When in Railay, you hear about the hike you can take to the viewpoint and lagoon. Basically everyone says to just follow the signs and make sure to go during high tide or else you'll only discover a mud puddle. What almost everyone forgets to mention is the ridiculous scramble you must make up a ninety degree slippery mountain in order to get there.
The view from above is worth the muddy climb and you are greeted with a panoramic of Railay West, Railay East, and Tonsai Beach.
Of course you are also no doubt sweating profusely in the hot hot heat.
See picture below for visual image:
After the scramble up, you are then presented with the daunting challenge of the scramble down into the lagoon. This is what I was not prepared for (especially doing it by myself). Long story short, I had to overcome my fear of not being able to make it back out if I survived propelling myself over four mini cliffs of sharp, slippery rocks, holding onto a rickety muddy rope for my life. One cut foot later, I arrived at the bottom of the lagoon to be met by a festive Russian couple who gladly took another sweaty picture of me:
Once I made it back up and over the lagoon, I hobbled over to the ocean to clean off the newly caked on red mud. Emerging from the water I was confronted by large phallic images. Local legend states that the fertility goddess resides in a cave near the sea and local fisherman and their wives come to leave gifts and rub the phallic statues for good luck.
Viewpoints, lagoons, and phallic caves. Just another great day in Thailand.
