With turquoise blue waters and abundance of spectacular marine life, Redang is beyond doubt one of the most beautiful islands in Malaysia. Located about 45 km off the coast of Kuala Terengganu, measuring seven kilometers long and six kilometers wide, Redang is the largest of the group of nine islands dotting the South China Sea off the Terengganu coast.

The other eight islands are Pulau Lima, Pulau Paku Besar, Pulau Paku Kecil, Pulau Kerengga Besar, Pulau Kerengga Kecil, Pulau Ling, Pulau Ekor Tebu and Pulau Pinang (*Pulau is the Malay word for island).

REDANG – A PARADISE FOR DIVING AND SNORKELLING
In order to protect the beautiful marine life and environment in the Redang archipelago, waters up to seven nautical miles surrounding the archipelago were gazetted as Marine Park in 1985. Hence, Redang is abound with magnificent corals and marine life, as well as crystal clear waters and clean white sandy beaches.

The island is a haven for scuba diving, snorkelling and swimming. Other activities that can be enjoyed there include boating, canoeing and jungle trekking. Every dive site on the island offers something different to see and experience.

Among the famous sites include Terumbu Kili, which has rocky seascape encrusted with both soft and hard corals at about 15 metres, and slopes down to 20 metres at the sandy bottom. Big Mount offers divers a chance to observe macro lifeforms to possible encounters with the whale shark while Mini Mount has numerous cowries, spider shells and large aggregation of colourful Christmas tree worms carpeting coral blocks. It is also a famous site for night diving.

Tanjung Tokong is another site not to be missed. Large Napolean wrasse, parrotfish, jacks and unicornfish are common sight here, besides many chromodoris nudibranchs and green staghorn corals. Other popular dive sites include Tunnel Point, Tanjung Cina Terjun and also the Marine Park Centre.

Redang also has two historic shipwrecks, namely the H.M.S. Prince of Wales and the H.M.S Repulse which were sunk at the beginning of World War II, setting the stage for the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

A PERFECT GETAWAY IN LUXURIOUS RESORTS
Being a famous holiday destination, many resorts and hotels are available in Redang, catering to different needs and budgets. For sheer luxury and first-class diving services, or simply to indulge in a romantic getaway, visitors can opt for the reputable Berjaya Redang Beach Resort or the Berjaya Redang Spa Resort.

Set amidst the turquoise blue waters of Teluk Dalam, Berjaya Redang Beach Resort has white sandy beaches which is perfect for lazing around. The resort features 220 tastefully furnished rooms and suites in Malaysian-style chalets. The 130 elegant and luxurious guestrooms and suites on the hillside are the Redang Hill View and Redang Sea View categories. Berjaya Redang Beach Resort offers both local and international cuisines, a wide variety of recreational activities, spa, as well as conference and banquet facilities.

Berjaya Redang Spa Resort is located in Teluk Siang, on the southern side of the island. Perched on a cliff 140 feet above sea level, it commands a spectacular view of the South China Sea. Set in lush tropical rainforest, it offers 100 cosy chalets. The resort provides complete privacy for those seeking a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Guests at both Berjaya Redang Beach Resort and Berjaya Redang Spa Resort have the privilege of utilising the common facilities on both properties.

Access to both islands is by boat from Shahbandar jetty that takes about 1½ hours or by flight via Berjaya Air from Subang Airport in Kuala Lumpur or Seletar Airport in Singapore.

Another well-known resort in Redang is Laguna Redang Island Resort, which is located at Long Beach (Pasir Panjang). The resort offers 222 comfortably furnished rooms ranging from standard to suites housed in 12 blocks of authentic Malay architectural wonder, reminiscent of a traditional village setting. All guest rooms are spacious and uniquely decorated with distinctive Malay design that exudes warmth and cosiness.

Like Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, Laguna Redang also offers conference and banquet facilities, as well as an extensive selection of recreational activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling, jungle trekking, nature walk, sunset cruise, island hopping, canoeing, banana boat, beach volleyball and beach soccer.

THE BEST TIME TO VISIT REDANG
During the North-East monsoon season, the resorts on the island are closed for a few months, normally between November and February. Hence, the best time to visit Redang is between March and October. In fact, some resorts will start to close by mid-October and will only re-open in the first week of February. Therefore, it’s advisable to check and make a reservation with the respective resorts before heading to the island.

