Coral Redang Island Resort, Pulau Redang

Coral Redang Island Resort

Pasir Panjang Beach,

Pulau Redang,

Terengganu Darul Iman

reservation@coralredang.com.my

(+60)17 981 6200

(+60)9 630 7110

Sometimes, the best trips are the ones you don't really plan for. Our trip to Redang Island in Terengganu was a result of a moreh session one Ramadhan. Birthdays were coming up and we decided that the least we should do is a fun trip. Two weeks after raya, 8 adults and 2 kids headed to the East Coast and hopped on boats to meet on Redang Island.

  Once you're in Terengganu, you should head to either the Merang Jetty or the Shahbandar Jetty. The speedboat trip from Merang Jetty takes about an hour while the ferry from Shahbandar Jetty may take about an hour and a half to two hours to reach the island. The return boat transfer is included in the full board package offered by the resort so they will ask your preferences; preferred arrival and departure time and jetty. You will only have to pay the Marine Park Conservation Fee and in my case, the Setiu Jetty Access Charge because I took a speedboat from Merang Jetty.

  Also included in the full board package by Coral Redang Island Resort: 

• 2 nights accommodation
• 2 buffet breakfast+lunch+dinner
• 2 boat trips/day for snorkelling (equipments can be rented from the dive shop, less than RM30/day)

Booking

I sent an enquiry via their website www.coralredang.com.my and after they replied, I submitted my bookings. Did two separate bookings because one family has a toddler and they chose the ferry while the rest of us took speedboat. Paid 50% deposit instead of giving my credit card details via email. 

  So, yeah. Booking for full board package could have been made easier.

Location

Pasir Panjang Beach or the Long Beach is the popular stretch of beach with many resorts. If you want somewhat private beach, consider The Taaras or Wisana Village. Personally, I like this location because there are other souvenir shops and restaurants and warung to hang out at.

Rate

Value for money. We stayed in Standard Room and paid RM1160/room for 3D2N. That's like RM290/night per adult including meals and snorkelling. And boat trips from and back to mainland.

Dining

Love the buffet. Different menu every day. We had nasi lemak, pancakes, omelette, sausages and cereal and toast and yoghurt for breakfast. Lunch and dinner were rice with selections of chicken, beef, fish and other seafood. We even had lamb. Then there were fresh fruits all the time. Omg we gained more weight than we did for raya.

Service

The reception team weren't the friendliest but they were helpful (even when it's not their duty like taking photos) and professional. Love the F&B team, they went out of their ways to help us prepare for the triple birthday celebration. They let us borrow their kitchen so my friend could carve a watermelon cake. Yay! The F&B staff were also the ones who suggested places to visit and offered to show us around.

  I must also mention the dive centre staff. The team really took care of us and were knowledgable. The morning session went a little scary after the sea turned rough so suddenly but the staff kept their cool and got everybody back safely.

  The evening session was thankfully sunny and the guide told us spots to go to at the Marine Park. I only wish that we get longer than an hour per session to snorkel.

Overall 4.5 <3<3<3<3< of 5

   Oh, try the massage centre near the lobby. D'Manja has proper outlets in Redang Bay and Laguna Redang but I recommend the open platform right in front of Coral Redang. Love the massage with beach view. The masseurs were good too.

 Our party was awesome! And the resort was the perfect background. We love our rooms even though they are basic. The meals were local dishes and delicious. Pool wasn't huge but still, we love it. The view right in front of the resort, LOVE. 

  Omg, just go already. I wish I am back there.

4 Islands Tour, Krabi

4 Islands tour from Krabi will bring you to see Koh Mor, Koh Gai, Koh Tup and Koh Poda. Not in any particular order. While most people choose the speedboat tour, I prefer the slower longtail boat (picture above). There are several island tour options you can choose from such as the Phi Phi Island tour (can do this on from Phuket as well) and the 7 Islands sunset tour.

Important: Check weather forecast and know your tolerance towards boat rides! If you don't want to be at sea after dark (the water can get pretty rough during monsoon) don't take a sunset tour.

  We booked the 4 Islands tour for 450 THB/adult from a tour agent near the junction at Aonang Beach one day earlier. The price included:

• Hotel transfer (pick-up & drop-off)
• Lunch
• Snorkelling gear rental (mask, snorkel, life jacket)
• National park fees, and return transport to hotel from jetty
• English-speaking guide

Tour operator - Barracudas Tour.

  From the hotel, we were dropped near the merlin statue for registration. Your gathering point might be different because I know others were brought to a jetty instead. We were given a sticker and assigned into groups. 

  In my case, the boat was waiting near the marlin statue so following the tour guide, we crossed the road and went into the sea to get to the boat. Yes, some wading had to be done so take that into consideration as well. Bring a waterproof bag to carry your stuff, you'll need both hands to climb the boat. Put your phone in a waterproof casing. Wear your bathing suit. Don't wear fancy high heels and your nice jeans. Consider using tampon instead of sanitary pad if you're menstruating =)

Can you see the cute tour guide? No? =P

Before stopping at the Phra Nang Beach in Railay, the cute local tour guide (we suspected that he got some angmoh blood in him) pointed to a nearby sea rock but I wasn't paying attention. Then, we reached the Phra Nang Beach, home of the famous Princess Cave a.k.a Phallus Shrine.

Most people only mentioned the unique offering here - linggam/siwaleung/anything penis-related like a tin of Coke (cock, geddit?) but I was more fascinated by the pretty dolls on the altar. Adorably clad in Thai dresses, I felt like (re)starting a doll collection!

  Oh by the way, the fertility people are asking for here isn't about baby per se. It is more for safety at sea and abundance in rezeki. Like, bila tanah, laut, sumber alam fertile, banyaklah rezeki. Gitu.

Clock-wise from top left: Walking to Princess Cave, A Hotel's Chill-out Area, Rock-climbing, Offerings

So, bring some extra cash if you want to do rock-climbing. Do check with your tour guide how long you're stopping on the beach. You don't want to miss the boat :)

  Next stop was the Koh Gai or Chicken Island, originally named Koh Hua Gwan.

I thought it looked like a camel instead of a chicken

The boat stopped here for a snorkelling session. Snorkelling spot may be different depending on tour operator and time of the day.

Tup Island

We had lunch on this island. Rice, veggie and chicken pre-packed in plastic containers. We were given bottled drinking water and a container of rice. Then, we queued for the chicken and veggie. Fruits were served on the boat after the last island of the day.

  During low-tide, you can walk to the Mor island across from Tup. Apparently the sandbar linked with the Chicken Island as well but I did not notice that. 

Koh Poda

Last stop was the Poda Island. There is toilet here but it was super dirty when we visited (our flip-flops were left on the boat) so I had to postpone changing my pad :p

Barracudas Tour Longtail Boat

The familiar landmark near Koh Poda

As you can see from the pictures, the weather wasn't too sunny but I had slathered on sunblock as usual and yet I ended up berbelang-belang (with sunburn stripes) anyway. 

  Taking pictures without other people photobombing at these famous landmarks can be a challenge. Keep your cool and remember to bring power bank, extra batteries for camera, snacks and your own drinking water.