Pulau Redang or Redang Island is one of the premier Malaysian Marine Parks in Peninsular Malaysia, offering some of the best snorkelling and diving due to its rich diversity of coral reefs and marine life. Its white sandy beaches and clear waters make it one of the most popular beach destinations in the region.

LOCATION

Pulau Redang is located in the South China Sea off the northeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia within 5°44' - 5°50' North latitude and 102°59' - 103°5' East longitude. It lies about 45km north-northeast of Kuala Terengganu, the state capital of Terengganu, and about 22km off Tanjung Merang, the closest point on the mainland.

GEOLOGY

Pulau Redang measures about 7km long and 6km wide with it's highest peak, Bukit Besar, located 359 metres above sea level. The island is made up mainly of granite and sedimentary rocks. Soil cover is generally thin and not agriculturally productive, except around the Sungei Redang (Redang river) basin and the summit of Bukit Besar, the highest peak on Redang.

Sandy beaches are found primarily on Teluk Kalong and Pasir Panjang in the east, Teluk Dalam and Chagar Hutang in the north, and Mak Kepit and Mak Simpan in the west. Most resorts are located at Pasir Panjang with a few at Teluk Kalong while Berjaya Redang is the only resort at Teluk Dalam, a bay that is so sheltered that it is hardly affected by the northeast monsoon.

The rest of the exposed coastline is dominated by rocky outcrops, steep walls and cliffs while caves and grottos cut out by wave erosion can be found in sedimentary rock areas. Some of these caves can be seen in the northeastern shore at Tanjung Gua Kawah.

RIVERS AND FRESH WATER SUPPLY

Sungei Redang, the main river, splices the island vertically in the middle and flows south, emerging opposite the Marine Park Centre. It is flanked by 2 hilly ridges and mangroves are found along the tidal reaches of its estuary and also near Teluk Dalam. During the rainy season, large quantities of water run off the thin soil cover, forming rivers that often cut across the sandy beaches into the sea. By the end of monsoon season, these dry up and disappear and the beach is restored once again.

While there is piped fresh water from the mainland, this only supplies the village homes and Berjaya resort which helped to set up the piped water access to the village. All other resorts get their water from the ground or transport them in from the mainland. From 2009, most resorts will have access to piped fresh water from the mainland as part of the state government's infrastructure development for island tourism.

FLORA & FAUNA

The interior of the island is covered with thick vegetation comprising mainly dipterocarpus forests in the east, and shorea forests in the west. Coconut trees line sandy shores, while the 'sukun' or breadfruit tree is fairly abundant on Pulau Pinang. Island fauna comprise mainly small reptiles and amphibians such as snakes, monitor lizards, geckos, toads & frogs, small mammals such as macaque monkeys, bats, mousedeer, civet cats, rodents, domestic goats and sheep and more than 50 species of birds.

SNORKELING IN REDANG

All the resorts offer snorkelling trips as part of their vacation package and rent out snorkelling equipment like masks, snorkel and life jackets. Young children, the elderly and even non-swimmers can enjoy snorkelling. Just put on lifejacket, mask and snorkel and jump into the water. While there are powered masks and child-sized life jackets for rental, these are limited. If fit and hygiene are important, you may prefer to bring your own.

On boat snorkelling trips, there will be snorkelling guides accompanying snorkellers to         ensure the site is safe and free from currents and also to render assistance. Sometimes, bread is provided for snorkellers to feed the fish. For those snorkelling on your own off the  beach, there are no guides or lifeguards, so do so at your own risk.

SNORKEL RESPONSIBLY

• Don't use fins unless you have good control over them and your own buoyancy.
• Never stand or step on corals.
  You can damage or break them.
• Do not litter.
  Don't bring plastic bags or bottles and leave them in the water. Turtles may mistakenly eat them thinking they are jellyfish. Collect all litter and dispose them properly back on shore.
• Wear a lifejacket and fasten it securely unless you are proficient in the water.
• Don't snorkel out of designated areas for safety reasons.

DEPARTURE POINT

Ferries for Redang depart either from KT Shahbandar jetty or from Merang jetty. Many resorts and tour operators provide land transfers between the KT coach station and airport to Merang jetty or Shahbandar jetty. These transfers are usually included in the resort package or provided at an extra charge. See the map and table for departure points to other islands.

SHAHBANDAR JETTY

Shahbandar jetty is in downtown KT, located opposite the Tourist Information Centre and General Post Office, near Puteri Hill and Maziah Palace. There are limited carpark lots at the jetty. Downtown KT is quite small and from Shahbandar jetty, one can easily walk to the local wet market, Chinatown, the coach terminal and other places of interest. Just pick up a map at the Tourist Information Centre and explore the town on foot.

MERANG JETTY

Merang is about 40 minutes by coach from KT and is the nearest point on the mainland to Redang. The total travel time from KT to Redang is about the same from Shahbandar jetty or Merang jetty, about 80-90 minutes. The difference is spending the whole duration on a boat from Shahbandar or half that on a boat from Merang (with the other half on the coach)

HOW TO GET THERE

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