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REDANG ISLAND

LANGKAWI ISLAND

PERHENTIAN ISLAND

MABUL ISLAND

TIOMAN ISLAND

Introduction :  So you came here to ponder about life, sunbathe, write a book, compose a song, spend quality time with your partner, and you really need some privacy and quiet. Best thing to do is go off-peak season when it's not school holidays, public holidays or long weekends. In March or October the beaches can be pretty empty.

Most resorts at Teluk Kalong offer good privacy, peace and quiet with no noisy beach discos or karaokes, especially the smaller simple, back-to-nature resorts like Wisana, Mutiara and Mozana that have fewer guests. There are 3 beaches here separated by rocky outcrops. The northernmost beach is occupied by Kalong Beach and Mozana Redang. Wisana is the only resort on the next beach, making it the quietest and most private resort with only 9 chalets/rooms and no TV or karaoke. On the last stretch of beach sits Redang Mutiara, which used to share the beach with the campsites.

The Berjaya resorts offer both privacy and creature comforts as they are the only resorts at their respective locations. With access to two long stretches of beach at Teluk Dalam, guests at Berjaya Beach should have no problems finding their own private, quiet space at the beach.

Of all the beaches, Pasir Panjang is the least private & quiet - this is the most 'happening' place with beach discos, karaokes and the most people. If you must stay here, Redang Reef and Redang Holiday offer more privacy due to their locations at each end of the long beach so there's less pass-through traffic. Next best are probably Coral and Laguna which have a larger land-area to guest ratio - there's enough space that they don't feel as crowded. Laguna's standard rooms at the jetty/dive centre at Teluk Bakau also offer a quiet retreat away from Pasir Panjang. Most resorts offer acceptable standards of accommodation. For example, all resorts offer air-con rooms with attached bathrooms. An increasing number are also equipped with hot showers. Standards are improving all across the board as resorts continue to renovate and upgrade themselves to compete with one another.

The Berjaya & Laguna resorts are at the top of the comfort scale as they pamper guests with quality furnishings, hot showers, in-room TVs, electric jugs, hair-dryers, mini-bars and safe deposit boxes. Both resorts have gym and internet-access facilities for guests while Berjaya offers laundry services, bicycle rentals, childcare services as well as a spa (at Berjaya Spa resort). Clinics are available at Laguna Redang and Berjaya Beach resorts where in-house doctors will treat guests from any resort - any medical emergencies will be sent back to the mainland for treatment. In terms of size, Laguna's deluxe rooms are probably among the biggest, easily accommodating 4 single beds or 2 single+1 double with plenty of space leftover.

The next group of resorts on the comfort scale are the Coral Redang chalets and Redang Holiday with its very lovely villas equipped with hot showers and in-room fridge. In terms of view, most seaview facing rooms are nice but the seaview facing hilltop villas at Holiday are among the best with its spectacular view of the sea and southern Pasir Panjang.

Ayu Mayang with its cozy chalets and Redang Beach are probably next in line while the rest of the other 'budget' resorts fill out the rest of the list with similar-styled accommodation. Many of these budget resorts have rooms best described as spartan, equipped with just beds and little else. Not a problem if you're the sort that's out at the beach or sea the whole day.

'Back-to-nature'-type resorts like Wisana do not have electricity 24-hours a day - power is usually cut for a certain period during the day, usually from morning when guests go out snorkelling till the evening around 6pm.

Snorkelling & boat charters
All resorts have snorkelling equipment (mask, snorkel, life-jackets) for rental on a per-stay basis. In order to protect the corals, fins are no longer available for rental to snorkellers in Redang from April 2006 (only divers can rent fins). If you are on a snorkelling package, this usually includes 1 or 2 snorkelling trips a day where they will bring you to the Marine Park Centre or one of the other snorkelling sites around Redang. If you are not on such a package, you can still join the snorkelling trips but you will have to pay for each trip. Some villagers also offer snorkelling packages which bring you to 3 or more places and lasts half a day - prices are negotiable and also depend on the number of people in your group. Those staying at Berjaya can easily walk to the village and enquire. Otherwise ask your resort staff or boatman for contacts.

Many resorts and village boat services also have boats for charter (useful if you are planning trips to nearby islands like Bidong, Lang Tengah, Yu or Perhentian) though their availability may be limited during peak season as resorts may use additional village boats to meet guest demand. Check with resort staff.


Diving
Dive centres are found at almost every resort. You are free to dive with any operator. If you are an avid diver, enquire about dive package holidays which are similar to the normal package except you go diving instead of snorkelling. You can also just sign up on the spot whenever you feel like diving - costs from RM80 for a single boat dive a day with equipment and from RM130 for 2 dives a day with equipment.

If you are not a qualified diver, you can experience scuba diving by signing up for 'discovery dives' where qualified instructors will give you a crash course and personally bring you on a shallow 1-hr dive - prices range from RM130 to RM150. If you decide to get certified, you can join a 4- or 5-day basic open water program under qualified PADI or NAUI instructors at any of these dive centres - prices start at around RM780 for the course alone excluding board & lodging.


Games & sports
Other than snorkelling and diving, most resorts offer basic recreational activities like beach volleyball/soccer, table/board games and cards. The bigger resorts also have pool tables, darts, table football and TV/video entertainment. Kayaks are available for rental at a few resorts along Pasir Panjang and Berjaya while swimming pools are available at Berjaya Beach, Berjaya Spa, Laguna Redang, Coral Redang and Redang Bay resorts. Laguna offers archery while Berjaya is the only resort that offers bicycle rentals as the only road on Redang leads from Berjaya at Teluk Dalam through the village to the Kampung jetty near Berjaya Spa. There are no roads in Pasir Panjang or Kalong although the movie 'Summer Holiday' gives the impression that there is - actually, the actors ride a motorbike from Mo Mo Cha in Pasir Panjang and magically appear in Malacca town (thanks to film editing)!


Night life
If you're still full of energy after a whole day of diving, swimming and snorkelling, Pasir Panjang is the right place to be for a more exciting nightlife. Visit the beach discos at Redang Beach and Pelangi or the indoor air-con disco at Laguna. Many resorts offer outdoor karaoke so you can serenade the fishes or if you're shy, try the indoor karaoke rooms at Laguna's disco. You can also wind down and relax at bars and cafes found at various resorts - beer, wine and alcoholic beverages are available only to non-Muslim guests