Karah Island

Karah island is just a small island which lies in front of Bidong Island. It is another great location for scuba diving and snorkeling.

Photo curtosy http://shw.fotopages.com/7263198/Pulau-Karah.html

Rhu Hentian Island

"Perhaps Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Redang and some other pulau are too famous and ‘over heated’ to many people, Pulau Rhu Hentian 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, Pulau Rhu Hentian is accessible through Kuala Besut 20 to 30 minutes by boat. The island has no 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.

Though Pulau Rhu Hentian is a new born baby in the tourism industry in the country, some water activities such as swimming, snorkeling and diving are possible to be arranged through some travel agencies. Apart from this, due to the tiny size of this island enable visitor to make a 2 hours ‘orientation’ trek as a ‘get to know you’ activity."

http://www.terengganutourism.com/pulau_rhu_hentian.htm
Photo curtosy http://malaysiabudgethotel.com/destinations/terengganu/pulau-rhu-hentian.html

Lang Tengah Island

"Lang Tengah Island is a very small island located between Perhentian Island and Redang Island. This little island is accessible by a 30 minutes boat ride from Merang jetty.

According to the locals, Lang Tengah takes it name from 2 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.

It is small, very small. A round island trip in speed boat only takes 10 minutes. The beach is narrow and land is limited. However, Lang Tengah Island gains it advantages from its size. Due to the limitation in the land, there are only 4 resorts operators on the island. This is somehow limiting the number of visitors to the island thus reduces the chances of environmental pollution to the island while offering more privacies to the holiday seekers who seek for a piece of quite and peaceful land."

More information at:

http://www.terengganutourism.com/pulau_lang_tengah.htm
Photo curtosy http://www.langtengah.com.my/

Bidong Island

"Before asking where is Bidong Island, let’s read the story below.

In the 1970s, thousands of the Vietnamese fled Vietnam in order to escape from the communist Vietnam. Many of them bought a safe passage to leave their homeland with gold. They traveled in boat of any shape, type and size. The boats are always overcrowded with men, women, children and babies, hundreds and thousands of them.

With the help of the wind and waves especially during the northeast monsoon, they will normally arrive after weeks or months of sailing on the sea. But, not all of the boats reached their destination safely. Pirates are the main fear for most of the boat people. Rape, rob, beat and murder are the nightmare apart from thirst, seasickness and starvation. In addition to these, with the horrible condition on the boat, there are people died everyday in their traumatic journey. The body will then be thrown into the open sea. Sometimes there are only few out of hundreds of the poor boat people survive till the end of the survival journey. Some, they actually arrived on the boat they initially took instead just holding a piece of wood or sitting in a big cooking pot… their poor little boat sunk in the strong and rough waves while in the journey.

Out of estimated nearly 1 million Vietnamese who left their homeland in the 1970s, nearly 255,000 of them landed on the shores of Malaysia and most of them were placed on Bidong Island. Why Bidong? Nobody knows. The Bidong Archipelago comprises six islands. Largest island (about 260 ha in size), Bidong was one of the scenic and uninhibited islands in those days. With the huge number of boat people landed on the island, in August 1978 the federal government ‘borrowed’ this island from the state government of Terengganu and gazetted Bidong as a refugee camp. However, the assistance given by the government and several non governmental organization such as United Nations of High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) has started before that. Bidong, after being gazetted as a refugee camp was under the supervision and management of UNHCR. No visitors were allowed on or around the islands.

Although this tiny island only had the capacity to accommodate for 4,500 refugees, however during some very ‘peak’ seasons, it once sheltered almost 40,000 people. To ensure the better living condition, long houses were built with schools, workshops, post office, church, temple, tailors, hair salons, bakery, noodle shops, sundry shops, even disco and bar etc. as to serve the basic needs. The home missing emotion can even seen not only on these imitation, the refugees even named on the beach here as Pantai Cina-China Beach, the famous counterpart in Vietnam. Therefore it is no doubt why Bidong was also called Little Saigon.

