One and a half hour express boat trip from Ko Tao and a short ride in the back of a sawngthaew (picture this: a pick-up truck with benches in the back filled to the brim with tourists, a few hanging out the back steps, and backpacks piled high on the top of the rig) and we arrive in Chumphon, a fishing village turned traveler's pit stop town which is apparently starting to develop its own tourist trade as well - beach, dive trips etc. But we were on a mission - to get to Krabi and find ourselves a crag to climb.
We spent the night in Chumphon at Fame's guesthouse which was nothing to speak of - cheap and our room was new - so new that around the corner on the same floor you could see the framing of yet more potential rooms, some new beds, etc. We decided to book a minivan ride to Ao Nang, Krabi - a 4 hour drive - the next morning at 6:30 am and from there we would catch a longtail boat over to Railey Beach where you can find world class rock climbing. I could barely make it through dinner before I had to rush back to our room with a bout of traveler's disease. This better pass quickly if you get my drift or the journey tomorrow will be interesting to say the least. At 5 am there was a knock on our door - aka "wake-up call". Kind of early we thought. Then again at 5:30 there was another knock "please hurry". We went downstairs to find a few vans already filling with passengers. What's this - an early departure - we still needed to get coffee, tea and breakfast. Ok "to go" it is. Apparently someone was going to try to catch a boat to Ko Phi Phi in 4 hours - that's cutting it close. Especially as once we were on the road our driver took some back streets, to get the best price on gas maybe? Why they do not gas up the night before I cannot understand but this seems to be a pattern. Then we stop on the highway, for no discernible reason. Our driver jumps out and runs down the street. Yes, very odd. Then he returns a few minutes later - winded - and we are off again. No explanation, just a little giggling from the driver. Shortly before the boat drop off and the town of Krabi we stop again at a tourist information shop. The driver must get a commission for bring tourists in as this stop was obviously out of the way. Oh well, even the direct minibus is far from direct.
We arrive in Ao Nang and decide to grab lunch and look for a wifi location to check on bills and things. About 3 pm we catch the longtail boat over to TonSai Beach and set out to find a bungalow. TonSai is the climbers beach, meaning it is much cheaper than Railey West which is more the honeymooners' beach with more upscale resorts. There is also Railey East which has mangroves on its main beach.
The place is pretty packed but we find a wood bungalow at Green Valley Resort which is cute and reasonably priced - 700 baht. It is fairly basic, a double bed, fan, cold shower, but a big breakfast buffet is included and it has a nice balcony, and very friendly staff. We spend the next day lounging and get a feel for the "island". Railey is not really an island but it is accessible only by boat due to the topography, large limestone outcroppings which of course make it ideal for rock climbing.
You can walk the rocky shoreline over to Railey West which has a better beach, but only at low tide. When we decide to head over its high tide so we take the jungle path through the interior of the "island". Its about a 30 minute walk, which is balmy in this heat. We are soaked when we arrive at the beach and the water is less than refreshing - it is shallow, no deeper than your waist for about 70 yards and feels more like very salty bath water than the ocean. 
As the sun starts to set its time to head back to our "low-rent" district Now that the tide has gone out we can walk the beach back - or rather pick our way through the rocks. That evening we arrange a climbing guide for through Wee's Climbing School down the road from our bungalow. While we were in search of a room they had offerred us a place to leave our bags - their gratuitous hospitality won them our climbing business.
