The intrepid explorer may have heard of Pulau Kapas or Pulau Redang, two islands along the Malaysian East Coast that are favourites among dive enthusiasts. But only the lucky few know about Lang Tengah. And those lucky few probably don't want you to know about it either. So if you absolutely must read any further, make sure that you only share the following information with other nature lovers who will respect this island paradise and try to keep it pristine.
Lang Tengah is a tiny island surrounded by a protected coral reef that is situated off the coast of Kuala Terengganu. It houses two resorts - Squarepoint Lang Tengah and Blue Coral Island Resort. (Another 2 has been added since this article was posted, namely D'Coconut Lagoon and Redang Lang Resort)
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From the Kuala Terengganu airport, our group of six easily found our waiting shuttle that whisked us to Merang jetty where a tiny speedboat (courtesy of Blue Coral Island resort) took us to Lang Tengah.
The ride was extremely bumpy and fast. However, it wasn't enough to blow away the powerful fuel fumes. Suffice to say if you suffer motion sickness, don't forget you seasick pills! Sadly, even though the island is supposed to be a protected marine preserve, we observed employees of the resort tossing their soft drink cans off the speedboat into the South China Sea.
When we got to the island we were checked in with relative efficiency and even more charm. (Those staffers that didn't speak much English smiled a lot.) We were given some cold sweet orange liquid purporting to be orange juice, but damn if it wasn't a refreshing welcome. The resort consists of individual chalets and a number of semi detached chalets built along the lines of traditional Malay houses standing on stilts but with all the necessary modern conveniences of air conditioning ,hot and cold showers with a small but adequate bath tub for that nice relaxing Radox dip.
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The resort boasts an outdoor dining area where a buffet breakfast and dinner (which were included in our package) are served. Both buffets offer the typical Asian-Western mish-mash one usually encounters at these affairs: french toast, eggs, omelettes made to order, sausage, fried rice, fried noodles etc. for breakfast. And for dinner, fried chicken, stir-fried beef and a more Malaysian assortment of dishes. The local dishes seemed to taste better. Ala Carte is also available but kitchen closes at 2.30pm so place lunch orders before going out for that long snorkel tour.
There is also a tiny shop where you can purchase useless souvenirs, and the usual overpriced toiletries. There are no phones in the chalets but there is a line at the reception that you can use, although the staff will warn you that it isn't always reliable. There is a small entertainment room with a television and a small collection of books and magazines apparently left behind by previous guests. Judging by these, one gets the impression that either Japanese and German tourists are very forgetful of their printed materials, or that most of the resorts' guests hail from these two nations. The latter seemed to be true of the guests we encountered during our five days there, although they were interspersed with the odd Malaysian and Australian. And NO we don't think Malaysians are odd.
JUST Australians.
JUST kidding.
Accommodation and Holiday Packages to Lang Tengah
|Blue Coral Island Resort | D'Coconut Lagoon Resort | Redang Lang Resort | Lang Sari Resort |
Island Activity 
Getting There and Away