby and full family facilities.
Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort
Klong Muang · 5★ · $$$
A lagoon pool and full family facilities
Check availabilityDusit Thani Krabi Beach Resort sits on the same coast with a beachfront pool, a spa and views to the islands at sunset.
Dusit Thani Krabi Beach Resort
Klong Muang · 5★ · $$$
Beachfront pool with island sunsets
Check availabilityAmari Vogue Krabi occupies a position at Tubkaak with villas, a pool and a smaller room count than its neighbours.
Ao Nang
The mainland hub, where the boats leave.
Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa occupies a beachfront position at Ao Nang with several pools, a kids' club and the boat pier a short walk away. It is the practical family base.
Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa
Ao Nang · 4★ · $$
Several pools with the boat pier close by
Check availabilityKoh Lanta
South, by ferry. A real island with long beaches.
Pimalai Resort & Spa occupies a hillside above Kantiang Bay at the quiet southern end of Lanta, with villas among forest, a private beach and a long-running conservation programme on the property.
Pimalai Resort & Spa
Kantiang Bay, Koh Lanta · 5★ · $$$$
Forest villas above a private beach on the quiet end
Check availabilityLayana Resort & Spa sits on Long Beach in a low-rise property with a pool, a spa and an adults-only policy.
Layana Resort & Spa
Long Beach, Koh Lanta · 5★ · $$$
Adults-only low-rise with a spa on the sand
Check availabilityWhat we have left off
The bungalow resorts on Railay and Tonsai are excluded, and on a peninsula reachable only by boat they are the majority of the beds and the reason the climbing scene exists. They are guest houses and bungalows rather than hotels.
What to do
Climb, or watch climbing. Railay has hundreds of bolted routes and the schools there take complete beginners out on the same morning they arrive.
Take a longtail through the Hong islands or to Railay's Phra Nang beach, which sits under an overhang beside a cave shrine hung with offerings left by fishermen.
Kayak the mangroves at Ao Thalane, between the karst towers, which is calm water and the best way to see the rock formations up close.
Go to Koh Phi Phi early or not at all. The boats arrive from three directions by mid-morning.
Eat at the Krabi town night market rather than the Ao Nang strip, which is several times cheaper and considerably better.
Practical notes
Krabi has an international airport with regional and some European seasonal connections, about thirty minutes from Ao Nang. Phuket is two hours by road or a ferry away.
November to April is the dry season. May to October is the monsoon with rain, rough seas and boat cancellations.
If you are staying on Railay, plan arrivals and departures around daylight and check the boat situation the night before.
Every hotel bookable in Krabi
Questions people actually ask
Can you drive to Railay?
No. Cliffs cut it off from the road entirely and every arrival is by longtail boat, about twenty minutes.
Krabi or Phuket?
Krabi for the limestone, the climbing and a quieter coast. Phuket for infrastructure, flights and nightlife. Same monsoon.
When should you go?
November to April. The monsoon closes the crossings on bad days.
How many nights?
Six. Four on one coast with a day of islands.