Great Tourist Destination Islands At Terengganu Malaysia - Emerald Of The East
Rhu Hentian Island
Perhaps Perhentian Island, Redang Island and some other pulau are too famous and ‘over heated’ to many people, Rhu Hentian Island which is only 15 nautical miles from offshore Kuala Besut is not known to most people. It is indeed a new discovered and developing island in the tourism industry in East Coast.
Because it is so close to the mainland, Rhu Hentian Island is accessible through Kuala Besut 20 to 30 minutes by boat. The island is not resident at the moment. This no doubt is an added value advantage for holiday seekers. The ecology system on the island and the marine life remain unspoiled due to this reason
To go to Kuala Besut Jetty:
To get to Kuala Besut, you can arrive in Kelantan or Kuala Terengganu. If you come from Kuala Terengganu, take a bus or taxi to Jerteh then another to Kuala Besut, or a direct bus to Kuala Besut. The journey will take nearly one and half hour.
Alternately you can choose to start from Kota Bharu. You can either take a taxi ride or take a bus (leaves every 30 minutes) to Pasir Puteh and then another bus to Besut. On the whole, the journey by taxi will take about one hour from Kota Bahru to Besut.
There are direct buses from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Besut which take about 9 hours.
To go to Rhu Hentian Island:
Journey to the islands takes about 30 to 45 minutes by speed boat and one and half hours by slow boat. There are a number of boat operators in Kuala Besut offering boat services to Perhentian Island. The return boat ticket cost RM60.00 per person for speed boat and RM40.00 per person for slow boat. Because it is so close to the mainland, Rhu Hentian Island is accessible through Kuala Besut 20 to 30 minutes by boat.
Perhentian Island
Perhentian Island
Perhentian Island is situated about 21km off the coast of Terengganu and comprises two islands — Perhentian Besar Island and Perhentian Kecil Island. It is accessible from Kuala Besut Jetty, a one-and-half-hour drive north of Kuala Terengganu.
Surrounded by tropical rainforest, golden sandy beaches, tall swaying palm trees and warm sapphire blue waters, this exotic tropical island is a must for all nature lovers and it is also an ideal destination for swimming, wind surfing, deep sea fishing, sailing, boating and canoeing. It also boasts wonderful underwater treasures of naturally formed landscaped coral gardens and magnificent marine lives.
Coral Bay on Perhentian Kecil Island offers marvellous views of the sunset. It is also a perfect paradise for nature lovers as there are paths available for exploration of the virgin tropical jungle. On the northern shore of Perhentian Besar Island lie three coved bays where you can indulge in turtle watching.
The islands of Perhentian Island offers spectacular dive sites. Sightings of dolphins and whale sharks, the largest fish in the world, are quite common in these waters. These harmless creatures of the sea are usually found close to the equator where they enjoy basking in the warm waters and surprisingly take little or no notice of divers.
Perhentian Island can be reached in 20 minutes by speed boat from the jetty in Kuala Besut, which is about 75 minutes away from Kuala Terengganu.
or
From Kuala Terengganu, take a bus or taxi to the jumping-off point of Kuala Besut.It takes about an hour. From the Fisheries Complex at Kuala Besut, take a boat to Perhentian Island. The boat ride takes about 1 1/2 hours.
Lang Tengah Island
Lang Tengah Island
Lang Tengah Island is a very small island located between Perhentian Island and Redang Island that can be reached by a 30 minutes boat ride from Merang jetty. The clear emerald waters and the coral reefs around it are popular with scuba divers and snorkellers. The island itself is covered by hilly tropical rainforest with varied flora and fauna.
According to the locals, Lang Tengah takes it name from two sayings. The first one saying that ‘Lang’ comes from ‘Helang’ in the Malay language which means an eagle, therefore Lang Tengah means eagles resting on the middle island. The second saying spread among the villagers where once upon a time the island used to be the post road for traders and fisherman from the north to replenish their supplies while taking a rest after a long journey.
To get to the island, you need to arrive in Kuala Terengganu then catch a boat from Merang Jetty. The jetty in Merang is about 30 minutes or 40km from Kuala Terengganu and is accessible through several alternatives.
By Car
Head to the north of Kuala Terengganu. You will pass through typical Malay villages. It is certainly a pleasant journey. If you are not in hurry, do stop by to grab some local foods.
Redang Island
Redang Island
Accessible from Merang Jetty in Setiu, a 30-minute drive north of Kuala Terengganu, off the Terengganu coastline on the northeastern coast is the Redang Archipelago. It is made up of a few islands namely Redang Island (the largest), Pinang Island, Kerengga Island, Lima Island, Ekor Tebu Island and Susu Dara Island. This area has also been gazetted as a marine park and its brilliant underwater world is one of the best in Malaysia. Meanwhile Pinang Island has a visitors’ centre that houses an exhibition room, an audio-visual room, a research lab, turtle touch pools and chalets.
Redang Island is indeed one of Malaysia’s most idyllic islands. This tropical paradise offers pearly-white sandy beaches, sparkling clear seawater, lovely sunrises and spectacular marine life. Its marvellous marine fish varieties, turtles and huge range of coral reefs make it a wonderful diving spot and its diverse coral species are said to be among the best in the world. The five famous dive sites in Redang are Tanjung Lang, Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Gua Kawah, Pasir Panjang and Batu Mak Cantek. There are even a few shipwrecks dive sites, offering an adventure for divers.
