Tonsai Beach, once a wild and hippie retreat, is now a popular yet pricey spot for rock climbers, yogis, raw food enthusiasts, and Rastafarians. While Tonsai Beach is great for sunbathing, swimming is challenging due to the rocky and seaweed-filled waters.
Tonsai is primarily known for its rock climbing scene rather than swimming. The entire Railay Peninsula is a true Mecca for climbers, offering rock faces with varying levels of difficulty, catering to both beginners and seasoned climbers. Equipment and instructors are readily available on-site, so there’s no need to bring anything with you.
Everywhere on Railay, you can spot climbers hanging from their ropes, carrying gear to the cliffs, or relaxing, eating, and even sleeping on the rocks. The beach itself is a 30-foot (10-meter) wide strip of sand stretching over 1,000 feet (300 meters) between impassable cliffs on the right and a collapsed rock formation on the left, where the path to West Railay lies.
Swimming Conditions
The shoreline and the first 30 feet (10 meters) underwater are littered with pebbles, shells, and coral fragments. The seabed has a gentle slope, making it almost shallow, and the sea recedes 16-23 feet (5-7 meters) during low tide, leaving behind debris of various origins. Overall, the beach has a wild, untouched feel, reflecting the rugged atmosphere of the area.
No one is responsible for maintaining cleanliness, and there are no resorts or hotels directly adjacent to the water, so Tonsai remains in its natural state. You’ll find boatmen, their ropes, and anchors scattered along the shore. Waves are typically only present during stormy weather or strong winds.
Sunbeds and Shade
Natural sources of shade are abundant along the shore, so personal umbrellas aren’t necessary. However, after around 1:00 PM, finding shade becomes challenging as the sun remains unobstructed until sunset. A couple of spots at the edges of the beach near the cliffs offer shade throughout the day.
Beach Photos
Amenities
Apart from kayak rentals and water taxis, there are no services offered on the shore—no massages, no corn sellers. Tonsai has a rock climbing school, a small store selling snacks and beer, but all other cafes, bungalows, and yoga centers are located inland.
In the evenings, the crowd gathers in the beach cafes, where the vibe is youthful, with fire poi performances and a lively atmosphere. It’s fun, but also expensive.
Due to the beach’s isolation from the main resort areas, local vendors have hiked prices for everything—accommodation, services, and food. For instance, a bottle of water that costs 7 baht in Ao Nang is sold for around 30 baht on Railay, so it’s wise to bring your own supplies. The only reasonably priced water dispenser is located on the path between East and West Railay.
Tonsai has its own diesel-powered electricity supply, housed in a brick building somewhere in the middle of the area. It’s best to avoid staying too close to it due to the noise.
Tonsai Beach, Krabi
Accommodation
Despite most of the bungalows on Tonsai being built like traditional island huts, the cost of accommodation is far from budget-friendly. There are limited options for lodging, but the highly-rated and well-reviewed Tonsai Bay Resort is a good choice, located right on the beach.
Further inland, you’ll find simpler, straw-roofed huts at Chill Out Bar & Bungalow, which are probably the most affordable in the area—a great option for backpackers.
Tonsai can be reached by boat from Ao Nang or Nopparat Thara. If you happen to land at West Railay, there are two ways to get to Tonsai. The first is a 10-minute walk through a rocky path between the two beaches, with steps that can be steep and ropes in difficult areas. You can also walk along the water near these rocks, but it’s deep in places, and the seabed is rocky.
The second route takes you further inland. This longer, but easier, path starts from West Railay’s Walking Street. Instead of turning towards East Railay, continue straight. This path is also more convenient for those arriving at Phra Nang or East Railay—you’ll avoid having to detour to West Railay.
On the way, you’ll pass a decent cave (entry fee is 40 baht), best visited at high tide for more enjoyment and better photos. After the cave, walk past a resort on the right side until you reach a fork in the path (marked on the map), where you should take the left trail. This leads through the jungle and over a small hill to the beach. If you turn right, you’ll end up at an abandoned resort. On the way to the beach, you’ll get a good look at Tonsai’s infrastructure and its inhabitants.
