Laguna Redang..the door to Paradise

The last time I went to Redang must have been about 15 years ago. Someone showed me a beach-front property at Pasir Panjang for sale. But after a land-check at the district office by my lawyer, the land had so many caveats on it because the poor fisherman-owner of the property had so much 'hutang' from 'you-know-who'...

The Laguna Resort ferries at the Merang jetty

Redang then had only a few little resorts catering to the then newly developing diving enthusiasts. I remember that just 10 feet from the shore-line of the property that I looked at, there was a healthy coral reef with its colourful underwater life. There was no jetty at Merang nor at Redang...we had to brave the waves to get in and out of our boat.

An aerial view of the Laguna Beach Resort

Today tourism to Redang is a well organised business. There is a new jetty at the mouth of the Merang river and Laguna Redang Resort must be a big outfit with its fleet of buses and ferries to take the mass of tourists to its establishment. Laguna Redang is probably the biggest resort on the island (oops...perhaps the Berjaya Redang guys may dispute this) and it has certainly succeeded to market itself well judging from the hordes of mainland Chinese tourists that pour out of its buses to fill up the ferries to the last seat.

White powdery sand of the Laguna beach

Pre-dinner cocktails in our suite..

I must admit that they manage their operation well....almost with military efficiency. From the time to check in at the Merang jetty, to the briefing on arrival at their own jetty on Redang, to the check-in at reception and the welcome refreshments and the 3 buffet meals daily that were never short of food and variety and the early and efficient cleaning and doing-up of our spacious hotel room that can fit 4-adults....I must raise my hat to them. Ah....and I must comment that they have kept their compound clean and the beach and sea is free of litter. In fact....generally the whole of the Laguna beach and the Pasir Panjang beach next door were clean and free of litter. Well done Redang...

Sunrise at the Laguna beach..