Pulau Redang : Paradise Rediscovered

There is so much to do on and around Pulau Redang, one can return year after year and still find new places to explore. The reef is teeming with fish, turtles, live corals and other spineless creatures. There's snorkelling, diving, windsurfing and kayaking available at most resorts.

The triggerfish a friend or a foe? Triggerfish attack divers because: 1. it is trying to protect its nest from potential predators. 2. it may have learnt from previous encounters with divers that they are dangerous and so it attacks first rather than be attacked

Rent a kayak or a canoe and paddle out to sea. Always with a buddy of course. The sea changes its hue as we splice through the glassy clear, calm surface. From topaz to turquoise and then to deep ocean blue - we find ourselves out in the open spaces of the South China Sea. The feeling of being totally at one with this singular vast body of water, sends mixed signals of fear, relief, uncertainty and peace. But yet this ocean, this open space seems so unfamiliar but yet so familiar..It is so easy to drift in and out of delirium when in a paradise such as this. Go ahead, try it !

 

The House Reef

There are many things to look out for in the water and for the untrained eye, it can get a little disorientating. The reef needlefish is a common sight in the shallow waters. Thin, silver and long, with a needle-like snout, sometimes in the corner of your eye, you can see them tagging along. They can actually tag for the entire time you are in the water. They're harmless creatures, just as curious about us as we are about them. Then there is the parrotfish, with its beautiful display of pastel blue, yellow and pink liveries. Parrotfish is distinctively a reef fish. Reef fish parade their vibrant colours proudly whereas pelagic or free-swimming fish are usually dull to camouflage themselves when in the open water. Another fish seen in the area is the star pufferfish, an odd-looking fish with sensitive bambi-looking eyes. It usually shies away from snorkellers but can be seen in a distance foraging for food amongst the corals. The bannerfish can also be found. More commonly known as butterflyfish, bannerfish are slim in shape so that they can escape from their predators by squeezing into thin crevices. There are the longfin, eight banded and lined butterfly fishes also found swimming the coral gardens. Batfish are common too. Often travelling in small groups, they too are curious creatures and may come close to snorkellers. Usually on the sea bed can be seen the goatfish. These goatfish is so named as they don 'goatees'. It takes some training to spot these fish as they camouflage into the sandy seabed well.

Just to the end of pasir panjang beach, where Redang Lagoon Chalets is located, is a popular snorkelling area. Here, you can find young black-tip reef sharks swimming around the coral. This is where they stay until they are large enough to venture into deeper water. This area is in fact a shark nursery. They are harmless and are only about 1½ feet in length but don't try feeding them! In the quieter corners of the bay, you may be able to meet with a green or hawksbill turtle- often found circling around, looking for a variety of food - jellyfish, crustacean etc. Turtles are very wary of people so it's no point shouting to your buddy to get them over to your spot. One flip of their powerful flippers and they would have disappeared into the darkness of the sea.

If you would like to know more about these fishes, click to Coral reefs and fishes.

The Marine Park Centre

Resort operators are very fond of taking their snorkellers to the park centre. That's because since gazetting the islands as a marine park, the fish has been pretty much left alone to nurture and breed. The resident fish have grown so accustomed to humans that they eagerly await snorkellers' visits. It's Pavlov's law working here: sound of snorkellers splashing in the water equates with Feeeding Time! No, snorkellers are not part of their food chain. Guides often bring along bread and sometimes biscuits to encourage interaction between fish and snorkellers. However, these little fish can be overzealous during feeding times so be careful. Here, snorkellers mingle with damselfishes like the Neon damsels, lemon damsels, Humbug dascyllus, bluegreen chromis and, sometimes there are butterfly fishes, angelfishes and sergeants - a fireworks display of colours as they encircle morsels of food and disperse again to regroup elsewhere.

PLEASE NOTE: the feeding of young sharks and marine predators are a REAL NO!NO! So if you do see your guides doing STUPID things like that, please pass on this message; these animals are wild and feeding them can change their habits. So when they become adults one day - you may be included in their list of food variety. So be smart ...don't create a monster - that will 'eat' into your profits!

Trekking

There is a relatively easy trek through a variety of lowland, mangrove and dipterocarp forests. We went through the forest without a guide, but just in case you need a little bit of orientation, take a look at the sketch map above. Just behind Ayu Mayang Resort and Redang Bay Resort are little pathways leading to the trek which can be difficult to spot sometimes. Ask resort staff to lead you to the start of the trail if you're unsure. NOW - there are a few pointers here to help you get through the trek unscathed. We share our experience with you on what we did not do and suffered as a consequence:

1. do slap on lots of mosquito repellent. The mosquitoes here are incredibly persistent - they cling on for dear life and nothing deters them from coming back for more of that fortified blood juice. Don't forget places like the back of knees, shoulders, nape, forehead and earlobes.

