Phra Nang Cave

There are varying legends related to the Phra Nang Cave, but each of them talks about and worships it as a symbol of fertility. Hence, people often visit the cave to offer wooden phallic symbols at the shrine, praying to cure their infertility problems. According to one legend, an Indian Princess drowned in a shipwreck near the Railay coastline, and in search of land, the spirit of the princess took refuge on the island. Since then, it is believed to be living in the Phra Nang Cave. Due to this reason, most of the fishermen offer their prayers at the shrine, wishing for a good fishing catch and a successful journey across the waterways.

One of the most popular local legend mentions that Phra Nang, or Nang, was a beautiful woman who received marriage proposals from many people across the globe, but she rejected them all. One individual, who got rejected by Phra Nang, attempted to kidnap her. In doing so, she was saved by a local man, whom she later decided to marry. However, on the date of their wedding, the bride and the groom were attacked again by the person. A hermit, who lived close to their wedding venue, tried to control the violence, but when his efforts went in vain, he used his magical powers to convert everyone into stone. As a result of this, Phra Nang became the cave, the groom became the Chicken Island, and the rest of the men were converted into groups of the island, one of which is believed to be Poda Island. Due to this reason, Goddess Phra Nang is also considered as a symbol of love amongst the locals.

The Phra Nang Cave lies around 3 km towards the south of Ao Nang Beach, and is easily reachable via waterways. Being public boats, one may have to wait for some while until more passengers arrive on the boat. However, once it departs from the mainland, it will take slightly over 10 minutes to reach the cave from Ao Nang beach. The long tail boat tickets can be purchased from the ticket counters present on the respective beaches.

The timings for Phra Nang Cave vary from one boat operator to another, so check with them either at Ao Nang Beach or the Nopparat Thara Beach for the long tail boat timings. The long tail boat charges are:
From Ao Nang Beach/ Nopparat Thara Beach to Phra Nang Cave: TBH 100 per person.
From Phra Nang Cave to Ao Nang Beach/ Nopparat Thara Beach: TBH 200 per person.