Thailand: Rock Climbing in Paradise

RAILAY BEACH, Thailand <br/> March 2, 2010&#151; -- It was a hot morning -- the type of day where the sun melts the ice in your umbrella drink before you can gulp it down.

Good thing I didn't have a drink.

Instead of sitting on the beach of this tropical paradise, I had decided to spend the last day of my vacation dangling on a sharp rock ledge 15 stories above the beach. A rope and my guide below were the only things preventing catastrophe should I slip.

I had come to Railay Beach, on the southern coast of Thailand along the Andaman Sea, to relax for a few days after trekking through Southeastern Asia.

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I had planned to go sea kayaking, snorkeling, swimming and enjoy the amazing beaches and plenty of waterfront shacks serving drinks. (All things I managed to accomplish.) But the real draw to this seemingly-remote beach community was the limestone cliffs rising out of the sea. They created a phenomenal backdrop that left me constantly wondering: where am I?

Then I learned that the cliffs were one of the top rock climbing destinations in the world. Soon I found myself roaming the rows of waterfront stands, investigating rock climbing tours.

Some establishments seemed a bit fly-by-night … I mean would you really trust your life to a rock climbing outfitter that also doubled as an Internet cafe? I guess it was better than the restaurant next door that also offered to do laundry by the pound. You can only hope they used separate pots.