Racha, island in Thailand: hotels, beaches, reviews

Thailand is a favorite destination for travelers from different countries, including Russia. The resorts of Phuket and the islands of Phi Phi, Similana and James Bond are already "mastered". And now the eyes of lovers of relaxation in the bosom of pristine nature are directed to two small islets located not far from Phuket, at a distance of twelve kilometers from its east coast.

Why is it worth visiting the islands?

Racha Islands, which are famous for the azure sea, magnificent palm groves, snow-white beaches, corals of extraordinary beauty - this is a real paradise for connoisseurs of pristine nature and secluded rest. The name of the islands comes from the word "raja" - "royal". As we have already said, there are two islands with this name: Racha Noi and Racha Yai (small and large).

Racha Noah

Racha Noi Island is located ten kilometers south of Racha Yai Island. There are no beaches, as, indeed, plains. Racha Noah is almost uninhabited, but it also has rare beaches, rocky beaches and amazingly beautiful nature. He was liked by lovers of fishing and diving. In a completely different light, Ko Racha Yai travels. It is cozy and comfortable for everyone who is tired of the hustle and bustle of large cities.

Racha Yai Island

It is a full-fledged, rapidly growing resort with well-developed infrastructure: bungalows, hotels, shops, a walking area, restaurants and entertainment. Racha Island (Phuket) is very small - its width is about three kilometers, and the length is one and a half. This tiny area of land attracts tourists with snow-white beaches, a delightful underwater world with coral reefs and colorful fish.

Racha Island (Thailand) has a mountainous landscape. Its territory is covered with dense tropical vegetation and palm trees. Even in the rainy season, the climate here is mild and warm. Racha is an island that is not distinguished by a huge congestion of tourists. Prices for accommodation and meals here are much higher than in Phuket. Thais believe that for a vacation in the secluded places of pristine nature it is worth paying half to two times more expensive than living on the mainland or in Phuket.

The bulk of tourists come here on a one-day excursion from Phuket or other neighboring islands. Nevertheless, for tourists here there are several hotels, cafes and restaurants. On the coast there are trays with tourist products, however, a few. Here you can buy fresh fruits, coconuts and beach accessories.

In the center of the island is a small village, which has a diving center and a grocery store.

Hotels

On the island there are three main beaches (we will tell about them later). In the neighborhood with them are the main hotels and bungalows-complexes. On Patok beach is the best hotel - The Racha hotel 5 *. It is famous for its magnificent sea views, a swimming pool for small tourists, an entertainment area. Accommodation in this hotel - from $ 200 per day (the dollar at the time of travel you can check with the tour operator). And in high season (from February to April), the cost significantly grows.

Racha Island (Phuket) hotels offers not only luxurious, but also quite modest hotels. Standing on the beach facing the sea, to the right of Patok beach you will see an inexpensive hotel Bungalow Raya Resort. It offers rooms for extreme. They include protection from insects - a mantlet-mesh, located above the bed, a fan and a shower in the room. The cost of accommodation in this hotel from $ 30.

North of Patok beach there is a narrow path that takes you in a few minutes to the second most important beach of the island - Siam beach. Here is Resort Phuket 3 *. Despite the fact that the hotel has only three stars, it is famous for its luxurious garden. Only non-smoking guests can stay in this hotel. The cost of living is from 60 $ per day.

Racha Island (Phuket) on the east coast has a comfortable hotel Resort & Spa 3 *. Forty-eight of its rooms have a magnificent view of the sea. Living here can visit the infinity pool with a beautiful children's area. The price of rooms is from 80 $ per day.

For tourist purposes, the northern sections of the island are mainly used. The entire perimeter is crossed by paths. It is not difficult to walk a calm step from west to east in ten minutes the whole island. Racha has several small bungalow-complexes in the center, intended for budgetary resettlement.

On this island you can sail, not having any specific plans, and in place to act on the mood and the weather. If you want, you can extend your stay.