Bidong was the temporary home for the refugees before they are resettled to third country. Time taken for resettlement process varied from each individual. Some took a few months and some few years. While waiting for the news, UNHCR had organized vocational training, languages classes, kindergarten etc. for the refugees as a preparation for them to face the challenges of life when they are resettled in other countries. Those who are rejected in the resettlement process will then be transferred to Sungai Besi Refugee Camp.

When the last batch of the refugees left the island in 1991, Bidong Island was officially handed back to the Terengganu state government, but remains restricted to the public until 1999.

So, what happen to Bidong Island after the handover and after 1999? And what is left on the island? Though there was proposal to preserve the relics on the island, but when the first group of visitor stepped on the island after nearly 8 years being isolated from the world outside, those collapsed and rotting buildings and overgrown bushes imply that none of the preservation action has been carried out. Few buildings had been torched, equipment that remained in the vocational workshops has been smashed, wooden platform of the jetty was completely stripped…..by the nature, by the wildlife and also, by human.

Nevertheless, few structures are safe from the destructive action, such as an artificial boat besides the temple to commemorate those arrival on the island, statute of a father who pulls his beloved daughter out from the sea, cement memories with heart aching words inscribed, gravestones marking the burial plots etc. They stand like a mute reminder to the world.

Recently there are interests to turn this island into a tourist spot. But what kind of tourism can it be and should it be? This is a big question mark leaves for people whoever involves in the industry. Some say to construct new sky scrapping hotel buildings like other islands; some suggest to make the Little Saigon reborn and alive again by rebuilding the bar and disco and, some recommend to make Bidong Island a memorial island thus promoting heritage tour…

Before anything turn into reality, afford to bring tourists here has long started by some local tour operators. In year 2003, a group of former boat people who have resettled in other countries made their trip back to this island, which was once sheltered them from the waves of life. Many of them came back with their spouse. Their vision was bursting into tears, words turned into sobbing. A simple chanting ceremony was taken out by a group of Buddhism-Chinese as to calm the soul of those dead relatives and fellows. To them, this island is more than a bitter part of their history.

To date, fewer Malaysian tourists come here, not only because they are not familiar with the name but also, some of them claim that there is black spirit on the island.

Regardless how true it is, a 3D2N package tour with accommodation in resorts or hotel in the mainland or a day trip is available now from Kuala Terengganu to the island in order to give a chance to have a glimpse on this island before proceeding to snorkeling or diving trip in adjacent water. A guided tour is advisable even though you can simply hire a boat from Merang to the island yourself. There are many traps in form of abandoned wells dug by the refugees for fresh water.

Whether or not this island is going to be another island as famous as Redang or Tioman in the eyes of tourism, it remains a very special part in the heart for many Vietnamese and Malaysian. And, although Bidong Island is not familiar to the younger generation today, it will always has its place in the Malaysia’s modern history."

http://www.terengganutourism.com/pulau_bidong.htm
Photo curtosy http://www.geocities.com/nuar.geo/bidong.html

Duyong Island

"Just 2km off shore from Kuala Terengganu, lay Pulau Duyung, an island where the art of boat building runs in the blood of some of its inhabitants. Pulau Duyung is perhaps the most well known boat-building centres in Terengganu. Most of the boats built here are regular fishing boats, but there are a few exceptions. But even so, the craftsmanship of every boat built here is immaculate.

So much so that many have made a beeline for this tiny island to place orders on leisure boats costing as much as RM1million. A majority of them are foreigners, particularly from Europe, who highly appreciate the handiwork and long durability of these vessels. Several shipyards here build boats that can measure up to 80 foot long. What's most astonishing to visitors and sailboat afficionados is that these boats are built practically from memory, in most cases no blueprints are used as guideline by these boat builders."

"Pulau Duyong, Terengganu will be the focus of the sailing world when the world's fastest sailboats compete in the Monsoon Cup."

