Relax, rejuvenate & rejoice at Redang

Shiva

Imagine white sand and blue waters. Add some sun, warm breeze, and sea-waves. Ticking all the right boxes, Redang Island promises sun-soaked day minus the unsettling rush of regular beach towns. On top of that, its clear water is just right for exploring the corals. Located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Redang is the biggest of the nine islands of the Redang archipelago. Having a tropical climate, this archipelago is affected by the northeast monsoon in winter. Owing to that, all resorts shut down by October end and open their doors again in March.

The island offers a host of activities — the most sought-after of these being  snorkelling. Catching the glimpses of creatures like black tip reef shark, leopard shark, barracudas is beyond words. One can observe the vivid underwater world at the Marine Park Centre, which is located on the Pinang Island and is easily accessible by boat. Open sea snorkelling offers an opportunity to experience the architecture of coral reefs in their natural environment. The more adventurous ones can go in for scuba diving. 

Apart from having a rich marine life, the island is home to diverse flora and fauna. Macaque monkeys, monitor lizards, geckos and many other interesting species can be spotted while trekking through the jungle. But, laying eyes on the rare monkey plant (pitcher plant) is, definitely, the highlight of the trek. This carnivorous plant, with prey trapping mechanism, is unique in that it consumes foraging or crawling insects.

After feeding your explorer soul with distinctive experiences, the island wishes you ‘bon appetit’ with a peculiar Malay cuisine. The flavours feel intriguing and as the tastebuds get familiar, there is no stopping the foodie in you. Besides the local food, Chinese and Thai favorites add spice to the savory food palette.

After a sumptuous meal, set out on an aesthetically appetising excursion to a  Malaysian batik  store and observe artists painting vibrant designs on t-shirts, dresses and wall hangings. 

Night life on the island is limited to the resort bars and personal beach parties. However, holiday festival vibes can be felt during the Island Music Festival held in October. 

Redang, certainly, is a place of plentitude — it stuns with its sunrise, mesmerises with sunset cruise, and overwhelms with star gazing; looking up at the starry sky makes your neck ache, it amuses with sea combing.