Into The Blue: Redang Island, Malaysia

Travel Date: 06-09 Aug 2010

The moment the island captured my sight from a fair distance, I knew that we are meant for each other. I am stunned. My world stops as the panorama continues to hypnotize me. Simply captivating. And there I was, setting my first step on its crystal clear water and my first footprint on the pristine white sand of Redang Island.

Apologies, that's what love can do with my words. Now for some cool facts and experience...

Being at the shore to witness sunrise is the best definition of the phrase 'brand new day'. Some guests have probably been staying there for quite a few days that they started doing their morning rituals, jogging, sipping coffee, or reading magazines in front of their villa.

There is nothing much you can do in Redang aside from swimming, snorkeling, diving, sunning yourself to tan, party all night like you own the dance floor, play with the fish near the shore, and witness fireworks if you get lucky. So if this doesn't sound fun to you, the island is not your place. Otherwise, pack your goggles, surf shorts, or swimsuits and revive your nearly boring days in Redang.

- From Dusk 'Til Dawn - Rate: 2.5/5

Sunrise is perfect because it wakes up right across the shore, in short, you are facing the east. Unfortunately, you don't witness dramatic sunset because it goes down behind the island and covered by the mountain. So don't expect any spectrum of colors in the sky, like what you can witness in Northern Territory, Australia.

- Accommodation - Rate: 3/5

Yes it's convenient. Yes it's safe. Yes it's cheap. I guess this is relative. We stayed in Redang Holiday and it wasn't bad. Well in fact it's good enough especially if you stay longer outside than being in bed.

- How To Get There - Rate: 3/5

(Thanks to Tengteng Ballesteros!)

Since we were on a budget and love long road trips, we opted to travel via coach.

Our Redang road trip started off at 630 pm on Friday, August 6 with an almost 3-hour, SGD 2.50 Causeway bus ride from the bus terminal along Queen Street in Singapore to the Larkin bus terminal in Johor Bahru. Note: 3-hour timing includes immigration exit & entrance procedures in both Singapore and Malaysia on the eve of a long weekend.

From the Larkin bus terminal in Johore Bahru, we embarked on the 9-hour, SGD 74 coach ride aboard the Adik Beridik coach at around 9:30 pm.

We arrived at the Kuala Terangganu bus terminal at around 5:30 am on August 7 and headed for the Merang Jetty at around 6:30 via the van provided by the resort.

From the Merang Jetty, we were whisked off to the b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l island of Redang via a 45-minute, RM40 ferry ride.

My long awaited beach weekend has officially started.

As the saying goes, "all things must come to an end" and so it was for our Redang vacation. At 830 am on August 9, we rode the ferry back to the Merang Jetty and from the jetty via the van service to the Terangganu bus terminal.

Our bus to Singapore via the Maju Express departed at around 200 pm. We reached home at around 200 am. i will not bother to vent out the details of the hellish experience that we had with the unprofessionalism we encountered with the management of the Maju express, the long queues in the immigration and the lack of public transportation.

You can also reach Terangganu via the 1.40 hours Berjaya plane ride.

- Food - Rate: 1/5

Again, this is relative. In Redang Holiday, they will make you feel like a prisoner less the shackles and the orange P shirt. Ok fine, thanks for the utensils, but the food and presentation is really terrible. The only reason this has 1 point is because I am hungry and when you are hungry anything you find edible you will eat. Since they have spoon and fork and plate, I supposed the ones they displayed on the long table are indeed food.

If you intend to stay here for more than a day, you are not dreaming if you would see same breakfast served every day. Even the cooks and waiters do not change. And if you think their juice is bland, change your perspective by thinking it's actually a colored water. You have two options, violet and yellow. I can't say it's orange because it would sound like a fruit.

- Water Fun - 4/5

No jetski, fine. No para sailing, fine. No banana boat, fine. You don't need all that in Redang or you will miss the beauty the underneath has to offer. Take a few wades from the shore and dive your nose below the waters and there you will find the majestic treasure of the beach. That's not even an official snorkeling activity you're doing. So expect more colors, more beauty once you boat out to snorkel and say hi to Nemo, Dory and their other unknown more amazing super fish friends.

And the Marine Park, it speaks for itself. It is suicidal not to see this wonder.

- Night Life - 3/5

Well, if will not add yourself up to the growing population of boring people in the beach at night, then Redang bars would make sense. I observed (and I don't expect you to agree) that locals are damn boring. Despite my attempt to encourage them to dance (I was literally dancing alone!), they choose to stay in the dark and drink. Feel lucky if your friends are as party animals as mine! It's a total entertainment!

- Not To Miss -

Take this seriously. Do not ever leave without tasting the most luscious, heavenly, what's-my-name drink the island offers - the Three-Layer Tea - and by it's name, you would know how satisfying it is. It is made of Tea with Milk, Evap Milk, and Palm Syrup from top to bottom. The weird thing is that, I searched Palm Syrup in town as much as I could, but it's nowhere to be found!