Railay-Tonsai beaches

ok- if you ever come to Thailand go to Railay beach! It is absolutely amazing! The rock krasts are breathtaking and even though it is attached to the mainland there is no road access so there are no cars in Railay! (sure is a nice feeling) Anyway, I spent 6 days on Tonsai beach which is in basically the same area as Railay but more of the "budget" backpacker beach. The only way to the beach is by a longboat or walking over sharp rocks at low tide. I opted for the cheaper option of walking and it sure was a feat climbing over rocks with my big pack on my back making me way off balance. :)

Anyway, I spent most of my time on Tonsai/Railay rock climbing for three days. Railay/Tonsai beach is world renown for rock climbing and I thought, what better place to really learn all the ropes? It was the most exercise I have had in three months and it sure left me beat at the end of each day. I am pretty upset though bc I had some amazing pictures of me rock climbing (action shots!) but my memory card is busted (if anyone knows how to fix sd memory cards I would love any advice)! I learned so much rock climbing and I think I am now obsessed! It was such hard work both mentally and physically but when looking at the thai rock climbers scale the walls, one would think it was like walking up a ladder. They are amazing climbers!

this pic is on tonsai beach at the "freedom bar" overlooking some of the "hard" rock climbing routes. needless to say...i never attempted any routes on this wall! all the bars had these awesome wood table planks a couple of inches off the ground where people would sit all day long enjoying cool drinks and watching the climbers struggle.

a different view of the freedom bar and a better angle of the hard climbing routes (for those rock climbers...the routes on this wall are 7+ on the french scale and i believe something like 5.10+ on the american scale???)

this is the front of Adaman Nature Resort, the bungalow resort (well it really wasnt a resort more like a restaurant and a bunch of bungalows) that i stayed at in tonsai. i think i stayed in the worst bungalow of the bunch...bc all my friends had bungalows that didnt have holes in the floor, that had shutters on the windows and they werent frequently visited by Jerry, the mouse that seemed to love to torture me late into the night with his scurrying around my bungalow. oh well at least is was a roof over my head and i cant complain bc it was only $6 per night. I really enjoyed staying at the resort and especially enjoyed having coffee and banana oatmeal every morning while watching the BBC on the tv....i was so excited to actually know what was going on in the world for once! (I know im a nerd!)

the path to my bungalow

the view from tonsai beach out to sea

while doing the three day rock climbing course, they factor in a "rest day" however, after climbing all around tonsai and railay and not being able to stop and see all the beautiful sights, my "rest day" turned into an active day. I went to the top of one of the rock krasts to the lookout point. what a great view!

after climbing to the lookout point i unknowingly decided to go checkout the lagoon. it was a rough climb down and if it were in the US, no one would be able to see the lagoon bc the way down to the lagoon would be a law suit waiting to happen. basically it was rock climbing but with out safety ropes, just one dingy rope with knots tied into it to aide in the straight climbs down. but I made it, but not after really convincing myself that tons of people use the ropes and that they are theoretically safe (in thailand's standards)

the first day of my three day rock climbing stint, i had two other climbers with me, Sig and Inga (both from Belgium) and they were just doing a half day rock climbing bc they wanted a refresher course to rock climbing bc the real reason they were here on tonsai was to Base Jump off the huge rock cliff on the beach. Crazy fools! Bc in order to get to the top of the cliff they had to free climb up...no top rope at the top to catch them if they fall! But they sure enough got the hang of the climb and would base jump from the top twice a day, morning and evening! it sure was a sight to see! (if you look closely you can see a person starting their jump at the top of the cliff)

at night on the beach, the bars lining the beach would lay down mats and pillows and candles and everyone would congregate to the beach to chill. there would be live cover bands playing indie rock music and sometimes fire twirlers would come along and entertain the patrons. it was such a great atmosphere esp with the sound of the waves crashing into the beach in the background.

picture of freedom bar at dusk

the mats and pillows that were laid out each night infront of the bars....how cool does that look with the rock wall in the background?

this is a pic of tonsai beach as i was leaving on a long boat...i didnt want to go so soon to Bangkok but i needed to move on. if i ever come back to thailand i will be sure to spend most of my time at tonsai....i just loved it!