Snorkeling Right Outside Laguna Redang Island Resort (Last Episode) @ Pulau Redang [Malaysia]

My apology for taking so long to post my final snorkeling episode in Redang as i was seriously overloaded with work (yes, i do need to earn my upkeep for food and travel) for the past few months.

The good thing about working too hard is that i keep reminiscing about the great, relaxing time i had on the island and this means i am already planning for my next snorkeling trip!

Coming back to this entry - snorkeling is an easily achieved activity in Redang; you don't even need a boat when you can snorkel all you want right outside your resort!

Stupid us only realised that on our last day since we were under the assumption that snorkeling would not be as comparable to the open seas given the massive human traffic that usually congregates along the beach outside the resorts.

In a way, we were not wrong in our assumption; the area directly outside the Laguna Redang resort had indeed very low visibility and along the shoreline, we found schools of silver fishes that looked like ikan bilis!

You have to venture further away from the resort!

The water level was pretty shallow for around a hundred meters and i could see a lot of children exploring the little nooks and crannies of these rocks that dotted the underwater world.

Without the exhausting need to tread on water, even i have the energy to concentrate on the tiny movements made by sea creatures in order to spot them!

There's also the benefit of having more time to snorkel, with no one giving you a time limit to get out. That can be so irritating when you are reaching the peak of snorkeling enjoyment.

In terms of marine fish numbers, it would lose to top snorkeling spots like Redang's marine park.

However, both Alex and i agreed that we managed to see more varieties at this unassuming snorkeling spot outside our resort; like this sad looking angelfish.

Or this pink-yellow-white fish (please don't test me on the species)!

Be careful where you step; i found this camouflaged sting ray resting on the seabed and i was lucky to turn around just in time to see its two big eyes staring at my feet. Phew...

And jellyfish continued to make an appearance. We found this dead along the shoreline and Alex, as usual, could not resist holding it up for a picture!

Jokes aside, do note the surroundings and stay away from these beautiful marine pests.

For the adventurous, you could swim further out where you could find more marine life. I actually caught sight of my first group of clownfishes at the depth of around three to four meters!

As a conclusion for my snorkeling expeditions in Redang, you may also check out my inaugural youtube video! By the way, nothing beats seeing the underwater realm for real. 

Snorkeling in Pulau Kerengga Besar @ Redang Island (Episode Three)

That morning snorkeling in Marine Park proved to be so exhausting; i was considering seriously if we should continue with the afternoon session in another location.

Despite the risk of being stung by jellyfish, we decided to go ahead since the trip was included in our package and it would be such a waste in the mind of a person who controls finance in the Department.

And i am damn glad we went for it.

Pulau Kerengga Besar - an island with a head-shaped rock as its marker and the destination for my last off-island snorkeling trip in Redang.

Instead of the open sea, the significantly smaller group was brought to a shallow section that borders the rocky shoreline of the small island. The lack of massive human activity on the isle means that you can find a comparatively intact marine ecosystem .

Time to jump!

The depth was a comfortable two meters and it was great to be so close to the corals and marine fish.

In terms of number, i didn't see that many fish. However, i personally thought that this area offered the most variety (among the three areas i visited in Redang).

It could be a matter of distance; things appear clearer when they are nearer. A whole school comprising of hundreds of fishes could mean that it is harder to segregate them in a few seconds, especially when they are almost the same size.

Alex attempting to release as much bread as possible in order to attract the fishes.

They were not sold on Alex's exaggerated movements and preferred to nibble the algae off the rocks!

Disappointment was written on the asshole's face as he had the impression that bread was the favourite food for all fish! For a short period of time, i think he took the fishes' snub personally! haha.

All the pictures you have seen so far from my snorkeling expeditions in Redang came from the Olympus underwater camera that i purchased for a mere S$198.

Quality wise, it was alright although i realised, when i am back in Singapore, that there were red, purplish flares in quite a number of pictures.

Thankfully, most of them turned out alright. Blur maybe but generally usable.

Anyway, back to the topic! I paddled to the rocky shoreline where i can practically touch anything i want!

It's quite fun to look in between the corals and rocks even though i am only an amateur who could hardly identify any species or genera.

A true professional would be able to point out any slight movement and identify any sea creature that could be lurking around.

Could you spot the alien-looking fish that was so well camouflaged? I almost missed it.

There was a video on this! I am still trying out the video editing programme as certain portions would likely result in giddiness and would be best cut out.

At this point, the water was around knee high and my itchy hands could not resist (gently) picking up a few seashells. It was purely an act of curiousity and the shells were not harmed in any way.

Sea cucumbers - unlike a typical Chinese, i don't eat them even though they have supposedly medicinal properties in relieving tendinitis, arthritis and enhancing male sexual health (which i don't need at the moment)!

Velvety-red sea cucumber! Mom loves sea cucumbers and always asked me why i didn't bring a couple back. I reiterated, a couple of times in fact, that it is illegal and his beloved son could be jailed in a foreign country!

As you can see from the above, the inconsiderate touch of human was still very much in play. Please, it doesn't take much effort to bring the rubbish back to your hotel for disposal!

While i was basking in the beauty of the underwater world, something at the corner of my eye caught my immediate attention.

Jellyfish!!

Everyone knows jellyfish can give a pretty nasty sting but many of us also agree that jellyfish has a captivating grace in its movements.

And for those who have never been stung before, it's a hard to beat urge not to touch it. There is a technique to touch it though; avoid the tentacles!

The sight of a jellyfish usually means that the trip would be cut short. 

And i was right; all snorkelers were soon recalled back to the boats and i bade goodbye to Pulau Kerengga Besar with a heavy heart.

You think this is the last post on snorkeling? 

Fret not, we found another area within redang to indulge in possibly my favourite activity while overseas. Maybe i would also include some videos in that final post.

Laguna Redang Island Resort Review @ Pulau Redang, Terengganu [Malaysia]

Now is the right time to give my personal review on the accommodation for my Redang trip made earlier this month; it would be a nice breather away from the recent snorkeling and food postings!

As mentioned in the Merang Jetty post, there was a ferry that would bring us straight to the resort. From memory, i think the journey took us around an hour and the weather, as shown on the picture, was fantastic.

Shortly after we disembarked at 10am, we were ushered to a briefing room. You heard me right - there was a briefing conducted to inform all newcomers on the do's and dont's! 

I guess this was related to the full board package that most visitors signed up for as it touched on things like mealtime hours, how to use the uniquely-shaped key, where are the snorkeling destinations, what you can do in your free time etc etc.

The resort is the second biggest (in term of number of rooms) along a congested stretch known as Pasir Panjang (not to be confused with the one in Singapore) and you can see from the above, the area it encompasses. 

This sign board would give you a rough gauge on the distance to other resorts from Laguna Redang. Pasir Panjang is the most happening stretch (according to the very informative www.redang.org) although i still find it pretty boring at night since i am not a booze / party person. 

Registration would take place in the main lobby and given how lazy most tourists can be, there were two trams on duty that will bring us there. 

Our room would only be available from 12 noon and this resulted in too much time on our hands! Time to explore the white, powdery beach and familiarize ourselves with the new surroundings! 

First up - the More More Tea Inn~! Check out my review here. 

A dangerous looking wooden pathway right beside the 'inn' piqued our interest.

It actually provided a dry walkway to the Redang Reef resort that would otherwise be separated (by water) from the rest of the resorts along Pasir Panjang. 

Green hills, clear turquoise blue water, white sandy beach - most of us would love to stay rooted on the elevated pathway and enjoy the bird's eye view if not for the glaring, merciless sun!

With the exception of safety for children and those who are allergic to salt water, i basically don't understand why people would swim in chlorinated water when there is an ocean right outside the resort. 

Known as the recreation centre, you can find pool tables, mahjong tables, a massage centre and a tiny food court that sells roti pratas and really nice smelling Ramly burgers! This is also the place for us to draw out life jackets and snorkeling masks. 

Love to hear professional singers belting out memorable songs while you drink a mug of beer and enjoy the beautiful ocean view? This beach bar would allow you to do just that!

Kids would love this floating structure called Float Island. I initially thought the use of this facility would be free and i am stupid to have made that assumption!

Like any profit oriented organisations, charges were imposed at RM30 for adults and RM20 for children. Thankfully i have no children; i bet Jerald would definitely pester my brother in law to pay for this.

Our room was finally ready after lunch! For my review on food in Laguna Redang, please click here. 

For two persons, i would say the room was bigger than what we expected and could easily house another two persons. The television was indeed a bit dated with bad reception but overall, it looked inviting. And comfortable. 

What i couldn't stand is that the mirror and wash basin were outside the bath room! It was a pain in the ass (not literally) for the two nights as i tend to brush and floss my teeth naked before having my shower. 

I paid for a garden view room and what appeared beyond the balcony was greenery alright even though it would be more appropriate to categorise it as forest or jungle! 

Nonetheless, despite the above, the service by the resort staff was fabulous and i did enjoy my 3 days, 2 nights stay at Laguna Redang island resort.

The lack of shopping (which was almost non-existent) honestly enabled us to rest and relax. This is what people always want from beach holidays. 

Don't we? 

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Location

The resort is located on the east coast of Pulau Redang and is known as a great place to catch sunrise. 

Additional Information

For more entries on Redang, please click

http://cavinteo.blogspot.sg/search/label/Travel_Redang