Pasir Panjang
Long sand and turquoise water.
Mukherjeesaikat — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Azreey — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Singaporean — Public domain · MDChaara — CC BY-SA 3.0
One of the largest and loveliest islands off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, about twenty-four square kilometres in area, its highest peak rising 359 metres, and one of nine islands in the protected Redang Marine Park, with clear turquoise water and beaches of soft white sand. Its best-known beach is Pasir Panjang, the long sand, lined with resorts and looking out on small rocky islets. Visitors come to snorkel among colourful corals and shoals of fish, to dive, and to laze on the sand, and in the nesting season they may come across sea turtles. The marine park conservation fee is thirty ringgit for foreign adults. Most visits are packages covering accommodation, boat, meals and snorkelling trips, and the season runs from March to October, as most resorts close during the monsoon from November to February. Boats from Merang jetty take about an hour, and longer from Kuala Terengganu; allow at least two nights on the island.
Long sand and turquoise water.
Snorkelling among shoals of fish.
Visitors to the beaches in nesting season.
Off the Terengganu coast, about 50 km north-east of Kuala Terengganu, by boat from Merang or the city
It is possible on day snorkelling trips run by some operators from Merang, but most visitors stay two or three nights on all-in packages, which is easier given the long boat ride.