Amazing Thailand.
By Keith Sharples

Limestone towers and cliffs are scattered like confetti across the Krabi Province of Thailand, non more so than on the Phra Nang Peninsula. Lush palm trees provide a verdant back-cloth to the cliffs, many of which rise straight from the beaches of the Andaman Sea. Climbers and travellers alike flock to Phra Nang; they have heard the word and have travelled halfway around the world to see for themselves. Coming face-to-face with climbing utopia, and Phra Nang is surely that, even most hardened travelling climbers are likely to be reduced to a gibbering farangs (tourists). With over 400 routes to throw yourself at, many of them 'must does', you'll need a minimum of two to four weeks for a visit and even then you'll have more than enough left for a return trip. And if that's not enough, then the scenery and chilled pace of life on Rai Lay is bound to 'do' for you. So if you haven't yet been to Asia's playground, then check-out the following whistle-stop tour of the crags at Phra Nang and then decide for yourself if you can ignore this place any longer.

Layout.
Just over 800 kms south of Bangkok, the 31 crags at Phra Nang are grouped in three main areas around the peninsula; south east, south west and the north/north west. Roads, and therefore cars, are conspicuous by their absence at Phra Nang, so access around the peninsula is on foot. But before you start to sweat at the prospect of endless jungle-bashing trails, rest assured that it's possible to walk from one end of the place to the other in less than an hour. However, as most of the accommodation is located in the middle of the peninsula, you are never more than about fifteen minutes from the nearest crag.