Pulau Lang Tengah Resort is also called Redang Lang Resort and is quietly nestled between Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian in Terengganu, Malaysia.
However, you should also know that there are only limited resorts there if you plan to go, so please book very carefully.
On my trip there, I stayed at the Redang Lang Resort, which did not turn out how it should have looked. By the way, Pulau is Island in Malay.
Getting to Pulau Lang Tengah, you need to travel to Tanjung Merang, which is about 22km from Kuala Terengganu town.
There, the boat operators will direct you to your boat, and it will take about 45 minutes to an hour to reach Lang Tengah island, depending on the boat.
However, you should also know that there are only limited resorts there if you plan to go, so please book very carefully.
On my trip there, I stayed at the Redang Lang Resort, which did not turn out how it should have looked. By the way, Pulau is Island in Malay.
Getting to Pulau Lang Tengah, you need to travel to Tanjung Merang, which is about 22km from Kuala Terengganu town.
There, the boat operators will direct you to your boat, and it will take about 45 minutes to an hour to reach Lang Tengah island, depending on the boat.
Pulau Lang Tengah Resort Review
The old wooden jetty on the island.The Redang Lang Resort was in sight after a 45-minute speed boat ferry journey, and on arrival, there was a small jetty to welcome us, or you could simply jump into the water and wade in.
Herded to the reception area, where the Redang Lang Resort manager will welcome you and give everyone a do's and dont's for the Island.
It immediately reminded me of my school days where you go on an excursion and meet the camp leader.
However, the two of us who were joined by other holidaymakers on this trip did not know what to expect.
The tour operator Ping Anchorage in Kuala Terengganu never did mention anything about the military-style resort we were booking.
This, I must say, is pretty lame for them to just sell the package for the sake of selling and not knowing what the client wants.
If they spent a little more time with clients' needs, it would put them a notch higher in the service industry.
We are a city couple looking for a nice get-away to an island resort, and they recommend this resort. Thank goodness it was only a one night stay as I moved on to Perhentian Island and Redang Island next.
Lang Tengah Island - Postcard-perfect views.
I have to admit that parts of the beach at Pulau Lang Tengah Island are stunning, as you can see in some of the pictures here.
The waters were also very nice with a lovely turquoise emerald colour. And the skies were super blue during my visit here.
The waters were also very nice with a lovely turquoise emerald colour. And the skies were super blue during my visit here.
Deck chairs out on the beach.
Redang Lang Resort Dormitory rooms.Here is the fun part about Redang Lang Resort. If you choose the cheaper package, they put you in the dormitory-style rooms. I thought this was a resort?
The rooms are really badly taken care of, so don't even dream of having a resort-style living when you stay here. I guess from this you will know why big named resorts cost so much.
Redang Lang Resort Basic chalets.Anyhow, the chalets were no better. This is a good example of a cheaply run resort. Mind you, it was not cheap to book this package.
But overall living conditions were one of the worst ever. I think staying in a Seri Malaysia Hotel would be much more comfortable.
No kidding. So the catch here is, after that long journey here and you see the rooms, you will just go 'what the hell', let's just stay'.
Remember, there are only two resorts on this side of the island, and I hope that they (operators) will eventually see the possibility of attracting world-class tourist instead of the local budget holidaymakers.
The military styled dining area.Having your breakfast, lunch, and dinner is also military-style at Redang Lang Resort. It is buffet style, and they have fixed times for your meals.
There is no ala-carte dining, so deal with it! If you are hungry in between, they have biscuits and coffee or tea.
So lunch is at 1.00 pm at the Redang Lang Resorts dining hall. I took some time to get ready, and by the time I reached the lunch hall, it was about 1.10 pm.
Looking at the buffet spread, there was practically nothing left but rice. Knowing Malaysians, everything was gone in the first 3 minutes.
So, I asked a worker there, 'is more food coming out to replenish the finished dishes?', he just told me 'sorry, you have to come sharp at 1.00 pm. I will see if there is any extra. There are biscuits over there if you like'.
I looked at Lilian with this blank look, and we were literally shocked. Eventually, they brought out 2 basic dishes, like some stir-fried vegetables and some fried eggs. Seriously, the food there is awful.
Looking at the buffet spread, there was practically nothing left but rice. Knowing Malaysians, everything was gone in the first 3 minutes.
So, I asked a worker there, 'is more food coming out to replenish the finished dishes?', he just told me 'sorry, you have to come sharp at 1.00 pm. I will see if there is any extra. There are biscuits over there if you like'.
I looked at Lilian with this blank look, and we were literally shocked. Eventually, they brought out 2 basic dishes, like some stir-fried vegetables and some fried eggs. Seriously, the food there is awful.
At least something made me smile when I was at Redang Lang Resort.
Thank god for the lovely flora there, or I would have gone mad with the overall service and attitude of the Redang Lang Resort.
Here is the scenario of guests there. First, you get the local families on a budget with their screaming kids. Next, you have school groups of different ages.
Then you have the groups of teenagers out on their first group holiday, and finally, you have the unsuspecting tourist who has not been told of what to expect.
So remember, always ask about your resort before blindly booking like I did.
Here is the scenario of guests there. First, you get the local families on a budget with their screaming kids. Next, you have school groups of different ages.
Then you have the groups of teenagers out on their first group holiday, and finally, you have the unsuspecting tourist who has not been told of what to expect.
So remember, always ask about your resort before blindly booking like I did.
Deck chairs on the beach.Scuba Diving at Lang Tengah
Judging from the dive centre, it would be normal for seasonal divers to check in here. The Redang Lang Resort has a dive shop there catering to all kinds of divers.
I had not learned to dive before my Lang Tengah trip, so I never had the chance to explore the underwater world here. (Update 2015, I have been diving in the last 4 years)
But on checking the dive shop, I was told that there are about 10-12 dive sites around Lang Tengah Island.
Also, from the local divemasters' experience, there have been sightings of Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, Leopard Sharks and Turtles in the waters around Lang Tengah Island, so this would be one of the nice dive spots of Terengganu.
Lang Tengah Island Beach volleyballEnd of the day, Lang Tengah Island is a really nice place. To experience it, I would recommend you try the D’Coconut Lagoon Resort, which is nearby.
I believe it would be a tad nicer than Redang Lang Resort unless they seriously improve on everything.
However, if you think that resorts like these are the bomb, I will not argue with you. This is just my personal taste and opinion.
Conclusion
I think beautiful islands like there should have better and proper resorts. Not the ones who go for the volume and forget the quality of resort living. This was experienced by me in early 2008, for the record.
Pulau Lang Tengah is pretty much promoted during the Matta Fair (Malaysia's largest travel fair, twice a year), so if you have plans to dive or snorkel or just want to try another Malaysian island holiday, I suggest you try booking a Lang Tengah Package from the next travel fair in Malaysia.