Off the road.
Here I am in a hummock reading Jack Keruoac's On the Road at Redang Lagoon Resort on Redang Island. Talcum-white sands on sun-kissed beaches, crystal clear turquoise water teeming with marine life; why, even Jack Keruoac is a distraction!
Sorry, Keruoac. I'm putting the book away. I'll have to finish the rest when I get back to the mainland.
Alas, it is only for three days and two nights! That's what the resorts here offer: 3-4 night stays. It's simply not the place for backpackers or independent travelers. You sign up for a package that covers the following: full board and snorkelling trips. Thus, I make full use of my stay, going on organized snorkeling trips and diving just outside the resort.
Okay, Pulau Redang is one of the nine island jewels that form a protected marine park, about 45 km off the east coast state of Terengganu. The other islands are Pulau Lima, Pulau Paku Besar, Pulau Paku Kecil, Pulau Kerengga Kecil, Pulau Kerengga Besar, Pulau Ekor Tebu, Pulau Ling and Pulau Pinang.
To get there, you could take a one-hour flight by AirAsia from the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) to Kuala Terengganu and then proceed to Merang Jetty. You could also make an eight-hour road trip by bus or car from Kuala Lumpur via the Karak Highway and the East Coast Highway. The Shahbandar Jetty in Kuala Terengganu town also operates ferries to Redang and the nearby Perhentian Islands. If you are going to stay at the Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, Berjaya Air operates daily flights to Redang from Subang Airport. Berjaya Air also flies from Singapore's Seletar Airport.
