While planning a solo trip to Southeast Asia, I received many recommendations for Thailands most famous islands: Phuket, Koh Samui, and the Phi Phi Islands. Koh Phi Phi Le is the pride of Southern Thailand — it can’t be missed. However, Phi Phi has been overwhelmed by travelers in recent years and may not provide the relaxing paradise you see on postcards.
Hong Islands, Krabi, Thailand (January 2017)
Railay Beach
One place that didn’t garner the attention of other beach locales was Krabi. The Phi Phi Islands are technically in the Krabi Province, but the mainland is less traveled, has preserved Thailand’s natural beauty, and is home to some of the most exclusive beach resorts in the country. Railay may be Krabi’s most famous beach; it’s a remote stretch of sand, only accessible by boat, and nestled between massive limestone cliffs.
I didn’t have time to visit this trip, and quite honestly, I’m not sure I’d want to visit such a romantic location alone. Maybe some day I can go back for my honeymoon and stay here…or here.
Tub Kaek Beach
About 30 minutes north of Railay, lies Tub Kaek, a small beach accessible to only a few resorts and hotels. I stayed at the reasonably priced Amari Vogue, which offers incredible views of the Hong Islands.
A few hundred meters down the beach is the ultra-exclusive Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay (where they filmed the wedding scenes from Hangover 2). I went here for sunset cocktails and dinner and was thoroughly impressed. It’s expensive by Thailand’s standards but very reasonable for the service and quality. If you plan to visit, be sure to call ahead. There’s no main lobby and I quickly learned hotels with a concierge are for peasants. Rather, all guests and visitors have a 24/7 private butler to chauffeur them around the property.
From the Tub Kaek beachfront, you can hire a private, long tail boat to take you to the islands in the morning – they’ll drop you on a beach and you’ll have the full place to yourself. Beware: the beaches on the Hong Islands are only accessible during low tide so plan accordingly.
Tab Kak Hang Nak Hill Nature Trail
Rather than taking another beach day, I opted for a morning hike to the top of Tab Kak Hang Nak Hill. After all, it was a major reason why I chose Amari Vogue, which is 200 meters from the trailhead. If you’re up for the challenge, hit the trail by 9am to enjoy the most breathtaking views in Thailand: 360 degree panoramas of Krabi, Railay, the Phi Phi Islands, and the Hong Islands. Beware: this is an incredibly steep and strenuous hike. I am extremely active and at a very fast pace the hike took about 3 hours round-trip. A massive thunderstorm hit us on the way down and this made for a very sketchy and slippery descent. Bring water and pace yourself.