Rayavadee
Railay / Phra Nang, Krabi, Thailand
Location
Phra Nang / Railay peninsula
The resort sits at the tip of the Phra Nang / Railay peninsula in Krabi, among the limestone karsts and between three beaches — Railay, Nam Mao and the legendary Phra Nang — on the edge of Krabi Marine National Park. It is reachable only by boat. The three beaches are open to day visitors and long-tail boats through the day; as a guest you have them early and late, when the peninsula quietens.
Transfer
Boat-only access
There is no road in. Fly to Krabi (KBV), take the roughly 20-minute transfer to Nong Nuch pier, then cross by speedboat or long-tail in about 20 minutes; Phi Phi is around 35 minutes out by speedboat. At low tide the final approach onto the sand can be a shallow wade or a tractor-assisted landing.
Villas
Pavilions & villas
Around a hundred two-storey pavilions in traditional Thai-village style sit among twenty-six acres of coconut grove, the living room below and the bedroom and bath above, with a handful of villas besides. Deluxe Pavilions open onto gardens with sunken tubs; some pavilions add a plunge pool; and the beachfront Rayavadee Villas sit on the sand with their own pool.
Best For
Who it suits
Couples and honeymooners drawn to a dramatic, boat-only castaway, and families and nature-lovers who want three beaches, world-class climbing and the karsts on the doorstep — for travellers who come for the setting and the sense of adventure.
Board Basis
B&B
Booked on bed and breakfast. The Grotto cave restaurant, Krua Phra Nang, Raya Dining and Raitalay Terrace cover cave-side seafood, beachside Thai, refined Thai and Western, and poolside international, with round-the-clock private dining and starlit beach barbecues.
About the Resort
Krabi’s boat-only castaway icon
Rayavadee is the great Krabi castaway — reachable only by boat, set among coconut groves at the tip of the Phra Nang peninsula where three beaches meet the limestone karsts. There is no road in: you arrive by speedboat or long-tail across to the headland, on the edge of Krabi Marine National Park. Around a hundred two-storey pavilions in traditional Thai-village style are scattered through twenty-six acres, the living space below and the bedroom above, some with their own plunge pool. The signature is The Grotto, a restaurant set inside a limestone cave on Phra Nang Beach where you eat seafood with your feet in the sand; beyond it, the peninsula is one of the world's great rock-climbing stages, with kayaking among the karsts and a thirty-five-minute speedboat run out to Phi Phi. It is dramatic and experiential, and it rewards travellers who come for the setting — couples, families and anyone who wants the Andaman at its most cinematic.
Accommodation
Pavilions & villas
Around a hundred two-storey pavilions in traditional Thai-village style are spread through twenty-six acres of coconut grove, the living room below and the bedroom and bath above, with a handful of villas besides. Deluxe Pavilions look onto gardens with sunken tubs; some pavilions add a private plunge pool; and the Rayavadee Villas sit right on the sand, the beachfront ones with their own pool.
Entry
Deluxe Pavilion
Sleeps two. A two-storey pavilion with a sunken tub and a garden — living space below, bedroom above — the classic Rayavadee room among the coconut groves.
Two-storeyGarden view
Pool
Pavilion with Plunge Pool
Sleeps two. A two-storey pavilion with its own plunge pool and a secluded garden.
Plunge poolGarden view
Family
Family Villa
Sleeps four. A family villa within reach of two of the resort's beaches, room for everyone among the karsts.
FamilyBeach
Apex
Rayavadee Villa (Beachfront)
Sleeps two to four. A beachfront Rayavadee Villa with a private pool, steps from the sand — the resort's signature address with Phra Nang or Railay in front of you.
Private poolBeachfront
Food & Drink
Dining
Four places to eat, one of them unforgettable. The Grotto sets tables inside a limestone cave on Phra Nang Beach for feet-in-the-sand seafood; Krua Phra Nang does Thai seafood by the water; Raya Dining turns out refined Thai and Western; and Raitalay Terrace catches the Railay sunset from the pool. Private dining and starlit beach barbecues run around the clock.
Signature
The Grotto
Dinner inside a limestone cave on Phra Nang Beach, feet in the sand, seafood off the grill — the signature.
Thai
Krua Phra Nang
Thai seafood by the beach, fresh and unfussy.
Refined
Raya Dining
Refined Thai and Western cooking in a marine-themed room.
Terrace
Raitalay Terrace
International plates by the pool, angled at the Railay sunset.
Wellbeing
The Rayavadee Spa
Wellness at Rayavadee runs from the award-winning spa to the water. Treatments come Thai or Western; the main infinity pool looks out past the limestone cliffs to the sea; and three beaches — Railay, Nam Mao and the legendary Phra Nang — sit within the grounds.
Award-winning spa
Massages and treatments at the award-winning Rayavadee Spa.
Infinity pool
A main infinity pool framed by the limestone cliffs, looking to the sea.
Three beaches
Three beaches in the grounds — Railay, Nam Mao and the legendary Phra Nang.
Activities & Experiences
Signature Experiences
The setting is the experience. Arrive by boat, dine in The Grotto cave, climb Railay's world-famous limestone, kayak among the karsts, and run out to Phi Phi for the day — with resident monkeys and birdlife around the groves between times.
Boat-only arrival
The castaway arrival — a speedboat or long-tail across to the peninsula, with no road in.
The Grotto
Dinner in The Grotto, inside a limestone cave on Phra Nang Beach.
Railay rock climbing
Railay's world-famous limestone rock climbing, with routes and guides for every level.
Sea kayaking
Sea kayaking among the karsts and into hidden lagoons.
Phi Phi & island trips
Day trips out to Phi Phi and the islands, about 35 minutes by speedboat, for snorkelling and beaches.
Getting There
Location & transfers
By boat
About 20 minutes from Nong Nuch pier
About 20 minutes by boat from Nong Nuch pier, with the airport (KBV) roughly 20 minutes from the pier by road.
Among the karsts
Three beaches
Set among the limestone karsts at the tip of the peninsula, between three beaches.
Guest Reviews
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“The most extraordinary place I have ever stayed. Nothing prepares you for the depth of the silence, the beauty of the reef, or the sheer generosity of the experience.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“We’ve stayed here three times now. The house reef has no equal. The stargazing was, genuinely, one of the most moving experiences of my adult life.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“I had stayed at Four Seasons, One&Only and Velaa before visiting Rayavadee. They are all magnificent. But this is different in a way that is hard to articulate.”
✓ Verified via feefo
Good to Know
Good to know
Board basis
- Booked on bed and breakfast.
Access
- Reached only by boat, about 20 minutes from Nong Nuch pier. At low tide the last few metres onto the sand can be a shallow wade or a tractor-assisted landing — part of the castaway arrival.
Layout
- Pavilions are two-storey — living space below, bedroom and bath above — set among the coconut groves; some have a plunge pool.
Getting there
- About 20 minutes from Krabi Airport (KBV) to the pier, then roughly 20 minutes by boat; around 35 minutes by speedboat to Phi Phi.
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