We recently visited Southern Thailand for some rock climbing in Railey - known throughout the world as one of the finest places for this great activity. We booked our accommodation in the town of Ao Nang, a touristy but nice place to stay with a range of hotels / resorts to suit all budgets. From Ao Nang it is a 20 minute boat trip to Railey, as Railey is cut off from the mainland boat is the only way to get here. This thankfully has limited development to a handful of tasteful resorts and a concentration of small bars and restaurants.
The beaches around Railey are simply incredible and generally regarded as some of the best in the world. Other than rock climbing in Krabi you can go snorkelling or scuba diving around one of the many islands in Krabi. There are several rock climbing companies in Railey, the prices and services are generally the same but people shop around to find an operator that is best suited to their needs.
There are literally thousands of bolted routes on the stunning cliffs, catering for the complete beginner to the seasoned professional. You can do a half day climb as we did for around 700 THB per person or do a course for several days. Many people stay for weeks on end as it is impossible to get bored of the myriad of routes.
Thailand rock climbing is extremely popular, mainly due to the karst formations in Krabi. There are many other popular locations however, climbing in Koh Tao is popular too, the island is made up of giant granite boulders and offers a slightly different experience to the West coast. There are also climbing companies in the North of Thailand and in the province of Lopburi.
Action Sport Asia is a adventure sports directory promoting Thailand rock climbing and other sports in the region.
