By A couple of weeks ago, the hubby and I traveled to a little island off the Eastern Coast of Peninsula Malaysia. The island is called Redang, and it truly is a hidden Malaysian gem. Crystal clear waters, secluded beaches, marine life, jungles…what’s not to love? We spent three nights in this paradise, and literally did nothing but lounge at the beach, snorkel and enjoy our time together.
We chose to stay at the Taaras Resort & Spa, because it is suppose to be the nicest resort on the island, and their beach is private. We also know multiple friends from KL who had stayed there. We heard mixed reviews, but decided we would give it a try. We took a 45 minute flight from KL to Kuala Terrenganu, got picked up by the resort in a van, took a 30 minute ride to the boat dock and jumped on a boat. From the boat, it was a 45 minute ride to Redang, where another van was waiting. From that van it was a 10 minute ride to the resort…WHEW! The location was beautiful, but I always keep it real on this blog, and I have to say we were disappointed in the resort itself. Service was horrendous (even by Malaysian standards) and the food was incredibly mediocre, bordering on downright awful. Both very important aspects when you are traveling, but not trip-ruiners, at least not for just a couple days. What made up for the lack of service and food was the beach. It was STUNNING! Photos cannot even do it justice. It was like being in a swimming pool that was the ocean. The water was so clear, so clean and the perfect temperature. So that is where we decided to spend our time: on the beach!
We had a great time relaxing, catching up on some reading, wading in the water and enjoying the sun. We even snorkeled out to a coral reef where we saw sea turtles and all sorts of fish. We were on the beach for two days straight, and I am not exaggerating when I say we stayed ALL DAY. It was fantastic!
I will say that our room at the Taaras was very nice and spacious. We actually got upgraded, so that was a plus, and we had a partial ocean view. We also had a massive soaking tub that was perfect after a long day at the beach. This resort has SO much potential, which left us so frustrated, because it could be amazing, but it just isn’t. The hotel claims to be 5-star, but the only thing 5-star about it is the beach.
One afternoon, we made it over to the spa to have massages. This also made up for some of what the resort lacked. The ladies at the spa were so nice and the massages were excellent. We also spotted some wildlife on our way back to the beach: monkeys and HUGE Monitor lizard!
All in all, despite a few disappointments, we had a wonderful, relaxing weekend. Redang truly is paradise, and I would encourage my fellow ex-pats and friends to check it out. The beach made our trip, but I would recommend staying no more than 3 nights. A nice long weekend away is all you need, and you will come back feeling refreshed and relaxed (albeit slightly frustrated about the resort). You never know what you are going to get in Southeast Asia until you try it out for yourself, and I am happy we gave Redang a try.
Happy Travels,
Courtney
OFF THE BEATEN 'EX-PAT'H 