As Hisham has faithfully chronicled in here, Vin & I got married in Malaysia recently. A few days after the big kenduri (feast) in Sitiawan, Hisham’s and my hometown, Vin & I flew to Kuala Terengganu, on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia where we were picked up by a bus and driven to the Marang Jetty. There, we got on a speedboat and left for Pulau Redang (Redang Island) for a 3-day snorkeling adventure.
My father had taken us on a few of these vacations when Hisham and I were in our late teens, but the last time I had been to Pulau Redang and its neighboring islands had been at least 10 years ago. I had been worried that the last 10 years might have brought “development” (and its evil twin destruction) and that tourism might have brought about the destruction of the natural coral reefs that surround all these islands and islets.
To my relief and delight, Pulau Redang was just as I remembered. Sun shone over clear blue waters, the beach was white and powder fine, corals were visible almost from the boat! For 3 days, we went to 3 different locales (by boat), snorkeling to our hearts’ content. There were also beautiful corals and friendly fish in the bay right by our chalet! We saw colorful fishes, some of them were about 2 feet long, beautiful corals of all kinds, and even a 3-foot long (reef?) shark. We were in paradise. Although both times we saw a shark, we got out of the water…just in case (can’t you just hear the theme from Jaws?)
All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I was sad to leave. Next time, we’ll get Hisham and his family and my parents to come too. Until then, I will continue to dream of the pounding surf and the breathtaking ocean views (above and below sea level). Woohooooo!
Here are some of our pictures (the underwater pictures are not digital so will not be included):
On the speedboat, on our way to Redang
Sejuk mata memandang. One of the beautiful areas we passed on the boat to Redang
Deserted craggy island, anyone?
Arrival at Redang. Our chalet was to the left of the jetty
Hammock time! See the blue water peeking beyond Vin?
Vin on the jetty. The wood was very hot on our bare feet, but just look at that water!
The water’s about 10 feet deep here. You can still see the white sand clearly…
You can see the shadows of the corals even here. The water’s maybe 15-20 feet deep
Cookout! Squid, fish, chicken and plenty of noodles and fried rice to go with it!
