Welcome to Redang island!

25 Apr 2009: Redang trip diary posted

The March Redang trip diary is now available. I've been busy since returning from that trip, but it's no excuse seeing that Tango has already posted his diary and photos in the Forum. Anyway, better late than never. I'll also be leaving for Manado in a few hours time, so I thought it best to post the diary before leaving, else I'll have another diary to write up when I return after a week's diving in Lembeh. This time, I'll be there with Seng Hock, my cousin Chee Faun and other buddies from Layang Layang, including Pam and Low whom I met in Redang at end of March.

There are not many Redang updates since the last post except that it looks like the airstrip in Redang is now back to normal operations, though it doesn't appear that the bigger ATR-72 aircraft is being used by Berjaya Air to fly to Redang yet. Also, there was news in Singapore recently about many budget airlines given the green light to fly from Singapore to a number of Malaysian destinations, including Kuala Terengganu. That can only be good news for those who hate long coach rides. I for one, will look forward to such flights. Hopefully, the competition from budget airlines will make coach companies sit up and improve their service while lowering ticket costs to compete with the airlines on the Singapore to KT route.

8 Apr 2009: Back from Redang

It's been a week since Tango, Jules and I returned from Redang from our first ever Redang Forum Moderators dive trip together and we're still suffering withdrawal symptoms. It's hard to get back to work when we're dreaming of her blue skies, white sand, azure and turquoise coloured seas! It's been 18 months since my last trip and no matter how many times I've been here, seeing Pasir Panjang on a bright sunny day still takes my breath away!

This was my first visit in March and we had good weather in the day with some showers in the late evening and night. Mike, another Forum member, flew in from HK to join us for the 4D/3N dive package. We had a pleasant stay at Laguna, a great time with the dive crew and thoroughly enjoyed the delicious buffet meals which we all felt had improved since our last visits (we had all stayed at Laguna before at various times). We also enjoyed the Filipino house band playing at the Tupai beach bar (perhaps they were playing songs of our generation) which gave entertaining performances each night. It was also good to meet a few other forum members in the flesh (we had only known each other by our forum nicknames).

This time round, we stayed at a garden view unit at the northern end of the resort, near Redang Beach, facing the hill where we sometimes found ourselves in the company of macaque monkeys from the forest. It was surprising to see Laguna and Pelangi almost fully occupied so early in the season. We had 6 good dives and I saw my first kingfish at The Wreck, a fish as large as a adult blacktip shark and which some say if seen in numbers may mean a whaleshark nearby. Visibility was average at most sites but it appears that coral cover at some sites were not as good as I remembered, possibly due to the battering during the last monsoon. I heard that some of the Reefballs planted as artificial reefs were almost fully covered by sand, while at the Wreck site, one of the boats seemed to have disappeared, probably swept away by strong currents.

Earth hour
Earth Hour on Redang was a success. Most resorts participated by switching off non-essential lights at the beachfront, plunging Pasir Panjang beach into darkness. Some folks released glowing red lanterns high up into the night sky while many sat around hoping to catch a starry sky. Thick clouds obscured what would have been a perfect evening for stargazing and soon after Earth Hour began, a thunderstorm rolled in and vivid flashes of lighting lit up the darkened beach as if Earth was angrily protesting the abuse and treatment by her human occupants.

Positive changes
The biggest changes at Redang had been happening behind the scenes. I was encouraged to hear about the state government's efforts in working with resort operators to protect the marine environment in Redang. A road was being constructed behind the resorts at Pasir Panjang to link to a proposed government jetty to be built at Teluk Bakau. The idea was to move tractors and other vehicles off the beach so supplies need not be transported up the beach as is currently being done. This will help reduce the number of boats currently parked off the beach which in turn would reduce pollution, make it safer for guests and snorkellers and also improve the beachfront scenery. Piped water from the mainland will supply freshwater to all the resorts while plans were underway to construct a common sewage treatment plant behind the resorts, which would hopefully be more environmental-friendly than current 2-stage septic tanks used by many smaller resorts.

