This story about the Redang Bay Resort and experience in Pulau Redang is written by one of our contributors, Maryam. Some parts of the article may have been edited for length and clarity.
After the announcement of the travel ban had been lifted on 1 June, my 2 friends and I decided to travel somewhere to get some fresh air after being stuck indoors for a few months. So we decided to visit one of the beaches in Terengganu since Terengganu is famous for its islands.
Surprisingly, a lot of resorts had been fully booked after the travel ban announcement and we just grabbed whatever offer that was still available within the short amount of time. Alhamdulillah, we managed to secure a 3d2n package at Redang Bay Resort through https://www.holidaygogogo.com/
P.S. Check out these amazing beach resorts in Redang!
Getting to Redang Bay Resort
If you are from KL using public transport, you can take a direct bus to Kuala Terengganu Bus Station. The ticket can be bought online and you will have to redeem it at the counter later. The journey took approximately 6 hours with 30mins rest at a R&R and it costs around RM43 one way. We decided to take an overnight bus from TBS Bandar Tasek Selatan and arrived at KT bus station the next morning so we could hop on the earliest ferry ride. From the bus station, you can either walk or take a taxi to the Shahbandar Jetty if you have a lot of luggage. We already arranged with our tour package for the pick up so the driver drove us to the jetty. The ride only took 3 min to arrive because the distance to the jetty is approximately 500m away.
Credit: Redang Bay Resort
The ferry will depart at 9am and 11am and it took almost 2 hours to reach the island. So my suggestion is to take the earliest ride so you can spend more time on the island. We arrived at the jetty earlier than expected, so we had breakfast first at Pasar Payang next to the jetty. If you come by yourself without the package, you have to line up to buy your own ferry and marine park tickets at the counter. Since our ticket was already included in the package, we just had to redeem it at the resort's counter.
The ferry ride to the island was smooth sailing and Subhanallah, I was mesmerized by the vast blue sea, sparkling as the sun ray shone on the wavy waters. Upon arrival at the shore, we could already see the translucent water and the white sand beneath reflecting the blue sky making it look heavenly. We were so excited and couldn't wait to dive in! After the ferry unloaded all the passengers, there's a staff from Redang Bay Resort holding the resort's banner that will wait for you. Just follow the guide and he will drive you to the resort using their own buggy. You won't need to carry our bags because they will send them directly to the resort too.
Credit: Redang Bay Resort
The resort can be easily spotted because it's the only one that has a big ship replica in front of it.
Not to mention, the sunset in Redang is spectacular!
For our way back to KL, we grabbed Air Asia's flight promo at RM88! Our ride to the airport was arranged by our holiday package so the ride cost zero ringgit.
P.S. Check out these stunning islands in Malaysia that's not Langkawi or Redang!
Recommended duration and best months to visit
3d2n is the best option for this visit. You will get to experience more snorkeling sites. They will let you snorkel for 1 hour at each site. The best months to visit are July-September. They will close the resorts starting in October due to monsoon season.
Rooms at Redang Bay Resort
The package costs RM395 per person all in (price included for chalet stay, 3x snorkeling trips, 2x breakfast, 2x lunch, 2x tea time, 2x dinner, ferry ticket and marine park ticket)
*Itinerary by the resort is attached in this picture
You also can arrange an airport transfer at no additional cost. A fee of RM30 is required to rent the snorkeling equipment and you can use it until at the end of your stay. You can also rent a kettle at a deposit of RM50.
Credit: Redang Bay Resort
We stayed at the 3 pax chalet. The resort serves halal buffet for every meal. I think all of the resorts there serve halal food.
It is perfect for couples, families, group of girls, friends, as well as avid divers because they have a dive centre right in front of their resort. The resort offers a special price for additional activities such as canoeing, snorkeling with turtles, or surfing if you spend at least 2 nights with them.
The room is clean; they have a mini-fridge; hairdryer is also provided and they have qiblat sticker as well. So you don't have to find qiblat on your own. They also have a mini-mart and a souvenir shop at the lobby. The cafeteria is on the 2nd floor so you can enjoy the sea view while having your meals! The stay package is affordable and convenient since we can arrange pick up and drop off at the jetty. The place to snorkel by ourselves is right in front of the resort. There's a live band performance at night and there's a provided net where you can play football or volleyball in front of the resort too. There are also other resorts along the beach such as Laguna Redang, Redang Beach Resort, Redang Holiday Beach Villa etc.
Activities at Redang Bay Resort
You can go snorkeling, canoeing, swimming, scuba diving, or just hang out to eat keropok lekor or banana fritters and enjoy a coconut shake by the beach. You can just walk in and deal directly with the centres there.
Meeting nice locals during our trip
When we first arrived at KT bus station, we were trying to find the prayer room to perform Subuh prayer and one of the locals approached us and showed us the way to the nearest mosque instead. The nice man said it's better to go there because the mosque had a shower room where we could freshen up.
The lady that sold coconut shake on the island lets us pet her snake pet too! Also, our non-Muslim airport transfer driver asked us whether we already performed our solat before we continued our journey to the airport and I thought that is a very heartwarming gesture.
Useful tips for travellers
For women Muslim travellers, it is advisable to bring your own prayer mat and telekung as the mosques and musollahdoesn't provide them during MCO. And don't forget the sunscreen!
Redang Bay Resort
Rate: from RM348 (full-board package)
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Find more of Maryam's travel adventures on her Instagram @mnzeey.
P.S. Have you been travelling around Malaysia? Want to share your tips and stories to help Muslims travel better? Email us at [email protected] or send us a DM on Instagram.