If you're really looking save some money but still stay in the Railay/Ao Nang area, you might want to try Ton Sai, a small inlet around the cliff from Railay West. If you're coming over on a longtail boat, they usually make a stop there to drop off all the budget traveling rock climbers. These bungalows are basics at best, used only for sleeping after a long day of conquering cliffs.

I'm going to eat your face, TouristWe should probably talk about Makak monkeys, you know, for your own safety. They are grey/brown and fuzzy and positively spawns of satan. Do not pet, feed or entertain the musings of these climbers in the wild. It might be ok to feed them in an area where they are used to humans, like a reserve, but not in the wild. Their cuteness is apparant at first, but as soon as one hisses at you for being too close to their kids, their K-9 like teeth will surely deter you.

Internet - I'm sorry to say that I did not find a free wifi spot on Railay. Which is a huge bummer considering how expensive the internet is. Normally 50 baht an hour might be standard for a Thai town, but because of the remote location Railay is located, not only is the internet sketchy but expensive. Stay away from the hotel internet, I 've found it to be the most expensive (around 150 baht/hr). Take a walk down Railay east where the bars and travel agencies are. It's cheaper, the connection is better and the computers are Skype ready.

Day Trips:

Bamboo Island - usually included in a package of island hopping including the ideal Maya Bay (The Beach movie). It's just a spotless white beach, you know, nothing special (layered with heavy sarcasm here). I loved this beach. Again, it would be more ideal were there not handfuls of other people there, but what can you do. The only thing manmade that I saw there was an outhouse bathroom, so prepare yourself.

Chicken Island - I'm going to go with my Eiffel Tower theory, in that it is more enjoyable looking at it than actually being in or on it. It's a fluffy looking green island which you'll pass during island hopping, that has a cliff that looks like a chicken neck and head. Honestly I think it looks more like some type of dinosaur, but whatevs. I never actually went ashore on this one, but like I said, some things are only cool from afar.

Phra Nang - aka the James Bond beach. This spot became popular after the 60's when The Man with the Golden Gun was filmed here. It's recently fallen out of favor because of the rise of The Beach lagoon (Maya Bay). And I'm sure sometime in the next decade another Thai beach will be filmed in some blockbuster movie and knock Maya out of the loop as well. Either way, a beautiful beach is a beautiful beach. I think I'd actually rather visit the less populated one.

It might look familiar. It might look like that happy place you go to in your head when things look bleak. Of course, if you're trying to pin point the exact location it reminds you of, its the fantasy lagoon featured in the 1999 film The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio. It's the perfect beach, the perfect water, the perfect amount of shade and sun. Aside from the other people of course.

It's called Maya Bay on an island named Koh Phi Phi (pronounced Ko Pee Pee, try not to laugh). Phi Phi has two parts, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Lei. Basically, it means means, Big End and Little End. Phi Phi Don is the civilized end with hotels, restaurants and markets, while Phi Phi Lei is all quiet paradise. A 30 minute speedboat ride from Railay is this iconic spot, which had the rest fd the world not already known about it, I probably would never have told you. I understand the need to want to spread the joy, thats what most of this website is based on, however, some hidden beaches should stay just that; hidden.

I can honestly say that I had one of the best naps of my life on this beach, which I oddly enough consider to be a great milestone in my life. While the beach has it's foliage, it also has a rocky cliffside with a ledge that reaches out just far enough to give the perfect amount of shade for a pleasant sleep. Most visitors only come on an arranged day trip, spending only a few hours in paradise, but it is also possible to camp here for the night. There are no snack stands, to keep people from littering and attracting animals, so if you need to, pack a snack to keep on the speed boat. Please be respectful of this place. It is so peaceful.