I was at work, in the midst of finishing my tasks (this happened somewhere around July), I texted my husband, "Hey hon, up for a quick summer vacay? Let me know. X" and I continued doing my work. Believe it or not, the fact that I already traveled around Malaysia, Sabah & Sarawak included, I have never traveled to islands on the East Coast. I have been to Kapas Island also Tioman, but not Redang or Perhentian. So I had that idea of sunbathing there since I have never been to that part of Malaysia. Since my husband and I have not went to any beach trip after we got married (honeymoon was in London during winter, so that one was a city trip instead), so we thought, why not. We both love water and swimming, beach vacation would be ideal.
Went home, browsing more on the accommodations, better oceans, better views, more activities, different offers and packages with better price value. I have heard of Redang and Perhentian Island but not Lang Tengah. I may have heard of it but not sure on how it looks like or where does it located. So I Google-d more and found a great package for island tour from Holidaygogogo Tours. We saw a great offer for snorkelling package in Lang Tengah and we booked right away. They have different offers (of nights and hotels/chalets), but we chose the 3D2N in Summer Bay Resort for snorkelling package. The fact that the company put everything with the itinerary and the price, makes me feel like this is pretty reliable. Transparent to customers and easy for people to actually see the activities and decide what's best and what's suitable for them and also very organized, are always my go-to thing.
REASONS WHY LANG TENGAH INSTEAD OF REDANG OR PERHENTIAN.
ONE: Redang and Perhentian are overrated and packed with people. Most people would go there for the hype and crowds or maybe parties. While, Lang Tengah, not many people have heard of it, so expect less crowd and it is awesomely private and quiet. We both were the only Malays there (other than the hotel staff/workers), since most of the tourists are from China or local Chinese and also the Westerners.
TWO: The water is so much more clearer, the corals are better, more colourful fishes, no crazy waves. But then again, I only discovered though snorkelling, not sure if the deeper sea is nicer for divers.
THREE: The snorkelling package that we booked offers deep sea trips; which you can choose to go to Redang or Perhentian. If you booked for the 4D3N, you can go to both! I chose Redang because it has better water and corals and I do not like big, noisy crowds, so I said no to Perhentian. LOL
Decision has been made, now onto the next phase: PLANNING THE TRIP. September's long holidays are coming (in Malaysia at the moment), hence we decided to go before the big wave comes. We took leaves and went during weekdays, before the long holiday starts.
WHY TAKING TRIPS DURING WEEKDAYS?
ONE: Less crowd on the road.
TWO: Less crowd on the boat.
THREE: Less crowd on the island.
FOUR: Cheaper price (basically for everything) due to low demands.
FIVE: You do not have to queue during meal buffets (also for everything).
My husband and I are huge fans of road trip so we decided to drive ourselves to Terengganu rather than taking flights. We took off from KL to Kuantan on Wednesday night after work, it was a two-hour journey via Karak Highway. Reached Kuantan probably around 10pm, checked in at Vivo Hotel via Agoda, and woke up the next day at 5.30am to continue our journey to Merang Jetty via LPT 1 & 2 (Lebuhraya Pantai Timur) until Kuala Terengganu exit. Asked the receptionist upon checkout, how long will it take for us to get to Kuala Terengganu or Merang Jetty and he said most probably around 4 hours via the old, beach route. Which we should be there at 9.30am, with breakfast. So we drove to Merang Jetty via LPT 2, which saved us 2 hours.
BUT, please ensure that your car is in good condition and your body system is in great shape because the R&R or "pitstop" is not properly finished or operated(?) In case if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, the patrol car will get some time to get to you. Also, in case if you need to go to the toilet (either for number one or two), the R&R is dark and there are some unfinished part. Please make sure that your car's headlight & taillight are bright enough for you to see the dark road ahead and also for people to see you. We drove early in the morning (5.30am), so the fog was covering the whole stretch of highway and vision is quite limited. Ensure your wipers are working fine too!
We reached Merang Jetty at 8am. Took us 2 hours from Kuantan and since we have plenty of time for our boat departure at 10.30am, we checked out the jetty and where we should park, then off for a hearty breakfast along the roadside in Merang. We had Nasi Dagang with them locals, which was so good, and off back to jetty at 9.30am. Waited for an hour for the boat to arrive and off we go to Lang Tengah!
Arrived at Summer Bay Resorts Lang Tengah at 11am (it was 30-min to 45-min boat journey from the jetty), we were welcomed with a glass of lime juice and a hot towel to scrap off the salty wind on our faces. Followed by a short briefing from the hotel staff for 10 minutes then checked in. Got the keys and freshened up ourselves and off for our lunch buffet. They gave us 3-course meal per day with coupon for each meal, plus with complimentary tea breaks.
Then our beach vacation begins.
I am an organized traveler, whenever we traveled (with or without family), it is always me who works on the itinerary and budget and places to go, to visit, to eat, to see. So of course, I will share you the basic itinerary for this beach vacation in a new post :)
The best part about this trip was the fact that it was only the two of us at the beach, nobody was really there until sun is set. Most of the tourists there were Chinese and I noticed that they don't really like going out under the sun until it is 6.30pm or something when the sun is already set. I'm not judging or complaining, its good because more beach spaces for us both! Whee!
Three days in Lang Tengah are over. Checked out time at 11am. The boat leaves at 12 noon. We continued our journey in Kuala Terengganu bound. Visiting places and eating what locals eat. The trip was awesome. Decided to stay one night in Kuala Terengganu and it was the worst hotel ever (DM me to ask what hotel is that so that I can share with you! Hint: the tallest hotel room overlooking the river to Pulau Duyong). We booked earlier before the trip started, and when we were there for check-in at 3pm, the receptionist told us that our room is not yet ready. Can you imagine, check-out time is at 12 noon, check-in time is at 3pm. What did your housekeepers do for the whole 3 hours? I specifically mentioned to have a non-smoking room and he said "I can give you smoking room if you cannot wait for your room to be ready". WTH? I specified what room I wanted, so don't tell me otherwise. The room was ready after waiting for 45 minutes, went upstairs and the access card does not work. Went downstairs again to change to a new card for our room and the same receptionist said to call the maintenance number at the back of the card if the card still does not work. The guest should call the maintenance? Shouldn't it be you, the staff? Went upstairs, card still does not work, called the maintenance but could not reach them, went downstairs again to find that my husband went up with the maintenance guy. So... I already hate the hotel. Got inside, room smelt so dusty, furniture was old, TV was still with the big black box at the back, carpet was full with iron-burnt stamps, etc. Will never stay there again.
Well, anyways, my Terengganu trip was amazing (despite the hotel mishaps), I really needed that sun, sand and salt on my skin. I may be tanned AF right now, but I am happy AF too! Thank you to Mr Khor, Ah Haur, staffs in Summer Bay for the great hospitality, I will definitely come back again! Last by no means least, to my husband, MSA, thank you for exploring the world with me. Could not have it better without you ♥
Some photos to share; more on my Instagram:
