How (and Why) to Spend an Amazing 3 days in Railay Beach, Thailand

Railay Beach is a popular destination for backpackers for a day trip or even a single night trip. Don’t make this mistake. Read below to learn how to spend three days in Railay Beach, Thailand.

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For more Thailand Travel Fun, check out our Thailand Travel Guide.

Explore this small island and take the time to relax on the idyllic beaches and wander down the windy pathways where you will not find a single car. Where you’re going, you won’t need roads… there are no roads large enough to allow vehicles to travel through this quaint little island and this only makes it that much more charming.

The island will be crawling with backpackers during the day but once the boats leave you will be able to see Railay Beach at its finest. A little quieter and perfect for roaming in and out of noodle shops and drinking local beer and appreciating the island for its beauty.

We had originally planned on only staying in Railay beach for one day but decided to extend our trip once we fell for this lovely piece of paradise. You may ask yourselves what there is to do on a small island such as Railay Beach. All the right things.

Some of our favorite things were:

Thai Pancakes

Yes this is listed first. We loved Thai Pancakes so much we would begin making them at home to remind us of our time in Thailand and on Railay Beach in particular where we had the BEST Thai Pancakes. Venture to a stand and have your choice of toppings from nutella, chocolate syrup, bananas, and more! You will not be disappointed!

Island Hop

Go to the waterfront and find a local boat operator and ask if they can take you to nearby islands. Use your best judgement regarding your own safety. This is best to do with a group to help cut on costs. We did it with the two of us and found it to still be affordable and we loved it! We were able to hop around to Chicken Island and a couple others for very little cost. Yes, the ride was a bit bumpy but an amazing experience! We were able to stop on some nearby islands and snorkel off the beach and saw the most colorful fishes- lots of Nemos (Clown Fish)! You can book an island tour as well if you want a more structured trip as well as one that has safety protocols in place.

Drink all the Smoothies and Nutella Shakes

There are lots of stands with smoothies and shakes on Railay Beach. Be careful to ask for frozen ingredients and not ice, this can make our sensitive westernized stomachs upset.

Beach It Up

We spent lots of time on the beach. We were eager to take some time to soak in some rays and watch the waves and gorgeous limestone rocks after what had been a very fast paced trip so far. You can rent kayaks and kayak around as well! We had skipped this because we had a slightly traumatic previous kayaking experience involving some very large jellyfish and being stranded somewhat- a story for another time. Kayaking here looked perfect, you can paddle as far or close as you like and even go inside a cave. We will definitely take a go next time!

Eat and Drink Everything

There is an adorable main street in Railay Beach and lots of side paths that will take you to lots of noodle shops, bars, and boutiques. Everything was delicious and we had a blast hopping around! Be careful to ask for No ice, Derek had one drink with ice and was puking all night. It was a blast before this though!

Hike

There is a beautiful trail we stumbled into and adored. It has a nice pathway around the park and you feel like you’re smack dab in the middle of a jungle, which you are. You may get lucky and see some monkeys! There are a couple great trails to choose from in Railay Beach. Click on the button below for a couple trails to choose from!

Wander

Take time to wander around the island and find your own hidden gems. There are tons of local restaurants, stores, food carts, beaches, and wildlife to stumble upon. This is the best part of travel – the exploring and discovering of a new place. Enjoy getting lost and finding your own favorite spots.

Enjoy your time in Railay Beach and tell us what you discovered! Happy Travels!