Apart from diving, beach lovers can also enjoy other activities like swimming, snorkelling, fishing, boating or sunbathing. You can check in to one of the many resorts on the island, offering full packages including land and sea transfers, accommodation, full board meals and activities or room packages only. Bookings can be arranged at any local or foreign travel agents for a delightful island getaway.
Redang can be reached within an hour by speed boat from jetty in Merang, a small fishing village about 30 minutes by road from Kuala Terengganu. Alternatively, you may also take a boat ride from Shah Bandar Jetty in Kuala Terengganu island.
Ferry service is also available from the Kuala Terengganu jetty and it takes 45 minutes to reach the island.
Tenggol Island
Tenggol Island
Tenggol Island is another beautiful diving getaway island just 45 minutes from the coastal jetty in Kuala Dungun. It size is approximately 3km in length and 2km in width. However, this has not prevented it from becoming a paradise for many people especially diving enthusiasts.
The sandy beach blends harmoniously with the surrounding environment. Further inland are forested rocky hills that make it a scenic destination for adventure seekers. The hills rising over 800ft offer a panoramic view of the island. This rocky terrain extends from the interior of the island to the ocean and has created a dramatic ideal hideaway for marine life.
For example in Teluk Air Tawar there is a large spread of sloping reef on the rocky wall, whereas Rajawali Reef, with vertical rocky walls which fall as deep as 32m, is home to corals and other marine life like batfish and black tip reef sharks. Besides calm coral gardens, you could also chance upon humphead parrotfish, giant stingray, bat fishes, whale sharks, leopard sharks, schooling jacks and others in the diving spots around Tenggol. Whale sharks are seen in certain areas from August to October every year.
Ferry services have to be arranged from Kuala Dungun as Pulau Tenggol is not serviced by public or regular transport. Tenggol Aqua Resort provides ferry services between the island and Kuala Dungun.
The nearest airport are the Kerteh (30mins. From Kuala Dungun), Kuala Terengganu (1hr) and Kuantan (2hr 30mins). Visitors can fly in and hire a taxi to Kuala Dungun.
Air-conditioned coaches from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu also stop at Kuala Dungun. Or you can drive to Kuala Dungun, park at the office of Tenggol Aqua Resort, and take the resort ferry to Pulau Tenggol. From Kuala Lumpur, it is a leisurely and scenic 7hr 30mins drive to Kuala Dungun.
Gemia Island
Gemia Island
Another new born island in Terengganu, Gemia Island (perhaps is more accurate to say, new born tourism spot) is a tiny island located just beside Kapas Island.
There is only one resort on the island to accommodate the raising number of tourists. Rooms are stretching along the rocky shore. Though the beach is narrow, yet, like other islands in east coast Peninsular Malaysia, it is covered by white sand.
Because it is new and small and moreover, like other island hidden in the shadow of Redang and Perhentian Island, Gemia Island is less known to the tourists. Nevertheless, this has prepared the island a peaceful and quite atmosphere for holiday seekers and also the wildlife. Sea eagles, reef herons, tern and also the precious giant leatherback turtle come to nest their eggs on this island every year. Like some of the regular tourists who spend their holiday on the island every year, green turtles, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtle are also regular visitors too.
Pulau Gemia, a 15-minute boat ride from the Marang jetty in Terengganu, is a tiny island located just beside Pulau Kapas.
By Bus
There are no bus services directly to the Marang jetty. The nearest destination is Kuala Terengganu. From there, you can either charter a taxi or a van to take you to the Marang jetty.
By Air
There are two airlines that service the Kuala Trengganu airport, namely AirAsia and MAS. From the airport, you need to take a taxi or charter a van to take you to the Marang jetty.
By car
The drive from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu takes about 8 hours. Take the Karak Highway to get to Kuantan. From there, follow the sign board to Kuala Terengganu. One can choose to travel during day time and reaches Kuala Terengganu to spend the night or one can travel at night and reach there just in time for breakfast. After a rest stop at Kuala Terengganu, proceed to the Marang jetty which is about half an hour drive away from Kuala Terengganu town. Upon reaching Marang, there are plenty of parking areas just opposite the jetty. Charges are per-day basis.
Kapas Island
Kapas Island
Kapas Island is situated offshore about 30 minutes by slow boat or 10 minutes by fast boat from Marang jetty, 20 minutes south of Kuala Terengganu. It is a lovely small island with beautiful, quiet, unspoiled sandy beaches; cool and clear blue waters, swaying coconut trees and caves with swallows’ nests. Its waters are home to beautiful marine life such as fish, turtles, corals and others. It is a great place for swimming, snorkelling, diving, wind surfing, kayaking, boating or just pure relaxation. Accommodation varies from deluxe and budget chalets offering air conditioned or fan.
The waters around the island abound with sea-shells, fish and turtles. Snorkelling and underwater diving are popular along stretched of shallow coral reefs of the island's western shore. A World War II shipwreck located 5 nautical miles offshore is the key attraction to divers. During the months of May to August, you can go squid fishing.
Kapas Island is just 10 minutes away by speed boat from Marang jetty, which is 18km south of Kuala Terengganu or about 20 minutes by road.
To get to the islands, you can also board a bus or taxi at Kuala Terengganu for the fishing village of Marang. It costs about RM1.00 by bus and RM10.00 by non-airconditioned taxi. Air-conditioned taxis charge RM15.00.
More Info : Terengganu Tourism Malaysia
No comments:
Post a Comment