The resort operators themselves are also taking active ownership of reef protection and conservation. They started a community volunteer group called the Redang Reef Rangers comprising about 150 resort and dive operator staff which will help to monitor environmental problems and marine park violations such as illegal spearfishing and report such incidents to the Marine Park Authorities for follow-up action. The Reef Rangers do not have the authority to act upon offenders but function as the eyes and ears for the Marine Park Department, looking out for actions that could threaten the reef environment. The Trevicosta (Terengganu Riverine and Coastal Authority) which oversees the activities of the Reef Rangers had also been busy with the Reefscape project at Redang, a beehive-shaped artificial concrete reef similar to the Reefball. Started in August last year, 2000 reef units, each weighing about 60kg will be deployed in various sites near existing damaged reefs to encourage the seeding and growth of coral. I'm not sure how effective these methods are, but the wooden wreck we dived showed encouraging signs with healthy coral growth on many structures, though it was only about 2 years old. Perhaps a wooden structure, held down and reinforced with concrete may help spur faster coral seeding and growth while making it harder for strong currents and waves to break up and sweep away.

In another encouraging sign, we were told that a green turtle came ashore near Redang Bay in early March to lay its eggs. [Updated: Eric Tan of Redang Pelangi wrote to say he was there to witness this beautiful turtle and writes about it in his blog. Check it out to see more photos that he captured of this turtle. The eggs were kept safely and handed over to Marine Park personnel to incubate. Thanks Eric for sharing.] In the last couple of years, most turtles I had seen at Redang were Hawksbills but I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a large green turtle and a large humphead wrasse at Terumbu Kili. Many years ago, I used to be able to see humphead wrasses while snorkelling and skin diving, even off the housereef at Tanjung Mak Cantik near Redang Reef but have seldom encountered them in recent years, even on dives.

Redang is also one of three islands together with Pulau Tioman and Pulau Sibu-Tinggi under a 5-year marine conservation project (called Conserving Marine Biodiversity Through Enhanced Marine Park Management and Inclusive Sustainable Island Development) that was started in 2007 and managed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and funded by the Malaysian government and GEF (Global Environment Facility). Under this program, the Marine Parks Department will improve marine resource conservation and sustainable development.

While these efforts to protect the marine environment in Redang are certainly welcome, I've always felt that the fundamental problem which no one seems to be addressing is the sheer volume of visitors and the fact that many of these visitors, despite reminders and educational briefings, still behave irresponsibly. Just last week, we observed some snorkellers at Shark Bay standing and trampling on corals in their bare feet. The fact that fins are no longer rented out to snorkellers didn't seem to deter these people. To be fair, there are also many who act responsibly but with as many as a thousand people in the water everyday during peak season, just 1-in-10 irresponsible snorkellers means a hundred pairs of feet trampling corals every day! I'm not sure whether resorts, Reef Ranger or otherwise, will have the stomach to act on, and risk offending, irresponsible guests. I know from personal experience that many professional dive resorts on other islands will not hesitate to tick off or ban divers for the next couple of dives if they violated certain rules. Perhaps its about time that resorts do the same with their guests, banning them from snorkelling trips if they were caught trampling on corals, littering or harming marine life.

Redang updates
Laguna's ferries are currently using Shahbandar jetty at KT until further notice while the Merang river mouth is being dredged to make it deeper. Smaller speedboats from other resorts like Pelangi are still using Merang jetty. The journey between Shahbandar and Redang takes about 1h 40min, so make sure you factor this into your travel plans. We had to catch Laguna's 7am boat out of Redang to make it back in time to catch our 5-Stars coach at 11am.

Not much has changed among the resorts at Kalong and Pasir Panjang since my last visit. Desagreen Resort between Holiday and Coral is no longer up for sale. Apparently the owners have decided to continue the project and while no firm opening date has been given, some folks think it may open around the second half of this year. Redang Bay appears to have some new semi-detached chalets replacing its older ones while its business as usual at Ayu Mayang (though I've been unable to locate its website). Redang Holiday has installed environmentally-friendly solar water heaters on the roof of its garden view accommodation blocks. Over at Kalong beach, a white concrete stairs and walkway now links the two southernmost beaches where Mutiara and Wisana resorts are located, so that guests at both resorts have access to a common jetty. Another walkway is being planned to connect the middle beach (where Wisana is located) to the northernmost beach (where Redang Kalong and Mozana are located). Once completed, it will be possible to walk all the way from Berjaya at Teluk Dalam to the southernmost beach at Teluk Kalong via the forest path and Pasir Panjang.

