I think this is one of the best beaches in Krabi, on Railay Peninsula, and possibly in all of Thailand (the West Railay itself is also quite nice).
Perhaps that’s why quite a lot of people gather here both on weekends and weekdays during high season. The boats are packed tightly next to each other and practically block off half the beach from the water. If you sit on the Ao Nang waterfront near the boat stations and watch the number of tourists loading into longtails and puttering towards Railay.
It becomes clear why Phra Nang is so packed. If it weren’t for this, it would be absolutely brilliant. But there’s a way around this situation—visit on weekdays. During low season.
Beach Overview
The beach is stunning with crystal-clear water, almost white, incredibly soft and fluffy sand, surrounded by towering cliffs. Looking from above, Phra Nang is situated on a small sandy spit surrounded by mountains—like something from a film. The natural setting is mind-blowing. Of course, the surrounding beaches are beautiful too, but here everything comes together in such a way that it all looks absolutely fantastic.
Krabi in miniature. Here you can see everything that the province generally offers: caves, cliffs, a religious site, a paradise beach, azure sea, and opposite Phra Nang in the water stands a rocky island.
Swimming
The water gets deep relatively quickly, the seabed is clean without large rocks or coral, and waves only occur in windy weather. You can swim even at low tide, just make sure to arrive at the beach before the tourist “Normandy landing” begins, which is before 8 in the morning.
This is exactly when boats from Ao Nang, Nopparat Thara and Ao Nam Mao start actively shuttling back and forth. There’s no beach equipment rental at Phra Nang, so you’ll need to sort this out on your own beforehand.
Sunbeds and Shade
Finding shade can be a bit tricky. Part of the beach is private property and cordoned off by a stone embankment—there’s shade there, but you won’t be let in for free. There are a few trees on the shore, but they don’t provide complete protection from the sun, and space might be limited. After midday, there’s no shade from the bushes on Phra Nang—this is the west coast.
On the right side of the shore, the trees gradually merge into forest and you can venture in, moving away from the beach and sun, but this won’t be very convenient. The best shade is on the left side of the beach, created by the cliff. But this area is constantly crowded with tourists who need to take photos in front of the grotto filled with phalluses of various sizes.
Beach Photos
Amenities
There are no amenities on the shore whatsoever. In this part of the peninsula, you can only buy water and food from the longtail food boats that arrive in the morning and depart at sunset. The selection there is sparse—simple Thai salads, noodle soups and other stick-based foods that are deep-fried in boiling oil.
There aren’t any hotels there either. Well, there’s one resort that backs onto the shore, but there’s no alternative to it, so you either stay at the resort or in hotels on the nearest beach East Railay, which is what everyone does.
Accommodation
The best hotels in Railay according to user ratings:
- Sand Sea Resort
- Railay Village Resort
These are three-star beach resorts with swimming pools, restaurants and well-maintained grounds. They’re located in the centre of West Railay beach, right by the sea.
There are virtually no hotels on Phra Nang itself. The closest to it is Rayavadee, which is already on East Railay, it’s super but very expensive. Actually, East Railay is probably the best place to stay if you need to save money, as it has the most hotels, including budget options. And from there you can walk to Phra Nang or West Railay.
How to Find the Beach
You can sail directly to Phra Nang beach by boat from any of the three beaches: Ao Nang, Nopparat Thara (the ticket costs more) or Ao Nam Mao (the ticket is 20 baht cheaper). But if you happen to arrive at another beach, no worries, it’s not a long walk, 33-66 feet (10-20 meters) depending on your location.
All the beaches on the peninsula are connected by walking paths. Though you can also take a boat and it will take you wherever you want, as long as you pay.
The path from East Railay to Phranang is quite interesting, even though it only takes 16-33 feet (5-10 meters). I’d even say it’s magical. The path is bordered by sheer cliffs with mini-caves, and occasionally entwined with lianas.
In the middle of the path, there’s a sign pointing upwards to the viewpoint and Princess Lagoon. In that direction, after an hour or two of hard work climbing up ropes and rocks, you’ll see a breathtaking view of Railay and a lagoon hidden within a ring of mountains.
Just before the beach, there’s a hotel wall covered in hundreds of handprints—these are the marks of those who scrambled through red clay to get to Princess Lagoon. The path ends at the sea, this is the leftmost part of Phra Nang if you’re facing the sea. In a recess in the cliff near the water, there used to be a small collection of phalluses, but they seem to have removed it.
And if you walk along the cliff, wade into the water and go further, you’ll reach a grotto. At high tide though, you’ll have to swim rather than walk.
And one more spot that’s not for everyone—at the far end of Phra Nang from the phallus cave, you can venture into the bushes and, following the rock climbers’ path, reach a huge cave. It’s completely safe with bamboo ladders set up everywhere. Climbing up the ladder, you can see all of Phra Nang laid out before you—a fantastic sight, especially at noon when the sun reflects off the white sand at the bottom of the sea.
