Climbing in Thailand & Laos
Two weeks of rock climbing in Tonsai/Railey Beach and Ao Nang in Krabi, Southern Thailand and a month in Green Climbers Home in Laos as a beginner in rock climbing.
When: Nov/Dec 2023
Where: Krabi (Tonsai/Railey Beach, Ao Nang) and Green Climbers Home (Thakhek, Laos)
Krabi #
From Bangkok, it’s an hour flight to Krabi Airport. From the airport, take a shuttle bus to Ao Nang (40 mins). From Ao Nang, it’s 20 mins boat ride to either Tonsai or Railey Beach. If you’re getting on the boat during high tide, you will most likely have to walk at least knee deep in water so I recommend sandles + shorts.
My climbing partner and I stayed on Tonsai Beach for around 2 weeks although as a beginner, I found all the routes on Tonsai Beach either too difficult or too polished for the easier routes. We ended up walking to Railey Beach almost every day (it’s around 20 mins walk along the beach) which was a bit of a hassle. If I were to go again, I would probably book something in Railey instead. I loved eating out at Mama’s Chicken in Tonsai (big portions, good value). Personally, not a huge fan of the vibe around Tonsai with all the walls built up around the resort, also felt a bit dead (but maybe because it was still the start of season).
Even though Tonsai/Railey Beach are more known as the go-to beachside climbing destinations, there are some nice crags on the mainland close to Ao Nang (North Wall, Spirit Mountain) within short scootering distances. There are more options for accommodations, food and activities and the prices are cheaper. We stayed a week Ao Nang ( De Loft Hotel, recommend) which was a walking distance to the North Wall (new crag so not polished and rain proof) and 20 mins scooter ride to Spirit Mountain (morning crag, face climbing).
I personally enjoyed climbing in Ao Nang much more than in Tonsai/Railey (I just didn’t really enjoy climbing by the beach with all the salt and sand) and didn’t enjoy the resort-y vibe in Railey and accomodation was better and cheaper in Ao Nang. So if I were to visit again, I’d probably stay longer in Ao Nang. I did enjoy sunset on Phra nang Beach, the hike + rapelling down Bat Cave and Deep Water Soloing in Tonsai.
There are plenty of rest day activities to nearby beaches, diving trips and hiking around Krabi too. One thing we did regret was not bringing our own rope. Rope rental costs around 10 Euros/day on either Tonsai/Railey and in Ao Nang, we couldn’t find a place to rent at all.
Green Climbers Home, Laos #
I heard about GCH while climbing in Tonsai and decided to head there afterwards after parting with my climbing partner since people have told me that it’s easy to meet climbing partners there as a solo traveler. I booked for two weeks and ended up staying there for a month. The easiest way to get there to take a flight from Bangkok to Nakhon Phanom (1h, 50 EUR) and take a shuttle bus + bus to cross the border + taxi to GCH which is about 16km from Thakhek city. You can find details on their website here.
GCH is in the middle of nowhere and there are about 400 routes within short walking distances from the camps. There are only climbers there and it’s so easy to find climbing partners, making it perfect for solo travelers with or without gear.
There are two camps (Camp 1 and Camp 2) which are run by two different couples. Even though they are 7 mins walking distances from each other and you can eat/rent gear from both camps no matter which one you’re staying at, the community feels quite separate somehow. A big difference is that Camp 1 has no cell reception while Camp 2 has some cell reception. I stayed at both camps but preferred Camp 1 (it’s so nice to not have internet, people are not on their phones and want to actually socialize!). I also initially stayed in dorms but ended up staying in tents instead which are cheaper and has more privacy. Plus, I slept much better in tents, highly recommend.
The rocks are quite sharp so it took a while for my skin to get used to it but I liked that there were a lot of options for beginner climbers like myself, lots of easy routes! There are some easier climbs on the roof that I could try (with fixed draws!) which is apparently rare.
Only downside to GCH is that there’s not much else to do around except for climbing. Some people did the infamous Thakhek loop on the motorbikes or went into the city for a day for some good internet and shopping. There are also many caves you can swim/explore but that’s about it. I personally loved the food at the camp but I can imagine that it can get a little repetitive after a few weeks.
Overall, I really enjoyed my first long climbing trip which made me want to explore other parts of the world through outdoor climbing.