Redang Island [15 ~ 18 August 2003]

This was the first trip since after I had resigned and being a full time student. A close friend of mine asked me to join their group going to Redang Island as his sister having free stay coupons at Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, the only 5-star resort on that island. We only had to pay the transportation and meals. I had heard a lot about the beauty of this resort especially its private beach. Without any further thought, I grabbed this golden opportunity that only come once.

Thirteen of us heading to Kuala Terengganu, the jump off point for the resort on Redang Island, on 15th August night by express bus. I finished my class at 9pm that night and rushed back for a light meal and a quick wash. Then, with my rucksack and a bottle of water I went to Puduraya Bus Station to meet my friend. It was a hot weather and I sweated like hell. The bus journey was quite comfortable as it was VIP seating however the air-cond was too cool that everyone had to wear layers of clothes or even cover themselves with towels. The hero, me, as usual put on nothing extra the whole journey. I felt quite okay almost the whole journey. In fact, I was rather too lazy to dig out my clothes from my rucksack underneath my legs in the dark. I was shivering when getting down the bus at the Tanjong Bus Station, Kuala Terengganu the next morning.

We had our breakfast at one of the stalls right behind the bus station. Once again, I had the famous local rice: "nasi dagang" with delicious fish paste mixed with chilies, which I really missed them. We then had a short walk to the nearby jetty where we going to board the speedboat to Redang Island. We registered at the Berjaya office located at the jetty and left our luggage at the office so that we could visit the morning market nearby. We bought some fresh fruits and mineral waters there. The market was very busy with people around, the sellers and buyers, and of course the visitors like us.

The boat departed punctually and the journey took about one hour. We were welcomed by the staff of Berjaya Redang Beach Resort and the goat shits at the end of the jetty upon arrival and before boarding the shuttle bus. The journey from the jetty to the resort was quite far, about 15 minutes driving on a countryside road passing thru some small settlements.

The rooms were nice but the facilities were not adequate for local tourists like us. It was a wonderful quite place for relaxing ones soul and body but unfortunately they were having a huge construction of new chalets on one side of the beach. The unwanted noise from the construction site was the only disturbance to our holiday there.

Without further delay, we went down to the beach and it was really attractive! Beautiful beach with crystal clear water and snow-white fine sands, I would regret if I ever miss out this place in my life of traveling. I snapped many pictures on the beach during my stay there. The pictures that I took turned out amazingly wonderful and lovely.

During our stay in Redang, it always rained heavily in the afternoon. For a period of 3 days / 2 nights stay was rather too short to enjoy the lovely sunshine and beautiful sea. The beach was too clean till I hardly could find one seashell. However, the feeling of stepping on those soft sands was fantastic and I really missed it. The sands were so fine and white that looked no different with pepper powder. One might misused it for cooking dishes.

The next day morning, my friends they went for a round island snorkeling trip, quite reasonably cheap. I didn't join them but I went for sunbathing on the beautiful beach. The resort had plenty sundecks and little shelters arranged in two rows alongside the beach and all facing the sea, one may not have problem looking for the idea one. The beach was really quite and peaceful, enjoying sunbathing under such environment would be lovely. However, the noise from the nearby construction site was really unacceptable.

At night, we just wandered around the beach or in the resort, listening to the live band, playing mahjong or board games, or just simply rest on the sundeck on the beach looking at the sky, searching for the biggest and the most shining stars and viewing the beautiful moon.

The last day morning, right after the breakfast we had to rush for the first speedboat to leave the island. We took the morning express bus back to Kuala Lumpur, the timing was just right. The return journey was long and tiring. I was really bored, as I couldn't do anything in the bus beside sleeping and sleeping. I really not used to sleep in the daytime directly under the sunlight. However, due to the unavoidable circumstances, I had to follow the group.

I really wish that I could visit the beach again in future. I want a clear sky with a hot shining sun for enjoying the sunbathing, and photograph as well!

Yoke Ming
8 Nov 2003

[View Redang Photos]