Berjaya Spa resort remains closed until further notice and the airport nearby is still undergoing runway extension and facilities upgrading works. The biggest change was at Berjaya resort over at Teluk Dalam Kecil. Their renovations almost fully completed, the resort was nothing like I remembered. This 4-star resort had completely gone upscale, distancing itself from the rest of the resorts at Redang. We were shown many of their newly renovated rooms, from the Garden suite to the premier seaview suites on the hilltop. The decor and quality of furnishings felt more like a luxury hotel while the view from the hilltop suites were one of the most breathtaking sea views I had seen - to me, certainly the best seaview in Redang.

The premium suites offered jacuzzis that overlooked the bay, as did the well-equipped gym located in one of the hillview blocks - here, you don't need a treadmill to take your breath away, just the panorama outside the full-length glass windows. The landscaping and dining facilities were also top of the class, as was the spa. Wi-fi internet access was available in all rooms. Electric buggies were available to transport guests up and down the hillview rooms, or guests could choose to use the stairs. For those with deeper pockets, Berjaya now offers an unsurpassed level of luxury accommodation in Redang with 220 rooms on a quiet, secluded and exclusive beachfront.

Singapore to KT by air?
News has it that Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, has been granted approval to fly between Singapore and Kuala Terengganu using its ATR 72 twin turboprop aircraft, the same aircraft that Berjaya Air will eventually use to fly to Redang. It's not clear when this service will start but it will be a welcome alternative to the long coach journey. Firefly already flies from KL's Subang Airport to KT.

19 Mar 2009: Earth Hour

8:30pm Saturday 28 March 2009.
Vote Planet Earth.

For one hour, you can be part of the world's first global election between Earth and global warming. To vote planet Earth, just switch off your lights for one hour from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on 28 March 2009. The target is to have 1 billion votes worldwide to present to world governments meeting at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009 to show that people of planet Earth are concerned about global warming and the planet's future, our childrens' future. VOTE EARTH is a call to action to every individual, business and community. This is a call to the entire community at Redang - the resorts on the island, the resort offices and travel agents on the mainland, island residents and individual visitors - to show your support. The entire planet, including the beautiful coral reefs and marine environment in Redang and elsewhere in the world, is under threat from global warming. This is our opportunity to show that we care and that we are concerned. Even KLCC with its beautiful Petronas twin towers has signed up for this (check out Malaysian business and companies that have pledged their support at Earth Hour Malaysia).

With 2009 visiting season underway, for me, if all goes as planned, I'll be in Redang together with Tango and Jules, this website's forum moderators on a 4D/3N diving trip from 28-31 March. It'll be the first time we're travelling together to Redang. As usual, we'll be collecting news and updates and posting them here, so be sure to check this site after we return. If you happen to be in Redang at that time and want to say hello, we'll be over at Laguna. If we're not in, just leave a message for us at the reception.

The river mouth at Merang is apparently silted up again, preventing the larger resort boats from using the jetty there. So for now, many resorts like Laguna are using Shahbandar jetty at KT instead of Merang jetty. It's not clear when Merang jetty will resume normal operations, so if you are making a trip up to Redang, make sure you double-check with your resort or travel agent which jetty you will need to be at to catch your boat out to Redang. The air strip at Redang, currently closed for expansion and renovation works, is targeted to reopen on 16 April after which it will be able to take bigger aircraft like the French-built ATR 72-500 72-seater aircraft that Berjaya Air will be using to replace its 48-seater Dash 7 aircraft that it currently uses to fly into Redang.