The hotel is situated on Ton Sai beach, which is very close to Rai Lay beach. However, when the weather is rough, taking a boat to Ton Sai can be quite challenging. Other than that the beach is very private and much quieter than Rai Lay beach. If you want a quiet holiday, this place is for you. The hotel is open around 2021, so it's in pristine condition. The staff are friendly and the restaurant (only one in the hotel) serves pretty good meals. Overall, this is a very nice place for a quiet holiday.
The hotel is crazy in front of the sea. The tranquility in front of Riley Beach is very noticeable and therefore so is the tourism. The family room is very large with two literal and bathrooms as well.
Beautiful location, although getting there is a bit more complicated. But it's worth it anyway. At first they tried to accommodate us in beach houses set back, even though we explicitly booked beachfront. It worked when we insisted. These rooms are much better than a family room. But we had to pay an extra charge and the three daughters slept in the bed. The restaurant was a bit irritating to us as there wasn't even any terrace seating.The area is very spacious, although there are hardly any rooms and at the very back there is a wall and people live behind it.We really enjoyed it and would happily recommend it
Amazing stay here for 2 nights.Escape from hustle and bustle.. 😌Beautiful scenerly, friendly staff, and adult atmosphere. (Children under 12 years old are not allowed to stay.)Many monkeys in the garden and can see from close distance.Restaurant is good. We had every meals here. Good taste and good price.Especially I love their Pat thai and yellow curry with bamboo shoot👌Their multi grain bread in breakfast was tasty.Overall I'd give 5 stars.Experience is luxury hotel but price is reasonable😊
The hotel is located on Tonsai Beach, magnificent hotel! I believe that we will never recover from the calm, beauty, luxury and heavenly setting of this hotel. It will remain the best of our entire trip. Everything was perfect !It’s idyllic and so relaxing!Perfect
Went here to eat at their restaurant and the food was amazing!Very tasteful and perfect spicyness! The service is really good. thank you to all the staff! I wish to stay in the rooms that’s look very nice! I will be back for sureI recommend!
A Memorable Family Vacation at Tinidee Hideaway Tonsai Beach, KrabiOur family recently had a wonderful vacation at Tinidee Hideaway Tonsai Beach, and we still feel like we are in a dream. From the moment we stepped into the resort, we were impressed by the pristine and majestic natural scenery, with the stunning beach right before our eyes.Our room was spacious and comfortable, with a breathtaking sea view. Our kids loved the pool and the beach, where they could swim and build sandcastles all day long. What reassured me the most was that the beach was very clean and safe, perfect for families with young children.The staff here were very friendly and enthusiastic, always willing to help and suggest suitable activities for us. We participated in an exciting mountain hike and enjoyed kayaking around the coast as a family. The breakfast buffet at the restaurant was especially delightful, with a wide variety of delicious options that satisfied even the pickiest eaters.What we truly loved about Tinidee Hideaway was the absolute comfort and relaxation we experienced. The fresh air and peaceful environment made all our stress melt away. This is truly an ideal place for the family to enjoy bonding moments and create unforgettable memories.
The resort is located on the beautiful Tonsai beach which has no road access, hence it's quiet. The resort is surrounded by amazing and beautiful array of limestone towers. It has restaurant but one can also trek to the famous Railey beach which offered more choices. The trek is not too hard if one has good legs.We love the resort, but they are two things which may be better according to our opinion. First, the hotel area should be non-smoking. When I walked around the area of the resort, I encountered quite number of cigarette butts. In addition, when I strolled around after dinner, I could smell cigarette smoke from the bungalow which has smoker who was smoking. A few designated smoking areas should be provided for smokers.Second, the window in our room cannot be opened. I think, the hotel has a good reason to not allowed the window to be opened, however, personally I've just love to have cool sea breeze at night provided that there was a mosquito net at the window.
Hello, I have gone to eat several times, and I will continue going because the flavor of the food is unique. The people who work there are very friendly, the food is special and they have various dishes. For all tastes, something very good is that the portions are very abundant. Chef Cris really knows Thai cuisine. The place is very beautiful facing the sea, ideal to go and relax as well. I highly recommend. especially the kindness and smile with which they receive you, a very warm treatment that makes you feel very good. simply thanks. I will return with friends!
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