Where to stay in
Railay

There is no road in at all — Railay is sealed off by limestone cliffs, so a longtail boat is the only way. From Ao Nang beach it is about 10-15 minutes; from Krabi pier it is roughly 45 minutes. Boats usually leave once enough passengers gather. You wade through shallow water onto the sand on arrival, so wear sandals and keep your bags dry.

It depends on your style. Railay West has the white-sand, clear-water beach for swimming and sunsets, with prettier and pricier hotels. Railay East is a mangrove shoreline where you can't really swim at low tide, but it is quieter and cheaper. The key thing is that the two sides are only a five-minute walk apart, so many people save money on the East side and just walk over to swim on the West.

Only a few, and limited. There are small shops and a handful of ATMs, but they charge high fees and often run out of cash, so withdraw money in Ao Nang or Krabi town first. There is no hospital on the peninsula, just a small clinic — anything serious means a boat back to the mainland. Parts of Tonsai run on generators with scheduled power cuts, so bring a power bank and a flashlight.