15 May What to do in Redang, one of the most paradisiacal islands in malaysia
Are you going to travel to Malaysia and you are looking for a paradisiacal island with white sand beaches and crystal clear water? The answer is undoubtedly Redang island. In this post I am going to tell you what to do in Redang island and the most useful information that you have to know.
If you want more information about accommodation or how to get there, you can read the post of how to get there and where to sleep in Pulau Redang. And if what you want to know is where to eat and what, don’t miss the post of where to eat in Pulau Redang!
After spending two weeks traveling around Malaysia and Singapore and doing an average of 20kms a day walking, I was dying to jump on a paradisiacal beach. Sunbathing, resting, snorkeling, not worrying about schedules… And I couldn’t have made a better choice when I decided I would go to Redang Island.
You also have other options, such as the Perhentian islands and the Kapas. They are much more famous, but also more focused on the backpacker tourist without big hotels. In the case of Redang, one usually opts for hotels and resorts with organized packages that include transfers, meals, activities… In the post of where to sleep in Pulau Redang I tell you about the hotel that I chose, the Sari Pacifica Resort & Spa. HUGE MISTAKE …
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Pulau Redang: useful information
The island of Pulau redang is located 45 kilometers from Kuala Terengganu, in the east of Malaysia, and is undoubtedly the perfect destination for those who want to enjoy a few days of rest surrounded by breathtaking beaches.
And it is also located within a marine park that protects more than 500 species of fish and corals. There’s no need to say how amazing it is to snorkel on this island… AWESOME. And I say snorkel because I don’t dive, but diving has to be incredible. And to help you understand what I mean, I leave you throughout the post some photos I took with the GoPro when I snorkelled in various parts of the island.
Redang Island is one of the largest in the entire Asian country, but at the same time it has very few beaches with accommodation. If you see the island with Google Earth, you will see that the vast majority of its extension is jungle. Most, if not all, of the accommodations and the island’s tourist life is concentrated on Long Beach. This beach, the most famous on the island, is L-shaped, with about 10 resorts in total on both sides.
IMPORTANT! There are no ATMs in Redang. Bring enough cash for lunch or dinner and for any activity you want to do. There are a couple of small supermarkets where you can also buy sun creams, drinks, food, ice cream, some souvenirs… In many of the hotels they already allow you to pay by credit card, but just in case take enough cash in case they don’t let you pay this way.
When to travel to Redang Island?
Take the rainy season into account, because depending on the month you go to Malaysia you will have to decide on an island in the east or west of the country.
In this case, the best time to go to Pulau Redang, the Perhentian Islands or the Kapas is from May to September. From this month the rains begin and many of the accommodations directly close their doors.
If, on the other hand, you travel to Malaysia between October / November and April, you can choose, for example, the island of Langkawi, to the west of the island.
What to do in Redang island
Chill out!
Undoubtedly, the first thing on my list of what to do in Pulau Redang is REST! Normally, when a route is organized through various cities in Malaysia as I did, the beach is left for last. And after the walks that I took the first two weeks I deserved a good rest on a paradise island. As in any paradise island in Malaysia, you can sunbathe, walk on the beach, read a book on a sunbed listening to the sound of the sea…
And, of course, enjoy the food of the island, some totally homemade and natural smoothie, cocktails … Do not miss the post of where to eat in Pulau Redang to know where to go!
Snorkeling on Redang Island
If there is something that characterizes this island, it is its seabed, so the main activities are SNORKELING and DIVING. As I was saying a little above, Redang is located within a marine park that protects more than 500 species of fish and corals, so imagine how beautiful it must be to snorkel in its waters. You can see corals, tropical fish, turtles … And, if you do not believe it, I leave you several photos that I took with the GoPro!
Hotel excursions or private excursions?
In the post of where to stay in Redang I tell you more about the hotels and the packages offered, but for snorkeling you have two options. Either take the excursion package with the hotel, through which they will take you to snorkel several times a day, or take private excursions at various sites that are offered throughout the island.
WITHOUT DOUBT, choose the second option. With the hotel package you will go with many guests and you will not enjoy snorkeling as much. On the other hand, if you take a private or small group excursion (6 or 8 people maximum) you can see all kinds of marine species. It is what I did and I guessed right!
Snorkeling private excursion in Redang
And now I tell you about the excursion that I did. To give you an idea, I would give it a score of 200 out of 10!
Before I told you that the Long Beach beach is L-shaped. Right at the intersection, that is, at the junction of the two parts of the beach, you have a small beach stall called D’PIRATE. There you will find all kinds of excursions and for me, the best option on the island.
In case it has not been clear to you where the beach stall is, I leave you a Google Earth map with its location;)
I took a snorkeling excursion in 4 different places (including the turtle sanctuary) and with a minimum of 4 people. I was lucky that my partner and I were joined by another Spanish couple and an Italian couple.
On the day of your choice, you will be picked up early on the beach in a fast boat and taken to various snorkeling spots. I don’t know if the guide was super nice with us or if the tour is like this for everyone, but we were the ones who made requests. We saw a small island from the boat with a small cove, we asked him to stop and our wishes were orders. To give you an idea, the tour was about 4 hours and we were almost 7… He even stopped us to eat in a place that he knew, super homemade and super good!
Price of the excursion?
And now you may be wondering … the expensive price, right? NOT AT ALL!! It cost us less than 25 euros per person. The whole day going from island to island and snorkeling in many places, eating at the other side of the island, stopping on paradisiacal beaches completely alone to bathe and take some time in the sun … For me, the dream excursion!
Apart from snorkeling, D’Pirates have other types of activities. For example jungle excursions, both trekking and quad mode, or excursions to Perhentian Island and other islands … they have many options!
Video of the snorkeling excursion on Redang Island, Malaysia
Trekking around Redang Island
As I was also saying above, almost the entire island is jungle, so imagine the number of routes there are for trekking. So, if you get tired of sunbathing and bathing in the crystal clear waters of Redang (I doubt you will), you can put on your sneakers and go for a walk.
I’ll be honest, I did not make any route. I’m not very into the jungle and bugs theme… But, according to what I investigated, the island has several routes to enjoy trekking. These routes have indicative signs with which you will guide without problems. I have also heard that the views from the top of the island are impressive. Especially at sunset!
I hope that if you finally decide to go to Redang to spend a few days, my advice will help you;) If you have any other idea, leave me a comment!
Other articles of my 3 week trip to Malaysia and Singapore
Kuala Lumpur Guide: what to see and what to do in the capital of Malaysia
What to see and do in Melaka in one day: essential visits
What to see in Singapore: 10 essential visits
Georgetown in 3 days: Essential visits!
Pulau Redang: how to get there and where to sleep on this Malaysian island
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