Beaches

Racha is an island with several beaches that tourists appreciated. In the western part of it is the picturesque bay of Patok Bay. Its width is about three hundred meters. The length of the bay is almost a thousand meters. Most tourists who visited this wonderful island, believe that the Bay of Patok Bay is no less picturesque than Maya Bay, which is located on the islands of Phi Phi. Perhaps someone will find this opinion controversial, but it has the right to exist.

In the north of the island is another noteworthy beach - the Bay of Siam Bay. If you compare it with Patok Bay, then it is less visited by tourists, and not because it is not so picturesque, but because all boats with tourists come to Patok Bay. But even if you came to the island of Racha Ai for only a few hours, you can easily visit these two gulfs, as they are connected by a good road length of about three hundred meters.

Another three small gulfs are in the east of the island: Ter Bay, Kon Kare Bay, Lha Bay. They are famous not so much for quality and well-groomed beaches, as for the magnificent views that allow you to make unique photos here, magnificent snorkeling and the lack of tourists.

Entertainment

As follows from all of the above, Racha is an island for a quiet, secluded holiday in the bosom of a surprisingly beautiful nature. There is not much entertainment here, especially when compared to the island of Phuket. And at the same time here you can ride horses, bicycles, and quad bikes. In addition to snorkeling, if you want, you can also dive on the nearby island of Racha Noi. From any hotel, trips to Longtails are organized.

It is noteworthy that Racha is an island on which motorized recreation is prohibited: parachute flights by boat, water motorcycles. That is why many people consider the island as the best place for relaxation. The flora and fauna of the island are interesting. Here you can see numerous lizards, who feel free on the island, and grazing on the background of coconut palms of huge buffaloes. All this beauty can be seen from the viewport located in the center of the island.

But the stormy night life with discos until the morning is not here. But this does not mean that in the evening you will have to sit in the room - in every hotel in the evening you can have a great time in a bar or restaurant and listen to pleasant, often "live" music.

All that you need on vacation, you can buy in a few small shops, a snack in the afternoon in cafes and eateries. There are several massage parlors, bars, restaurants. But once again we want to draw your attention to the fact that the prices here are much higher than in Phuket.

How to get there?

Are you interested in Racha Island? The reviews of experienced tourists say that the rest here will be remembered for a long time. However, not everyone knows how to get to the island: the trains do not go there, the planes do not fly. Therefore, first of all, you need to fly to Phuket. From here to the island of Racha you will be delivered from the piers of Rawai or Chalong.

We recommend you to get on speedboat or boat, because they are not so vulnerable before a sharp change in the weather and wave. The ticket for the boat costs from $ 19 one way, the road will take no more than forty minutes. Traveling to Longtail can be a little cheaper (subject to active bargaining), but in this case you will spend at least an hour on the road. You can book a trip to Racha Island as a tour at the tour desk or at the hotel on the island of Phuket. On the day the cost of the trip, including snorkeling, lunch, a two-way transfer will cost you $ 33-38 per person.

For those who do not have one day to stay in silence alone with the pristine nature, mini-tours for several days with accommodation in the hotels of the island of Racha are possible. Such trips are quite justified, as one-day excursion is too fleeting, and it is difficult for this time to appreciate the beauty of the island. From the island of Phuket boats come to the island of Racha on the beach - Patok beach. There is a pontoon pier. We can say that tourists get directly from the ship "to the ball" - a wide snow-white beach strip strikes and admires at first sight.

The magnificent island of Racha Yai accepts its guests throughout the year. Only a few times (during the rainy season), boats stop traveling to the island because of storms.

Cost of tour to Thailand

Prices for air tickets can vary significantly from the time of year and the shares of airlines, which are held fairly regularly. The average price of air tickets for Phuket is 25 thousand rubles.

The cost of a trip to Thailand also depends on the season for which you are planning a trip and the chosen hotel. So, from February to April the tour costs from 27500 to 27700 rubles. From May to January - about 26 thousand rubles (for one person for seven days).

Reviews of tourists

Most tourists note that the trip left an unforgettable experience: cozy bungalows and hotels, magnificent nature, on the coast there are cafes and shops. To the disadvantages of vacationers include the evening ebb of water, when the beach is exposed to stones, and a rather high cost of travel.