A trip to Redang! :D

On 28 April to 1 May 2004, my family and I had a family vacation to Redang Island which is located in Terengganu, Malaysia. We had very joyful and memorable moments there. Redang Island is one of many islands in the waters of Terengganu. Among other attractions to Redang is Redang Marine Park which is located near Redang Island. We departed to Redang Island on ferry from Shahbandar jetty by taking a ferry at 9.00 a.m.

We took 3D2N package from Redang Pelangi Resort which we found had a reasonable price and was worth the money for our trip. There are many other packages offered by other resort operators and travel agents ranging from medium range to high luxury package. Of course the price will be higher for the higher luxury package. Our sail took about 1 and a half hour along the beautiful Terengganu water and passing by several islands on our way to Redang Islang.

Redang Pelangi and most of resorts in Redang Island are located in the seashore of Pasir panjang. There is no ferry jetty in Pasir Panjang, so we had to carry our luggage to a nearby floating platform which is on the beach and is connected to the shore. Upon arriving, we have our ground transport ready to move us from the beach to resort. The transport is actually a wagon attached to a tractor. It was very thrilling experience as we walked along the beach. 

The check in process was smooth, the receptionist asked for the deposit payment slips. Luckily dad had the slip printed out with him. Mobile phone line got a problem on our arrival that day. We were given a quad sharing room near the canteen and near the beach. Lunch was served on 12 noon. The lunch served was variety of local foods. It is absolutely worth the money spent on the package. After filling ourselves, we took some rest and waited for the first snorkeling trip. We rented the life jacket and snorkeling gears from the resort for RM20.00 per set (life jacket - RM10.00, snorkeling gear- RM10.00). The boat was parked in the water. The beach boys were very kind and helpful as they help us to go from the shore to the boat located far from the shore. One of the main attraction in checking in to Redang Pelangi is that their beach boys which are reportedly to be kind, helpful and very supportive.

Our journey to the open sea snorkeling area took about 15 minutes. Arriving near an isolated rock island, I felt the adrenaline to jump in the sea and start snorkeling. It was a very beautiful and magnificent underwater scene in the area. The fishes, the corals, the clear water it was very beautiful. Returning form the first trip, we rushed over to the canteen and had our evening tea with a local food called 'jemput-jemput'. The canteen was built to cater dry and wet occupants. There is  no restriction to enter the canteen in wet clothes. Done eating , we headed over to the beach in front of the resort to continue our snorkeling and water fun activity. Yet the beach alone is very beautiful and got a full load of fishes and corals underwater. We started the second day with a trip to marine park. This is the most awaited moment for every person coming to Redang Island. Our journey took about 30 minutes from the resort to Marine Park.

We were briefed on the do's and don'ts in marine park which we are not allowed to bring things back with us, we cannot step on the corals, we cannot swim outside the free boat area and we are not allowed to catch the baby turtles. The marine park was like an underwater paradise. The water is so clear and the underwater living creatures were very beautiful. We fed the fishes with a couple of bread slices, my brother was so delighted to see the fishes gathered around us to eat the bread slices. On approximately 11.30 a.m we were called to board the boat returning to the Resort. On the jetty, we had seen a miraculous show by a school of fishes swimming under the jetty and sometime jumped over the water. There were so many of them, they were like a grass on the field. 

On the evening we were supposed to have another open sea snorkeling trip but we were too tired to get up from the beds so we ended up sleeping and then snorkeling in the beach in front of the resort. This time I braved myself to explore the sea further away from the beach but I found out that fishes were gathered around the coral and reefs which is located not too far away from the beach. The reefs were a kind of very with a small cave like hole below the reefs. 

On the next morning, we took another last beach activity before checking out. We could see smaller fishes swimming around us finding for foods. My family had a very fun time in the water that morning as the tide is low and the waves were calm. We checked out on 10.00 am and transferred to the ferry arrival area using the tractor pulled wagon. Our ferry arrived at 11.00 am and the journey ended in Shahbandar jetty at 12.00 noon.  We are so grateful to the beach boys and the staffs working at the resort who have helped us a lot throughout our trip in Redang. It is definitely a place worth of vacation. 

For more details, you can go to links to check it all out :
http://wikitravel.org/en/Redang
https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Hotels-g304006-Pulau_Redang_Terengganu-Hotels.html

A short getaway to Pulau Besar!

We went to Pulau Besar with our cousins somewhere in 2012. We traveled from Puchong to Melaka by car with guidance of my cousin brother.  You can go to Anjung Batu Jetty at Melaka Raya to take ferry. It will cost only RM 14. For more details you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulau_Besar_(Malacca).

It takes only about 5 – 10 mins to reach the island. Ya, I forgot to mention, Pulau Besar is a small Island in Melaka, Malaysia. We took a van upon reaching the island and reached the Tomb of Sheikh Ismail in less than 5 mins. From there we walked to almshouse called Wakaf Sultan Arrifin which is located few meter from the tomb. And all these places located exactly at seashore. Just in few steps you can steep your feet into the sea.

You can stay at almshouse for free. No bed or air condition. Fans and lights will be turn on at 7pm. They will provide you breakfast, lunch, tea break and Dinner. All for free and unconditional.  All you need to do is, just wake up at proper lunch time, dinner time and breakfast. However we donate RM 50 each for courtesy. Or you can stay in your own camp or you can rental from any camp providers in surrounding area. There is nice chalet also there. I saw only one resort providing the chalet facilities. D’Puteri Kurnia Resort.  Lot of small stalls and restaurants in surrounding area but the food provided by the almshouse are most delicious. Don’t expect varieties. It is very simple foods. Morning we ate fried mee, lunch we have no idea as we reached there after lunch and leave the place before lunch. Dinner just a bowl of rice with 1 piece of mutton curry and it was so tasty. The almshouse is maintained by some Indian Muslims who settled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That's what we have been told. After few minutes of rest at almshouse, my family and I walked along the seashore and in jungles till 7pm (i guess) and there after I took my bath at the public toilet cum bathroom. I found  there is 2 public toilets. One is near Mosque and Tomb and another one is at almshouse. Both are very clean. You have to pay RM 1 for bath. 

After our dinner, we went to a very quiet and nice place with small and long wall which located exactly at seashore. We sat over there and turned on music where we enjoyed singing and gaving a good laugh together. We sat there until 12am before heading to the almshouse. At night, we all fhad problems in sleeping as there were too many mosquitoes. I especially got up every hour. Finally I got up at 5am and after my bath I went to a rock under a big tree at seashore. I lay on the rock and simply listening to birds sound and sea wave until 8am.

Pulau Besar is definitely a great place for jungle tracking. I don't know why Tourism Malaysia never promote this site. However if it is visited by thousand traveler and pilgrimages, definitely the beauty of nature and silence of the jungle will lost in human crowd and rubbish. Pulau Besar also a great place for camp fire and meditation. All the spiritual places I visited previously is purely spiritual but this one surrounded with undisturbed nature, birds sounds and sound of sea wave. This land can awaken your “nature”. I returned to my homeland with full of joy, unconditional love, forgiveness, humbleness. It was a fun time we had in Pulau Besar though mostly, we visited the tombs. 

A picture of the sea view!