Photo curtosy http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/default.asp?m=da&id=26905
http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/pulau%20duyung%20(duyung%20island).html

Perhentian Island

"The two Perhentian Islands are rated as some of the most beautiful islands in the world…a virtual paradise for snorkeling and diving in crystal-clear water or just for lazing on one of the white sandy beaches waiting for the coconuts to drop. Perhentian Islands is located in the South China Sea 25 km from the coast of Kuala Besut. It consists of two islands, Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil. Both islands are surrounded by beautiful palm-fringed sandy beaches andcrystal-clear turquoise-blue sea. A trip to this lush and exotic tropical island is a must for all nature lovers and those who enjoy scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, swimming, wind surfing, sailing, boating and canoeing. All manner of aquatic life is visible both near and far from the beach such as turtles, sharks, coral and thousands of tropical fish. The interior is covered by jungle with a wide variety of species. You can watch monitor lizards, monkeys, geckos, flying squirrels, butterflies and many other types - sometimes right in front of your chalet. There are no roads and not many paths, so the islands are mainly peaceful and untouched - so far."

http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Terengganu/guide_pperhentian.htm

Kapas Island

"Pulau Kapas or Cotton Island inherited its name from the native because of its incomparable white beaches. Surrounded by crystal clear ocean, Pulau Kapas promises a spectacular getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life to quiet natural retreats with abundant sunshine and crisp clean air.

An island renowned for its clear waters, sandy white beaches and swaying palms, it is relatively isolated. Home to an infinite variety of hard and soft corals, the waters around the island abound with sea-shells, fish and turtles. The island's laid back atmosphere is ideal for relaxation but the more adventurous will find it is also a haven for swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing, kayaking, boating and fishing.

Where a myriad of corals, shell fish and turtles flourish in the waters. The waters around the quiet and secluded beaches offer ideal spots for snorkeling and scuba diving. Basic but comfortable accommodation is available. Not recommended during the monsoon season between November to March."

http://www.kapas.com.my/
Photo curtosy http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Terengganu/guide_pkapas.htm

Tenggol Island

"Pulau Tenggol is another beautiful diving getaway island lies offshore of Kuala Dungun in the southern of Terengganu. This tiny and compact island is only 45 minutes from the coastal quite jetty in Kuala Dungun. It is as small as 3km in length and 2km in width. However, this doesn’t prevent it from becoming a paradise for many people especially diving enthusiasts.

The interior of the island are steep sunken rocky cliffs. This rocky terrain extends from the interior of the island to the ocean and has created a dramatic canvas for diving meanwhile an ideal hideaway for marine life. For example in Teluk Air Tawar where the seabed will first slope gently down from the beach then a sudden drop of 90ft deep after some 600ft from the shore, creating a large spread of sloping reef on the rocky wall. Whereas in Rajawali Reef, as you dive deeper following the vertically dropped rocky walls which falls as deep as 32m, you will discover a healthy growth of encrusting corals at the bottom, accompanied by other marine fishes like batfish and black tip reef shark.

Diving in areas like Teluk Air Tawar, Tanjung Gemok and Tanjung Sarong Lang can be very challenging partly due to the strong current but also the concreted walls from the sunken wrecks lie underneath the clear blue water. However, it is still worth to try your luck here as besides calm coral gardens, you probably will have a chance to meet with humphead parrotfish, giant stingray, bat fishes, whale shark, leopard shark, schooling jacks etc. They are the usual residents here. Whale sharks are easily be seen during diving in certain area during August to October every year.

On the island itself, behind the sandy beach is the resort that blends harmoniously into the surrounding environment and accommodating every exhausted visitor after a long active day. To the interior of the island, it is deep forested rocky hills that make it a scenic destination for adventure seekers. The hills rising over 800ft is a good place to have a panoramic view of the island, who knows, maybe you will see turtle swimming in the sea".

http://www.terengganutourism.com/pulau_tenggol.htm
Photo Courtesy http://www.tenggolisland.com/gallery.html

Redang Island

"From a sleepy fishing village, Pulau Redang (Redang Island) has grown into one of the most popular tourist destinations on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The reefs of the Redang archipelago are home to over 55 genera of corals and 100 species of fish. Every year, Pulau Redang attracts thousands of visitors who come to enjoy the sun, beaches and spectacular marine life.

