Rayavadee

A-MAZ-ING! It’s a travesty that my vocabulary is unable to sufficiently express how enraptured we were during our stay at Rayavadee in Krabi.

Even though you’ll see photographic and video evidence of our time here, we have worked hard to be in the moment the entire stay. I’ve actually teared up several times throughout our stay because the beauty overwhelms me. And it’s not even just the flora and fauna, architecture, landscape, but the sincere hospitality of every employee on site.

We landed in Krabi and knew that Rayavadee would have someone to greet us and transport us to the resort via shuttle bus and then boat. I wish I could have snapped a picture when we exited baggage claim and they made eye contact. Their eyes lit up and the standard Thai greeting of Sawasdee Kaa/ Krab and a wai (bow) was exchanged. There was about 15 people they were collecting, so a contingent of 5 greeted us. The family of 6 we rode with have been coming to the resort for the last 5 years. They are from Bangkok and very friendly, giving us tips about the monkeys that may try to steel our food, etc. (More on monkeys later).

We arrived at the pier and were then escorted into one of the two boats waiting for us.

A lovely 25-minute ride later and we slid onto Rayavadee’s beach and were immediately escorted into their ornately wood-carved Raya Lounge. They provided us with a refreshing drink, cold towels and a beautiful flower corsage before Manow introduced herself and reviewed details about our stay and the amenities they provided. Some of you know we stayed here so we could enjoy a dinner at The Grotto, which I found via Google images at some point during my research. Manow informed us that we were lucky we reserved ahead of time because it was completely booked for the evening. So be sure to book ahead if you want to come here and experience what you’re about to see.

Our “room”. I knew what they’d look like. Afterall, they do have a website. But as Manow opened our room and escorted us inside a beautiful song began playing on the TV, the scent of flowers filled the air and a cool breeze flowed over our overheated skin. Manow sliced and offered some rose apple to us when I asked what type of fruit was on the table. It was so good, almost a cross between a pear and apple. She then showed us the complimentary and non-complimentary drinks and food available to us in our refrigerator and cabinet. She then escorted us up the winding wood staircase to the bedroom and bathroom pointing out the amenities along the way. Which reminds me I’m going to make a quick cup of tea right this second.

rose apples and mango

After she left, Eric and I dropped our jaws and began to take pictures and wander around. Pinching ourselves that we were actually here.

It was a beautiful day, which we weren’t sure about due to Cyclone Fani hitting India not too far away. We decided to take the five minute walk towards Phranang Beach and go kayaking on the resorts complimentary kayaks.

We arrive at the beach and the attendants asked us to pick out a lounge. This is a public beach but Rayavadee has a raised portion that is private and it’s right next door to The Grotto.

They then carried our kayak to the water and held it steady as we stepped in. At this point I’m still pinching myself that we’re here. The water is a wonderful shade of a green turquoise. We paddled out around large rocks and saw quite a few jelly fish. The rock formations were pretty spectacular. We didn’t stay in the water too long because I completely forgot sunscreen. So happy I had a base tan because I’m sure it kept me from burning while we were out there.

We returned to the beach and decided to get a cool drink at the grotto and get our first glimpse of the entire reason we’re here. I’m not disappointed. That led to a “light” lunch since we were about 5 hours away from our dinner reservation.

Side note – I’m currently typing at 5:51 AM on Saturday in our room and I hear what sounds like a distant car alarm. I’m going to run and take a quick video and load it here. I’m guessing cicadas. We aren’t sure, but we heard these little guys most of yesterday as well while walking around the property. Apparently they wake up at 5:50 AM.

After only eating about half of our “light lunch” so we can still eat dinner we decide to lay down on our lounge for a while before heading over to the pool on the opposite side of the property.

To get to the pool it took about 15 minutes of walking. Along the way we are surrounded by lush greenery with fragrant flowers, chirping cicadas, singing birds, and chattering squirrels. We’re told/warned there are monkeys somewhere as well, but we still haven’t seen any. The warning was only that if you have fruit and monkey starts to come towards you, just toss the fruit at him and head the other direction. Monkeys 1, humans 0 in that contest.

The resort’s infinity pool is right behind Railay beach and surrounded by comfortable lounge chairs and umbrellas. I’m pretty sure we’ll be heading out there in about an hour this morning as well and go for a morning swim. It’s beautiful. They even had a hot tub, although I have no idea why. Who would get into a hot tub in this heat???

We lounged in the shade for a couple of hours sipping on cocktails provided by smiling staff. Oh, I did mention the sincerity of the staff at the beginning of this blog. But really… They are so incredibly sincere and friendly. Every person you walk by on the paths all provide a large genuine smile, a wai, and the greeting. You just can’t fake the eyes. They mean it here and it elevates the entire mood and feeling of our stay.

On the way back to our room to get ready for dinner we heard them! Monkeys! They were hollering away in the trees. I have no idea what type of monkeys they are. I’m guessing the adults are about 2 foot tall when sitting. We saw a little baby too but couldn’t get a good picture of it. As one British gentleman told us, “These aren’t the naughty monkeys.” In other words, they aren’t going to charge you for no good reason. I guess they’re the cheeky monkeys, but I didn’t double check with him. I love Brits.

The Grotto!

I truly don’t think we could have had a more perfect evening to top off the most perfect day. This entire day is my 2^nd best day behind our wedding day.

The setting: birds chirping, breeze blowing, light clouds in the sky to hint at a beautiful sunset. Fantail boats coming and going on the beach. Uplighting inside the cave of The Grotto for beautification as the sun goes down. Smiling servers who are happy to accommodate orders, snap pictures and make sure you’re happy with everything. Manow was even there to serve us. I’m not sure if she does this with each guest of hers or if it was a coincidence. She gave us a tip to get there a little early to select the best table. Thank you, Manow. We were 15 minutes early and I had first choice. There was probably only 1 bad table because it was close to the cave wall and they had to get out of their seats to see the sunset. The rest of the tables along the mouth of the cave were stellar.

When making reservations, they provided us three meal prix fix meal options. Eric chose the Land and Sea while I chose the Rayavadee. Pictures below of our courses. So. Much. Exquisitely prepared food in an outdoor kitchen by the beach. Compliments to the chef! This portion of our night will be photo only because words fail me. I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to book a trip and come here to experience it.

Tanya appetizer: Fresh Burrata - Tomatoes, Parma ham crisps, arugula, Menton lemon extra virgin olive oil and walnut

Eric appetizer: Yam Nuea - Beef strip loin with fragrant and spicy Thai style salad

Wedding couples photo shoot - they're getting married at The Grotto on the following day. They had been out taking photos on a fantail boat at sunset. Those will be amazing!

Our Sides: Mixed mushroom poelee with shallots and balsamic vinegar, crispy mushroom tempura, wok-fried zucchini with curry, Thai-style crab fried rice