2. Follow the red cable, the power line which brings electricity supply to the resort operators at Pasir Panjang. The trek runs parallel to this cable and where it veers off, there are faint but noticeable red paint markings on the tree trunks lining the trek.

3.Walk as quietly as possible otherwise you wont get to see any wildlife along the path. And moreover, like us, we lost our way for a while and had to backtrack because we were more engrossed in the chatter than the navigation.

4. Do not aggravate the macaques! These monkeys live in groups and can get aggressive when provoked.

5. Do not wear slip-ons or slippers. The forest floor is intertwined with roots and vines and can trip you if not careful. Slippers may not give you a good grip on the slippery ground either.

6. Try not to wear loud colours. Earthy tones will blend into the surroundings and increase chances of spotting birds, mousedeers and monitor lizards.

At the start of the trail, trekkers will be greeted by a family of macaque monkeys who have taken to foraging around the trash pits nearby. The resorts bury their daily refuse in these pits and the monkeys have taken this to be their permanent feeding ground. These monkeys will generally retreat as humans approach but not without a little display. The Alpha male barks and gnarls, bearing

his teeth at intruders and is soon followed by the rest of the family working themselves into a frenzy of screams and branch shaking. It is a little unnerving at first but do not run.. walk ahead slowly but keep your eyes on them and leave them to their little act. It's after all, just an act. Keep looking out for the red cable, this would take you on track.

After such hullabaloo, the forest seems so quiet, so eerie - we walked further on for 10min but thought that we had already lost our way. But we soon stumbled onto a clearer path. This path is interesting as the trees are labelled with their common names and their botanical names. If you would like to know more about the variety of trees found there. The doodles below show various kinds.

Trek into the jungle and beyond

Not far down the path, a little stream adds some colour to the brown and greens of the background. Take a rest here but be warned that that'll not be much of a rest as the mosquitoes making kamikaze attacks on your vulnerable bits will keep you going! As we crossed the stream, we remembered some advice leftover from another trekking expedition not long ago at Taman Negara, the largest National Park in Peninsular Malaysia. The advice?? Do not scatter the litter of dry leaves, walk nimbly because what you might rouse up more than you can can handle. And that is?? Scorpions of course! Scorpions love hiding under dead leaves - this is where they lie in wait for their prey. Pythons are common in these jungles although they are difficult to spot. They too love leaf litter to lie in for the odd nap or two.

Tree species found along the trek

As we trekked towards the peak, we found the 'milestone' markings that showed the way to Teluk Dalam(Deep bay). The peak was a great place to rest, the mosquitoes had left us alone by now (perhaps sweating profusely creates a natural repellent against these most unpleasant creatures.) It was actually a relief to know that the buzzing in our ears was not attributed to tinnitus but the mosquitoes. After all, we were silly enough not to arm ourselves with repellent for the trip.

The view of the Deep bay and Pasir Panjang was worth the trek. From here, the area seemed deserted, serene, virginal - untainted, almost the island where the Swiss Robinson Crusoe family would have chosen to live in. This is where one gets to meditate and reflect without having much effort put into it.

Down the peak, we walked through a mangrove swamp containing prime examples of mangrove pines. This led to a shallow stream and before we realised it, we were already at Teluk Dalam(Deep Bay). The 2 km walk left us rather in need of ice cold beer which were perfectly chilled as if anticipating our arrival.

Updates on Pulau Redang

Pulau Redang has changed tremendously over the past 5 years. No longer is it an island for lovers of nature and tranquility. It is fast becoming a place for tourists who do not seem to appreciate the natural beauty of their surroundings. A 400 room resort has since been built on long beach itself and with such developments, 4 discos and 4 karaoke shops have been set up. The discos and karaokes are located at Redang Pelangi Resort, Redang Laguna Resort, Redang Reef Resort and Redang Holiday Beach Villa. If you're planning on having a quiet, relaxed holiday, Ayu Mayang and Coral Redang are still a good bet for a good time. Redang Holiday Beach Villa is a good place to stay if you have a group of 6 to 8 persons going. A number of semi-detached chalets for larger groups are seated on the cliff with a wonderful view of the sea. That is, if you don't mind the noise from the disco and karaoke but that will only last til 12.00midnight. The best time to go to Redang is on weekdays when large tour groups are few and far between. However, having said all, Redang still has it's charms and the water is as beautiful as ever. Just the hordes of tourists are a little unnerving....