The Redang archipelago, located off the coast of Terengganu state, comprises Pulau Redang (Redang Island), Pulau Pinang (Pinang Island), Pulau Ling (Ling Island), Pulau Ekor Tebu (Ekor Tebu Island), Pulau Kerengga Besar (Kerengga Besar Island), Pulau Kerengga Kecil (Kerengga Kecil Island), Pulau Paku Besar (Paku Besar Island), Pulau Paku Kecil (Paku Kecil Island) and Pulau Lima (Lima Island). This group of islands boasts white sandy beaches, spectacular coral reefs and crystal clear waters, making it one of the best dive spots in the world.

The waters surrounding the Redang group of islands have been the second area to be gazetted as a Marine Park following Pulau Payar in Kedah. The park headquarters is located on Pulau Pinang which is off the main jetty of Pulau Redang."

http://www.malaysiaoutdoor.com/location/redang-island/?gclid=CKDvuKXtuI0CFQI1TAodi1VSIw

Gem Island

"Gem Island (Pulau Gemia) is a privately owned island, about 800 metres off Kapas Island. Gem Island had white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, beautiful corals and fascinating marine life. In another effort to preserve wildlife, one of the beaches on Gem Island is used as a turtle hatchery. Terengganu is renowned as one of the few places where turtles (including the giant Leatherback) come ashore to lay their eggs. On the island the green turtle is the most common. But the Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtle are regular visitors. After laying, the eggs are collected and transferred by Gem Island staff to an enclosure on the beach. This protects them from marauding predators such as monitor lizards, crabs and seabirds."

http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Terengganu/guide_gemisland.htm

Lata Cemerong

"Reaching the Cemerong fall is quite an expedition because of its remoteness and lack of signage. From Kuantan you follow the Inland Highway to Kuala Terengganu. About halfway you will pass a small river, the Paka river. Take the first road to your left. Coordinates of the junction are N 04° 35.854' E 103° 12.542' From this junction it is about 30 km on a good tar road to the Entrance of the Recreation Park. From the coastal Highway you can cross over to the Inland one at Kemanan or Dungun Near to the carpark, a trail follows the river downhill. Hidden in thick forest you will find a few very attractive waterfalls in a steep ravine (be careful!). There is a nice place to camp nearby. At the left side of the Lower Fall a trail starts uphill. In the beginning it is cemented. The stream is very quiet here and there are beautiful buttressed trees. Do NOT cross the stream on the new over-sized bridge. Keep following the left side of the stream. The trail becomes less easy, but a suspension bridge and ropes help a lot. After about 1.5 hour you reach the bottom of the upper fall. And an impressive fall it is. Difficult to estimate the height, must be more than 250 meter. From the bottom of the fall it is not possible to climb to the top. Maybe the top can be reached by crossing the new bridge, and following the trail to the Gunung Berumbun".

http://www.waterfallsofmalaysia.com/72cemerong.php

Pantai Kemasik

"Located around 10 kilometres north of Kijal town, Kemasik Beach (Pantai Kemasik) is a beautiful and scenic tourist spot that you must visit if you happen to drive along the coastal roads of Terengganu.

This clean and picturesque beach is great for picnics, setting up camping tents, flying kites or just lounging around on the sand. You can also climb the large rocks on the beach and enjoy the view of the sea and beach from there.

