Welcome to Redang island!

30 Mar 2008: Announcement from Berjaya

Chris Cheong, Director of e-Business at Berjaya Resorts has just informed me that Berjaya Redang Beach Resort will be closing its lobby area for upgrading and refurbishment which is anticipated to complete by end April this year. They would like to assure guests that every effort is being made to minimize noise and disturbance and the works will be carried out during the day time from 9.00am till 6.00 pm, when most guests would be relaxing by the beach or swimming pools. Renovation areas will also be screened and hidden from view.

25 Mar 2008: Redang 10 years on...

It's 2008... 10 years since our first trip to Redang, and it also means this website turns 10 this year! When we started this site, it was because there was so little information about Redang on the internet then, not to mention slow 56Kbps dial-up internet connections. Now one just has to google 'redang' and be swamped by pages of hits almost instantaneously thanks to high speed broadband, 8Mbps in my case, courtesy of Starhub. Thanks to your support that this site continues to appear high on the results page - hopefully it means that we are able to attract and help educate more visitors about the importance of marine conservation and how to be responsible visitors. So much has changed in Redang in the last decade, especially the reduction of coral cover at Pasir Panjang and other sites due to both human and natural causes, that it is even more important today than ever to ensure that we do all we can to protect what remains.

2008 is also the year that our son Timothy began his 2-year national service stint in the army back in January. While we have been making Redang an annual family holiday destination since 1998 and have had the pleasure of the company of various friends and families over the years, last year was the first time we didn't get to visit Redang as a family, partly due to Tim's preparation for his International Baccalaureate exam. It remains to be seen whether we'll be able to synchronize vacation/leave schedules to continue this annual 'tradition' over the next 2 years.

Redang updates
I apologize for the really slow updates, this being the first for this year. I had been busy with many work and personal/family issues and will continue to be for the near future. As usual, check on the Forum for news and updates from other visitors. With all resorts now open for 2008 visiting season, it looks like another busy year ahead so plan your trip well ahead of time if you can, using the 2008 holiday calendar as your guide. News has it that Ayu Mayang resort is open again this year while Desagreen remains uncompleted and up for sale. Redang Bahtera's website has disappeared and it's not clear if it is still operating.

With budget airlines like AirAsia and Tiger Airways now flying between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (KL), visitors going to Redang from Singapore have more flight choices though they still need to change flights in KL for Kuala Trengganu (KT). One-way fares (SGP-KL-KT or KT-KL-SGP) start from as little as S$75 including surcharges and taxes (if you catch the promotions). Currently, flight timings from Singapore are such that one most likely has to spend a night either in KL or KT on the way to Redang. Flights back are better as one can catch AirAsia's afternoon flight from KT-KL (1625-1715) and then hop on AirAsia KL-SGP (1950-2050). The nice thing is all the budget airlines use KLIA's Low Cost Carrier terminal (LCCT) so there's no mad rush between terminals. Of course, the simplest way to fly is still by Berjaya Air direct between Singapore Seletar Airport and Redang, but it'll cost about S$360 return (including surcharges and taxes).

Onboard the Airbus A380
Talking about airlines, we had a rare opportunity to fly onboard the world's first Airbus A380 when we visited friends in Sydney and Brisbane in Nov/Dec last year.

Compared to my flight onboard the Antonov AN26 to Layang Layang last year, our flight to Sydney on Singapore Airline's new A380 was at the opposite end of the comfort scale. As an airplane enthusiast (one of my unrealised childhood ambitions was to be a pilot), the A380 exceeded all my expectations: quiet, smooth, a very well-designed cabin with mood lighting that changed colours, and an in-flight entertainment system that would keep any geek happy - a 10-inch screen with USB, LAN and video-in connectors and even StarOffice built-in. We sat on the upper deck (2-4-2 seating) by the window in economy class, and I think these are the best economy seats on the plane if you're planning to travel on it as there is extra room by the window with seat-level storage compartments which also serve as useful arm-rests/table-tops. We didn't have to pay extra for upper deck seats, neither did we pay extra to fly on the A380.

Aussie wildlife
While we were in Sydney, we checked out the Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour and came away impressed. This was one of the better coral reef aquariums and worth a visit for fans of reef life. There, I had my first close look at a preserved box jellyfish, one of the most venomous creatures on the planet, and common in the northern coast of Australia. There was also a blue-ringed octopus, many types of sharks and reef fishes. Driving from Sydney to Brisbane and back also gave us opportunity to stop and visit many beautiful beaches along the East coast and a chance to spot beautiful wildlife. We saw wild dolphin pods at Nelson Bay (Port Stephens), wild parrots at O'Reillys and many wild kangaroos and wallabies. Didn't manage to see a koala in the wild though we encountered them at sanctuaries like Billabong Koala Park at Port Macquarie and Daisy Hill Koala Centre near Brisbane. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to visit Cairns, gateway to the Great Barrier reef.

I was also impressed with the Aussie approach to marine conservation. At a beach near Seal Rocks south of Forster-Tuncurry, I saw a fisheries conservation sign that outlined 'legal bag and size limits for saltwater species', stating the species of fish, size and quantity that could be caught. If the rules were to be obeyed, those fishing had to know their fish species well. Juveniles and unidentified species had to be returned to the water. I was tickled to read the part of the sign that said 'Protected Species - Return these species to the water' included 'great white sharks' ("yeah officer, I'm trying to return the great white to the water but it wouldn't let go of my leg"!). Such measures would be difficult to enforce here in Singapore and Malaysia and I'm not sure how effectively the Aussie authorities actually enforce these marine conservation rules.

Finally, I was introduced to a new Malaysian travel website called Malaysia Travel Guide which, as its name implies, contains lots of unbiased information to guide travellers in planning their trip around Malaysia. It includes tips on happenings, sights, food, local culture and customs, maps, transportation and other areas. It's a useful additional resource for anyone planning a trip around Malaysia. The author has also started his own campaign to create greater awareness to protect the wildlife in Malaysia, of which 14% of mammals, like the orang utan, sumatran rhino, pygmy elephants and tiger are all endangered, some critically. While this website focuses more on marine conservation, I believe we should all nurture the spirit of conservation within us if we are to protect our wildlife heritage, whether on land or in the water. After all, what happens on land affects what's in the water.

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 design product, software and web user interfaces that are simple to learn and easy and efficient to use. 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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