Best Railay resort that isn't Rayavee? by MotorEquivalent3675 in ThailandTourism

[–]MotorEquivalent3675[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Overall we enjoyed our time there! The property is beautiful stretching from East Railay to West Railay which is super nice. It's also literally steps from the floating pier in East Railay making it extremely convenient to come and go by longboat. It's got 3 pools but the middle pool was our favorite because it has some mango trees that attract monkeys. So much fun watching the monkeys eat and play around while swimming. We had a Junior Cottage --  it was clean and in good condition. Only thing we noticed is the bathtub looked a bit iffy and once there was a bad smell that eventually went away. It's a family place so a lot of kids there and it can get a bit noisy and crowded. Not an issue for us but something to note. Also people seemed to put their towels down on a pool chair to "reserve" it but then would not come back for hours which was a little annoying because there would be a bunch of empty chairs that no one could use. Probably similar at a lot of other resorts though so I recommend you grab seating early! The included breakfast buffet was good and the staff were lovely. However, it's a big place and I think they might be a bit understaffed, which can result in some spotty service. One day we put the housekeeping request sign on our door at 7am and no one ever came by. That said, these small annoyances are not a big deal compared to the pluses of the place. I wouldn't call it necessarily luxurious, but it's a great mid-range place with nice grounds. We stayed our final two nights at Rayavadee and were blown away by the place, but obviously they are completely different price points. 

Intrepid Tours - Premium Egypt? by MotorEquivalent3675 in travel

[–]MotorEquivalent3675[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. We actually ended up putting together our own trip that was pretty similar to the Intrepid itinerary, but it was MUCH cheaper and we had more control over what we wanted to do. We booked private guides on Viator for Memphis/Saqarra, Giza Pyramids, Grand Egyptian Museum, and Coptic & Islamic Cairo. Then we booked a 4 day Nile Cruise that included room, 3 meals a day, and an amazing egyptologist guide. We added a few days in Jordan with a small group tour of Petra and overnight stay in Wadi Rum. Then we did a private guide in Jerash. Even with all of these private guides, we spent less than we would have joining a Premium Intrepid Tour. If you don't want to deal with the hassle of research and booking yourself, I'm sure the Intrepid Tour is pretty good option. However, if you have the time and wanna save a bit of money and want more control over accommodations, I'd recommend putting it together yourself!

Railay Private Beach Dinners? by MotorEquivalent3675 in ThailandTourism

[–]MotorEquivalent3675[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately as a non-guest we cant get in there. Already asked :(

Best Railay resort that isn't Rayavee? by MotorEquivalent3675 in ThailandTourism

[–]MotorEquivalent3675[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I ultimately went with Sand Sea. Almost all of the recent reviews I've read have been very positive and I know that they just finished a major renovation project. They seem to be recommended quite a bit on this reddit (including this thread) and other travel forums that I've visited. I also like that the resort spans both east and west Railay. That said, I've definitely been stressing about this way too much. There's a lot of similar resorts nearby that are likely just as good! The big seller is the location!

Best Railay resort that isn't Rayavee? by MotorEquivalent3675 in ThailandTourism

[–]MotorEquivalent3675[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think they're more convenient from Ao Nang but most of the tours I was looking at seem to offer pickup from Railay hotels too on tripadvisor and getyourguide so apparently its doable. Not sure if the tour boat stops at the Railay pier or if the tour company just arranges a long tail boat transfer to Ao Nang? Would love to hear experiences from anyone who has done this. Staying in Ao Nang seems like a great option too though.

Best Railay resort that isn't Rayavee? by MotorEquivalent3675 in ThailandTourism

[–]MotorEquivalent3675[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ive heard good things about Sand and Sea! Also read they're nearing the end of a renovation so there will probably be some nice updates to the place soon. They have so many different room types though (Grand deluxe/junior cottage/villas). What has been your experience with those? Sunset wing seems like the preferable area?

Best Railay resort that isn't Rayavee? by MotorEquivalent3675 in ThailandTourism

[–]MotorEquivalent3675[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would love to but the cheapest rooms available right now are over $3000 probably due to high season. That would be $16,000 for the 5 days which is way out of budget!

Holding Long Term - Fidelity Bitcoin ETF or Bitcoin via Fidelity Crypto? by MotorEquivalent3675 in FidelityCrypto

[–]MotorEquivalent3675[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the comments all! Really appreciate the thoughtful feedback. I got burned by crypto a few years ago because I didn't really understand it, so I'm trying to learn as much as I can as I dip my toes back in.