Overview on Redang

The mere thought of Redang evokes an almost unrestrainable feeling of excitement. The calm blue sea, white sand, colourful fish and a lucky encounter with a turtle are the few things that should be running about our heads (while the prospect of getting drunk is blinking at the top of my to-do list, hehe!). Then again, there are few things that have to be settled before we dive into the holiday mood. These include accommodation, means of getting around, necessary items to pack into our luggages (condoms?), and money to spend (or splurge).

Some of these matters have been settled while others are still left in doubt. Nonetheless, it is good to go through, in chronological order, the itineraries that are in place for us so that there is a smaller chance of messing up. By the way, i would like to thank Ms Lim a.k.a Ah Xiang a.k.a Lizzie's Darling for initiating the idea of the holiday trip, getting the best bargain for the holiday package and ardently pushing for the realisation of our island get-away. Credits to Mr Kok a.k.a Walking Encyclopedia a.k.a my ex-room buddy for his unparalled coordination of our transportation between KL, KT, Redang and my place.

First up is departure. We will be leaving Hentian Putra at 10.30pm, 7th of July 2008 so it is highly advisable that we get to the boarding terminal at least 15 minutes before departure. It is never a good experience to miss the bus and potentially ruining the holiday. Mr Kok has informed me that the estimated arriving time is 5.30 am in the morning of 12th of July 2008 at Kuala Terengganu express bus terminal (judging by the timing, we should be "greeted" by the call for morning prayers when we arrive in KT). Upon arrival, Zachary will purchase our bus tickets to my place at the terminal itself.

Once there, we will have our breakfast in a nearby restaurant (the pulut lepa and roti jala is a must-try!) and linger around for a while before we start hunting for the Shahbandar Jetty, from which we depart to Redang Island. The boat leaves at 8.30 am and the "check-in" period of 30 minutes prior to boat departure is to be observed. We should get there by 7.50 am or we will have to wait till 1.00pm, when the next boat trip leaves for the island. The boat ride should take around 1.5-2 hours as an internet source suggests. For your information, the two-way boat rides between the island and mainland are included in our holiday packages so kudos to Shean (otherwise, a transportation fee of 100 ringgit will be levied on each of us for that purpose only)!

Upon arrival, the usual procedure of checking in applies and after that, you guys will be playing until you drop dead. Mr Chin a.k.a Billy a.k.a Workaholic will be organising some games for us to play in case we suffer from snorkelling-overkill. There is also a jungle trail to explore in case corals and fish aren't your fancy. Additionally, alcoholic drinks are sold so the prospect of getting drunk is never too far away..... hehe. Guys, if you suddenly think of losing your virginity, please be responsible - a condom pack isn't that costly, is it? Girls, it is high time wear bikinis if you want to (that's as far as you can go since going topless is not permissible). Since we will be exposing a significant area of skin most of the time, it is strongly encouraged that we arm ourselves with sunscreen lotion.

11th of July 2008 will see the end of our redang excursion as we will be packing our bags and getting ready to leave the island. The return boat leaves at 11 am so 10.30 am is the latest we can get to the jetty.

We will be transferred back to KT and from there, we will make our way to my house via bus. Traditionally, my place holds two pasar malam's respectively on every Friday and Sunday. I think it's a good idea to get a feel of how a night market is like in an East Coast countryside setting. There will be a lot of local delicacy for you to pick, mix-and-match and munch down for dinner.

On the next day, 12th of July 2008, you guys will savouring malay breakfast (a night stay at my place comes with free breakfast, no worries!). I am afraid I am unable to disclose the names of the dishes that will be served but they are gonna be delicious (nothing beats Terengganu malay food cooked by my neighbour!).

Your bus to KL will be making a stop near my house at around 10 am but it is best to get to the pickup point at least 15 minutes earlier. After that, adios to you guys and safe journey! Speaking of journey, thanks a million Zac, for helping us to get between so many places.

Speaking of expenditure, the KL-KT bus trip costs 30 ringgit per person and this amount is payable Zac. On the other hand, the KT-my house bus transfer cost is still tentative (it is definitely way lower than RM30) since the tickets have yet been purchased. The return bus ticket to KL costs RM25.85 per person and is payable to me. Moreover, we have to pay for the snorkeling equipment rental, which will strip us of RM15-RM30 depending on the number of equipments we want to attach to ourselves (sounds Frankenstein-ish). Having taken into account the miscellaneous costs, i guess you are in better position to decide on how much money to bring along with you.

P.S: I am not sure whether this overview is sufficiently detailed to dissipate most of your doubts so do give feedbacks.