BOATS & FERRIES TO REDANG
Boats to Redang depart from the fishing village of Merang, while some such as Berjaya Redang Beach Resorts’ ferry depart from Shahbandar jetty in Kuala Terengganu.

Merang jetty is about an hour’s drive from the Kuala Terengganu airport while Shahbandar jetty is merely 10 minutes away from the Kuala Terengganu airport.

Most of the boats or ferries will depart from the jetty once in the morning and another trip in the afternoon. However, each resort has its own boat transfers schedule and it may change according to the tide, sea and weather conditions. Therefore, prior reservation is advisable.

The holiday packages to Redang normally include accommodation, boat transfers and meals. Some resorts also include snorkeling, scuba diving or jungle trekking trips in their packages.

Berjaya Redang’s ferry departs from Shahbandar jetty daily at 10.30am and 3.00pm, while the ferry from Redang leaves at 7.00am and 1.00pm for Shahbandar jetty. The return fares are RM100.00 per adult and RM50.00 per child.

Laguna Redang Island Resort’s boat departs Merang jetty at 9.30am and 12.30pm. From the resort to Merang jetty, the boat departs at 9.00am and 12.00pm.

OTHER BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS IN MALAYSIA
Redang is just one of the many beautiful islands in Malaysia that offers superb diving holiday and breathtaking beaches, as well as stunning marine life. There is also Tioman and Perhentian, which is equally magnificent, not to mention those truly captivating islands in the state of Sabah. For instance, the world-renown Pulau Sipadan is the ultimate diving destination with amazing sights of turtles, reef sharks and a 680-metre deep drop-off, while nearby Mabul has rich diversity of macro marine life.

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NOTES:
1) Images on Berjaya Redang Beach Resort are courtesy of the resort.
2) The accommodation on Redang range from budget resorts to 4-star resorts. Currently, there are 17 resorts on Redang. All are located at Teluk Kalong and Pasir Panjang on the eastern coast except for the two Berjaya resorts.

Kindly visit the resorts’ own websites for the latest updates on facilities and prices.

TERENGGANU - BACKGROUND
Occupying 12,955sq. km, the state of Terengganu has Kelantan on its north border and Pahang in the south and southwest. This land of long sandy beaches has a coastline of 240km facing the South China Sea. Its capital town is Kuala Terengganu.
 Terengganu is a paradise for beach combers as its main attractions are its beaches, Leatherback turtles and beautiful islands. Besides Redang, its famous islands include Perhentian and Kapas.

USEFUL WEBSITES:

http://www.tourism.terengganu.gov.my/

http://island.com.my/

CONTACTS:
BERJAYA REDANG BEACH RESORT / BERJAYA REDANG SPA RESORT:
Tel: +60 (9) 630 8866 / 630 8888
Fax: +60 (9) 630 8880
KL reservation office:
Tel: 03 2141 0088
Fax: 03 2145 7190
Email: reservation@b-redang.com.my
Website: www.berjayahotels-resorts.com

LAGUNA REDANG ISLAND RESORT:
Tel: +60 (9) 630 7888
Fax: +60 (9) 630 7878
Email: enquiry@lagunaredangtt.com.my
Website at www.lagunaredang.com.my
Sales office (Kuala Terengganu)
Tel: +60 (9) 631 0888
Fax: +60 (9) 631 3322
Sales office (Kuala Lumpur)
Tel: +603-2141 1188
Fax:+603-2141 2333

BERJAYA AIR:
Ticket office (Town Office):
Tel : 603-2141 0088 extn 103
Fax: 603-2145 8689
Ticket office (Redang Island Airport office):
Tel: 609-630 2228
Fax: 609-630 2229
Website: https://www.berjaya-air.com/

Reservations for "SEATS ONLY"
Berjaya Air Sdn Bhd
Terminal 3, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
Tel : 603-7846 8228
Fax : 603-7846 5637
Email: reserve@berjaya-air.com

Reservations for "HOLIDAY PACKAGES"
Tel : 603-7845 8382/7845 8378
Fax : 603-7846 5637
Email: booking@berjaya-air.com

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Issued by: Communications Division, Tourism Malaysia
Date: 03 August 2009
For further information, please contact Daryl Yep at (603) 2615 8188
or email: yyldaryl@tourism.gov.my

For pictures, click here.