20 Jan 2009: A new year, a new visiting season

Not sure if it's due to the current monsoon season, but there's been some really strong winds buffeting my 19th floor apartment in Singapore the last few weeks. Sounds like a pack of coyotes howling at my windows though there are no coyotes in Singapore. It's so strong that even closing or opening the sliding windows requires more effort than usual. Makes me wonder whether Redang is taking a heavier-than-usual beating this monsoon and whether all this funny weather lately is due to the changing global climate conditions.

If all goes well, I hope to be in Redang end March for a dive trip after more than a year's absence. It'll be the first trip together with Tango and Jules, our Forum moderators. Resorts are still closed now and not all have updated their websites with 2009 rates, but I've updated the Resorts page with whatever 2009 rates that have been published and also updated the Visiting pages with the 2009 holiday calendar. Rates have gone up slightly compared to 2 years ago but that's to be expected as even a cup of coffee at my neighbourhood kopitiam seems to have increased by 15-20% over the last year. With prices going north and global economic conditions heading south, it's going to be a tough year for a lot of folks. Redang resorts might actually benefit as folks cut back on overseas holiday spending and go on budget holidays locally instead. News has it that 60% of Redang visitors are foreigners, mainly from Singapore, while only 40% are local Malaysians, so we might actually see an increase in number of visitors from Singapore. With the current favourable exchange rate, Redang ranks high as a value-for-money holiday destination for those working in Singapore. So plan your trips well ahead of time just to be sure there are rooms available.

Redang news
The Redang airstrip is currently undergoing a runway expansion to cater for increasing tourist arrivals and to make it safer to handle emergencies. All Berjaya Air flights operating into and out of Redang have been suspended until further notice. The Kuala Terengganu airport has also been upgraded to handle international flights, sporting a new terminal and an extended runway which can now accommodate Boeing 747s. While all these developments are good for state tourism, I can't see how it can be good for marine conservation and protection in Redang. Increasing visitor arrivals have always been detrimental to the health of any marine ecosystem anywhere.

Adding all the resort rooms on Redang together, we currently have at least a 1000+ rooms. These are minimally twin sharing with some taking up to 6 people. Assuming 100% occupancy at peak season with an average of 3 to a room, there's going to be 3000 people on Redang at any one time. If we assume that one-third to half of these go diving or snorkelling, that's at least a thousand people in the water. No wonder we hear reports that the only sea visible at the Marine Park Center (which most resorts visit at least once a day) on some days is a sea of arms and legs! Some places limit the number of resorts/rooms or visitors but charge a higher visitor fee, striking a balance between controlling the number of visitors and revenue generation. It's tough but it may be the only way to protect the marine ecosystem. I hope the relevant authorities also seriously think about how best to protect the island instead of just focusing on revenue generation.

With 2009 season opening just weeks away (resorts will open 1 March), some resorts have already published their early bird promotions. Many of these are for 3D/2N pacakges valid till 31 March. Here's a quick sampling of what's available:
- Laguna quadshare 3D/2N RM348
- Holiday quad-share 3D/2N RM299
- Redang Bay quadshare 3D/2N till 9Apr RM318
- Coral 30% discount off regular rates
- Kalong tripleshare 3D/2N RM299
- Pelangi quadshare 3D/2N till 9Apr RM250
Make sure you check out the resort's own website for more offers and promotions.

Happy Chinese New Year!
To all our Chinese readers, may I take this opportunity to wish you a blessed and meaningful Chinese New Year this 26 & 27 January. Though the red packets (ang pows) may be less this year, for those receiving, be thankful for the hands that give it and for the heart's wishes that go with it. For those giving, be a cheerful giver!

This non-profit site was created to:

• provide visitors with useful information to help them plan and enjoy their visit to this beautiful island.
• promote marine conservation through education, awareness and appreciation so visitors can play their part in protecting the coral reef environment in the marine park by being responsible visitors and by spreading the message of conservation.

We are not affiliated with any resort or tour operator and we are not in the tour or travel industry. We run our own usability and human factors consultancy where we help our clients improve the usability of their hardware, software and web products. So please do not contact us asking for price quotations as we do not organize tours or travel to Redang.

We are just fans touched by Redang's natural beauty and desire that it remains unspoilt for all to enjoy. We hope you share our desire too!
Alex & Joyce Kang

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