Redang Island

This is one of the best islands that you can find in Peninsular Malaysia and one of the largest you can find in the east coast of Malaysia.

Water is magnificently clean and bluish with whitish sand on the beach. Hard to find on the west coast of Malaysia.

It compromises of 9 little islands- Lima Island, Paku besar island, Paku Kecil Island, Kerengga Kecil island, Kerengga besar island, , Ekor tebu island, Ling island & Pinang island and The main Redang Island.

How to get there?

It is accessible from Merang or Kuala Terenganu to Redang by small speed boats. Most of the speed boats are operated by the resorts themselves.

If you are coming from Kuala Lumpur, it is best if you could hook up with a travel agency from KL and make your trip there.

As for our experience we had taken a bus with our own arrangement to Kuala Terengganu but already made due arrangements with the tour agency to fetch us.

Ping Anchorage travel & tours Sdn. Bhd was our tour operator and frankly speaking there were no complains.

As soon as we arrived in Kuala Terengganu, there was already a tour operator waiting to pick us up and we were brought to Merang jetty.

Well, we had to wait like for an hour before the ferry departed to Redang Island and it took approximately like 45-50minutes to arrive at Redang.

You can also fly in directly as they have a small airport. You can look for Berjaya Tours to Redang.

Activities

Once you have set foot on the island, the tour operators will give you a briefing of what are the next items that will be done and also all the safety briefings too.

Our trip was a 3DAY/2 NIGHT thingy and they had us occupied with all sorts of activities.

You can have snorkeling activities at certain parts of the island decided by the tour operators and also on the marine park. Diving too can be arranged

but with some extra charge. You can actually join in all the activities provided by the operator or just inform them that you would like to laze around the beach within your own group.

So it is quite relaxing.

As for our own experience, Just by swimming at shore area there will be a group of baby sharks roaming around. Not to worry, so far they have been harmless to humans and the scene was just so

electrifying as seeing real baby sharks swim in front of your eyes.  The beach boys did mention that there was an area where the mother sharks are but we were just too afraid to go there.

But some people actually did and they came back alive. Hehe. Some people went diving but too bad we didn’t really get feedback from them so we are unable to comment.

If you just not want to do anything at all, it will also be great just to lie sunbathing in the beach. This island is still not so commercialised yet so it kinda relaxing.

Many tourist still do not know about this place as they are still being told about Langkawi, Penang and other very commercialised places.

Night

Night activities is not that much here but you sure could enjoy some of the beach bars on the sand and maybe get sloshed. We did but by bringing our own drinks as I would say alcohol could be quite

pricey there. It is great to actually chill out with your friends/ family/ gf/bf whatsoever under the moonlight and watching the stars at night. It does get rather quite by the time it is 10pm as I noticed that many

of the people at that point of time were honey mooning. So I guess, after dinner they just go do whatever couples like to after just getting married…cheers.

Food   

As for us since we had taken a package from Ping Anchorage, everything was provided. Breakfast, lunch & dinner. Well we enjoyed the seafood barbecue buffet on the 2nd night for sure. All this comes in the package.    

Please do check again if they still have this offerings in your packages. Nothing was really great about the food except for the barbecue but can't expect much for the very cheap price we paid for.   

So no complaints.        

Return 

Took a speed boat arranged by the tour operator back to Merang Jetty and a van send us back to the Kuala Terenganu bus station.

We arranged for our own tickets back for the bus and sadly back to KL.        

Best part was during our boat trip back from Redang, we managed to get few glimpses of dolphins following our boats. Managed to get some photos but it ain't that clear.        

But these dolphins were rather blackish in colour compared to what you see in national geographic (grayish)-maybe the Malaysian sun. - hehe   

We always wanted to return back to this island but still could not manage to do so with our busy work schedules. But for sure we will as we feel this is the best we have seen with our own eyes  

Recommendation         

Worth it- Budget around rm400-500/TOURS--- RM400/500 Personal.