Railay Beach, Thailand

We took a quick ferry trip (on an old wooden boat) from Ao Nang to Railay Beach. The four beaches here are on the mailand, yet cut off by mountains so they're only accessible by boat.

We took a day trip from Ao Nang and were not disappointed. Sure, there were tourists everywhere and tiny jellyfish all over in the water, but the views were fantastic and we had good food to snack on. We went for a couple hikes to get more off the beaten path, but also enjoyed a lazy afternoon on the beach swimming with all the jellies. The food vendors here were quite unique - there were beachside food stands, but you could also rock up to a row of parked long-tail boats which offered a variety of grilled fishes and veggies, as well as ice cream and fresh coconuts.

Wandering around the area and getting lost where the locals live sure gave us insight into what tourism does to an area like this. Thais are living here in steel huts with rubbish everywhere, homes clearly destroyed by recent storms, but they’re still on the beach each day catering to travelers. They’re living in the most basic way next to your five star beach-front resort, folding your fresh white towels into the cutest little elephants. Makes you stop to think about life and where you were placed in this world.