Thailand Travel Guide — maliny collections

When you hear the word Thailand, it conjures up an image of perfectly pristine white sand beaches, sea mountains perfectly posing in the water, bright colored longtail boats, and let’s not forget about the Thai food!

Getting There:

Krabi is in Southern Thailand along the coast of the Andaman Sea. It is an ideal location for anyone looking for a more relaxed vacation away from hustle and bustle of the city – it is also less crowded in comparison to the more popular Phuket Island and boasts of many white sand beaches, hot springs, coral reefs, caves and waterfalls.

The flight from Bali to Krabi only took a couple of hours. Once we landed at Krabi International Airport, it took us almost two hours to get through customs. They only had two people checking everyone in from our flight and the process was so annoying and exhausting.

We arranged for shuttle service with the resort. By the time we were done clearing customs, there was a drive waiting to take us to the resort’s private pier where a speedboat was waiting for us. Arranging transportation with the hotel is highly recommended due to the logistics involved. While it is possible to plan your own transportation, you may have to wait a while for the hotel’s speedboat to transport you to the resort. There is no other way to get to the resorts except by boat.It took us about 30 minutes to get to the pier, which is in the main town center.

The Resort:

Thailand has hundreds of islands to choose from with the most popular once being Phuket. For our trip, we settled on Krabi because it was on the quieter side and perfect for honeymooners. We stayed at Rayavadee, a gorgeous 26-acre resort nestled in the jungle, surrounded by gigantic limestones and cliffs, overlooking the popular Railay Beach. This unique resort was perfectly built to blend seamlessly with nature; it was constructed in such a way that none of the hundreds of trees onsite were cut down during the building process, so you may come across one or two tropical trees in your cozy pavillion looking like beautiful pieces of art.

Each of the deluxe pavilions are very spacious and cover two-stories. They have stylish tropical décor that blends in with the natural environment. They also have an outdoor terrace. Be prepared for some monkey sightings during your trip.

The resort grounds are massive and can be extremely confusing that they have stations where you can wait for a golf cart to take you to your destination.

Swimming Pool & Beach

One of the most notable features of Rayavadee is the infinity swimming pool overlooking Railay Beach and the massive cliffs. The pool is designed in such a way that it is sectioned off in four different ways so you have the shallow end, a hot tub, and the deep-end. From one end, it almost appears as if the pool is part of the ocean. It provides the perfect view of the sun rising or setting over the ocean.

P.S: I’m wearing a Victoria’s Secret bathing suit that has literally been on every trip with me. I just love the color and beading on it. It’s definitely one of my fave.

It is very hot in Thailand; the temperature was at least 85 degrees fahrenheit so make sure to wear very light clothing like a romper and sandals to stay cool.

Railay Beach is literally in the backyard of the resort and just a few feet away from the swimming pool. There are a lot of restaurants by the beach providing several dining options. Railay Beach is also well known for rock climbing but this was not something I was about to try out on this trip :-). A lot of people make a day trip to this particular beach.

If you feel like spending time on another local beach, you can get a ride to the other other end of the resort so you can hang out by Phranang Beach.

RESTAURANTS:

There are four restaurants onsite for dining options with amazing views of the ocean.

Raya Dining: This is main restaurant that offers free breakfast in the morning (their breakfast options are endless and undeniably delicious).

Krua Phranang: When you think of a romantic dinner by the sea, this is it. This restaurant serves Thai dishes (including freshly caught fish) right by Phrannang Beach.

Raitalay Terrace: Overlooking Railay beach and situated right next to the infinity pool, Raitalay is perfect for amazing views while you enjoy some international cuisine.

The Grotto: This restaurant hides under an ancient limestone cliff on the edge of Phranang Beach. It is perfect for barbecues while you enjoy the sunset.