Redang Island

File:Pasir Panjang.JPG

Pasir Panjang beach on Pulau Redang. The beach is covered with soft white sand. Coral and fish can be seen just a few metres from the beach.

A rocky beach and a wooden bridge near Laguna Redang Resort in Pulau Redang.

Redang Island, locally known as Pulau Redang or just "Redang" is one of the largest islands off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, which is located in Terengganu, Malaysia that is famous for its crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches and the marine fauna with numerous reefs found on Pulau Pinang. It is one of nine islands, which form a marine park offering snorkeling and diving opportunities. Access is from Merang or Kuala Terengganu on boats operated by the resorts. Redang Airport is a small airport with services operated by Berjaya Air from Singapore (Changi Airport) and Kuala Lumpur (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport).

In contrast to the neighboring Perhentian Islands, Redang has a more upmarket image, as almost all accommodation on the island is resort-based. The largest beach is Pasir Panjang on the east side, featuring half a dozen resorts. The other beach resorts are located in Teluk Dalam on the north and Teluk Kalong to the south. Redang has a tropical climate with temperatures steadily around 30 °C and frequent but brief thunderstoms. Like the rest of Malaysia's east coast, Redang is affected by the northeast monsoon from the South China Sea, so most resorts are closed and ferry transport schedules are severely restricted between November and February.

The island is an important conservation site for sea turtles. Previously, the indiscriminate economic exploitation of turtle eggs had caused fewer turtles returning to nest on the island. This has led the Terengganu state government to set up the Koperasi Setiajaya Pulau Redang in 1989, a cooperative aiming to develop and manage socio-economic programmes that could improve the livelihood of Pulau Redang locals without endangering its natural resources.

The Pulau Redang archipelago comprises Pulau Redang, Pulau Lima, Pulau Paku Besar, Pulau Paku Kecil, Pulau Kerengga Kecil, Pulau Kerengga Besar, Pulau Ekor Tebu, Pulau Ling and Pulau Pinang. Pulau Redang is the biggest of all the islands in the Marine Park, measuring about 7 km long and 6 km wide. Its highest peak is Bukit Besar at 359 metres above sea level. The boundary of the Pulau Redang Marine Park is established by a line linking all points 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) from the shores of Pulau Redang, Pulau Lima, Pulau Ekor Tebu and Pulau Pinang. The other nearby islands of Pulau Perhentian Besar, Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Pulau Lang Tengah, Pulau Kapas and Pulau Susu Dara are also gazetted and protected as Marine Parks. Today, only the bigger islands like Redang, Lang Tengah, Perhentian and Kapas have resort facilities for visitors. The management of Marine Parks primarily involves protection of the sensitive marine and terrestrial ecosystems by controlling the impact from human activities. These include waste & pollution management and conservation of coral reefs and terrestrial habitats.

The 2000 film, Summer Holiday was filmed on the Laguna Redang Island Resort, and a replica of the tea house now serves as the resort's gift shop.

Gallery

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  Pasir Panjang Sea Beach

See also

• List of islands of Malaysia
• List of islands in the South China Sea

External links

• SEATRU - A sea turtle project in Redang, Malaysia
• Tourism Malaysia - Pulau Redang