Lang Tengah & Bidong
The Pier at Summerbay Resort, Lang Tengah
pulau Lang Tengah: overview
Pulau Lang Tengah is one of the smaller islands in the Terengganu archipelago, sandwiched between the larger and more well known Perhentian Islands and Redang. This relative obscurity (relative being the key word here) is a blessing as the island is a lot quieter than its more well known cousins and as a result is a great destination for a quiet getaway. There are a small number of resorts on the island, Summer Bay, Sari Pacifica and D’Coconut as well as an abandoned resort which you can actually walk through which feels quiet eerie, you’ll need to book your accommodation in advance as those in the know will often book up quite some time ahead. One added attraction of the island is the Lang Tengah Turtle Watch, a voluntary organisation that monitors turtle activity, nesting and hatchlings, which you can visit. Its a great project that also has other outlets in and around the state of Terengganu,
Usually accessed from Merang jetty, the island is around 45 minutes boat ride from the mainland and a five hour car journey from KL making it pretty accessible.
Pulau Bidong: overview
Pulau Bidong is another small island in the Terengganu area, not far away from Redang. It has a pretty interesting recent history as it was a refugee camp from those trying to escape communist rule in Vietnam from 1978 until as recently as 2005. During its time as a refugee camp as many of 250,000 reuses passing through. Due to the cramped conditions on the island and lack of sanitation it earned the nickname of “hell island”. These days the local eco system has recovered from the influx of refugees and it is now home to the marine research station of University Malaysia Terengganu. Thankfully though, the island is open to scuba divers (by prior arrangement) and it offers some of the best diving in the area - a particular highlight is the jetty where sea fans, soft corals and huge schools of sardines congregate to form an underwater photographers paradise.
A Sea Fan at the jetty on Pulau Bidong
Diving at Lang Tengah& Bidong
Diving Spots around Lang Tengah
The diving around Pulau Land Tengah and Bidong is similar to that found at the other islands in Terengganu, turquoise waters, good visibility and nice corals are all attractions here. The added benefit is that as these islands are less well known you won’t be competing with huge crowds of other divers for space and the best photo opportunities. The diving is easy and chilled out without much current to speak of so ideal for beginners and those wanted to practise photography skills.
Summer Bay House Reef (Lang Tengah)
A shallow dive site that is only really worth going to as a check out dive and to see the various coral farms being looked after by the dive centre at Summer Bay
Depth: 14m
Normal Day: Blues Spotted Stingrays, Parrotfish, Pufferfish, Wrasse, Clownfish
Tanjung Telunjuk (Lang Tengah)
Some really nice corals at this dive site, especially towards the end of the dive.
Depth: 21m
Normal Day: Blues Spotted Stingrays, Clownfish, Parrotfish, Pufferfish, Wrasse, White Eyed Moray Eel, Nice Corals.
Karang Nibong (Lang Tengah)
Another nice site with beautiful corals, especially lots of soft corals and anemone.
Depth: 20m
Normal Day: Blues Spotted Stingrays, Parrotfish, Pufferfish, Wrasse, Scorpionfish, Clownfish, Banded Sea Krait, Titan Triggerfish
Summer Wrecks (Lang Tengah)
Three wrecks lie just a couple of minutes boat ride from Lang Tengah - great for looking for macro opportunities
Depth: 18m
Normal Day: Blues Spotted Stingrays, Parrotfish, Pufferfish, Wrasse, Nudibranchs, Shrimp, Yellow Boxfish, Clownfish
Coral Garden (Pulau Bidong)
A beautiful dive site with a huge array of beautiful corals
Depth: 16m
Normal Day: Blues Spotted Stingray, Parrotfish, Pufferfish, Wrasse, Scorpionfish, Clownfish, Moray Eels
Jetty (Pulau Bidong)
The jewel in the crown of diving at Pulau Bidong, a very shallow dive with fantastic wide angle photo opportunities and colourful coral.
Depth: 6m
Normal Day: Beautiful, Colourful Corals
The jetty at Pulau Bidong
Getting There
The easiest way to get to Pulau Lang Tengah & Pulau Bidong is to either drive or fly from Kuala Lumpur. Driving it is around a 5 hour journey with plenty of rest stops to refuel and recharge along highway 8 (Pantai Timur) to Merang where you can catch the speed boat out to the Island. If you are flying the nearest airport is Kuala Terengganu which is around a 45 minute flight and then a 30 minute taxi ride to Merang.
where to stay
Summer Bay and Sari Pacifica Resorts at Pulau Lang Tengah
You can only stay on Pulau Lang Tengah, there are no accommodation options at Pulau Bidong. There are three resorts on Lang Tengah itself, Summer Bay, Sari Pacifica and D’coconut. By far, the best is Summer Bay resort which as good rooms, a pool and several restaurants to choose from.
who to dive with
Summer Bay and Sari Pacifica both have their own dive centres with whom you can dive. The dive centre at Summer Bay is particularly well equipment and has provisions for underwater photographs such as fish water baths for you camera. They can arrange day trips out to Bidong on request.
time to visit
Best time to visit March to October
costs
Mid to high range depending on accommodation - unfortunately as its an island prices can be inflated during peak seasons.