There is a mini-park and playground near Kemasik Beach for visitors to enjoy. There are several food stalls in Kemasik Beach where you can buy light snacks and have a taste of the local food".

http://www.malaysia-tourist-attractions.com/kemasik-beach.html

Bukit Besi

"Bukit Besi which is situated in the district of Dungun was once an important and famous iron mining place in Terengganu. The history of iron mining in Terengganu begun in 1916 and was one of the largest iron mine in the world. The mining industry was handled by Nippon Mining Company. However, between 1945 till 1947, the mine was taken over by the British and was sold to the Eastern Mining and Metal Comany in 1949. From 1960, the production of iron at Bukit Besi began to decline. Thus the Government of Terengganu decided to close the iron mine in the early 1970s. Today Bukit Besi is a tourist attraction". (Courtesy sejarahmalaysia)

Batu Bersurat

"Kuala Berang is situated about 33 kilometers from Kuala terengganu and it is an historical place. Kuala Berang became famous when an inscribed stone was discovered here. The inscribed stone found was the earliest record of Islam in Peninsular Malaysia. The inscribed stone was discovered in 1899 when there was a major flood in Terengganu. After the flood, the villagers found a huge stone at the mouth of Sungai Teresat. The villagers then shifted the stone to a mosque at Kampung Buluh in Kuala Berang.

In 1902, a gold and tin miner named Syed Hussain bin Ghulam Al Bukhari from Riau - Lingga and Engku Pengiran Anum arrived at Kuala Berang. They saw the inscribed stone and brought it back to Kuala Terengganu where they presented it to Sultan Zainal Abidin, who was then the Sultan of Terengganu. Sultan Zainal Abidin kept the inscribed stone from many years as no one understood the Jawi writings that was inscribed on the stone. Thus an Englishman who was working in Terengganu send photographs of the inscribed stone to history language specialists in Singapore and London. In the end, the inscriptions on the stone was able to be read clearly.

The inscribed stone weighed about 215 kilograms, 84 centimeters in height, 53 centimeters wide at the top and 27 centimeters wide at the bottom. The thickness of the stone is 24 centimeters and is made of granite which cannot be easily broken. The inscriptions are in Arabic - Malay believed to be written on the 22nd February 1303. Among the inscriptions on the stone are the ten Islamic laws and their punishments. With the discovery of this stone, historians felt that Islam has reached Terengganu before the 14th century. The inscribed stone also proved that a government existed in Terengganu long before Melaka was founded. Even after Melaka was founded, Kuala Terengganu still remained an important port."
(courtesy sejarahmalaysia)

Bukit Keluang

Pantai Bukit Keluang is located at the very north of Kuala Terengganu, some 140 km away. However it is just a few kilometers south from Kuala Besut. It is also known as Dendong Beach Park. The beach is just behind a wooden walkway built through a rocky cave extended to the sea. Pantai Bukit Keluang is an ideal destination for some water sports such as swimming, snorkelling and wind surfing. On top of these, during weekend or holiday, you may see people come in family or group for picnicking and camping. (Courtesy terengganutourism.com)

New Species of Ginger

Three new species of ginger have been found in the protected forests of Setiu and Dungun. Botanists from the Forest Research Institute found them during scientific expeditions in 2005. they were recently described in the Gardens Bulletin Singapore as new and rare species. One of the species was registered as Scanphochlamys abdullahii, in honour of Prime Minister Datuk Sri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Described as very rare by Sam Yen Yen, the FRIM researcher who found it, it is believed to be endemic to the forrest reserve in Hulu Setiu. The other two species were cnamed Scaphochlamys cordata and Scaphochlamys laxa. Both species were found in the Jengal forest reserve in Dungun. There are more than 1,200 ginger species in the world, and about a third of them are found in Malaysia. Some of the species like the Etlingera terengganuensis or the jungle rose, are endemic to Terengganu. The discovery of the new ginger species has opened thedoor to more scientific exdpeditions inthe protected forests of Terengganu. (NSTP 30/6/2007)

Hornbills

A Canadian Paul Benjamin Jones, a bird enthusiast attached with several bird-watching groups in Ontario, has managed to sight nine species of hornbills at Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu. The nine species were the Wrinkled, White Crown, Oriental-pied, Great, Rhino, Bushy-crested, Helmeted, Wreathed and Black hornbill. The open space had made Kenyir popular among local bird watchers. (NSTP 30/6/2007)