[Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia 2020] Lang Tengah Island: 3 Days 2 Nights Summer Bay Resort
By Elin Chow - Thursday, August 27, 2020
Last month, we decided to go for a beach getaway to Lang Tengah island. Lang Tengah is a lesser known paradise located 40 km northeast of Kuala Terengganu, on the east coast of Pennisular Malaysia. Dubbed the Maldives of Malaysia, the island is located somewhere between two of Malaysia's famous beach destinations - Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian.
Often overlooked by tourists visiting the east coast, the island can be accessed by a 40 minutes boat ride from Merang Waterfront Jetty (not Marang). Being less famous means that it is quieter than neighboring Redang and Perhentian islands since there are fewer tourists visiting the island, which is just perfect for those who are looking for a quiet tropical island getaway.
Accommodation
There are three resorts on the island: Summer Bay Resort, Sari Pacifica and D'Coconut Lagoon. None of the resorts are five stars but you can easily wander around them all. We have chosen to book the 3D2N Holiday Package with Summer Bay Resort, which includes 2 way boat transfer from Merang Jetty to Lang Tengah, 2 nights stay, all meals, welcome drinks on arrival and complimentary activities like 1 deep sea snorkeling trip, jungle trekking and "Blue Tears" tour.
Among the three resorts, Summer Bay Resort is the most popular but also the most expensive resort on the island. But I would highly recommend anyone to book your vacation with Summer Bay Resort due to the great experience we had.
Getting There
Reservation is made via email as I was unable to book through their website. I received very prompt replies from the resort confirming my booking. One day before our arrival, I also received a WhatsApp message from a staff informing me about the check in location information and boat departure time.
The boat to Lang Tengah will depart from Merang Waterfront Jetty. We were informed to drop off our luggage at the Summer Bay Resort counter (located behind Sari Pacifica counter) at the jetty and park our car at an open parking site that is located about 1.6 km away from the jetty. After parking our car, there will be a pick up van who will send us back to the check in jetty.
The cost of parking is RM 10 per night. I would really recommend you to park your car at this parking site because the boat from Lang Tengah will arrive at the jetty here. It will be a problem for you to get to your car when you come back from the island if you parked your car somewhere else.
The resort took care of everything from the moment we dropped off our luggage at their counter. There will be staffs to assist you to check in and tag your bags. All hygiene and sanitation SOPs are in place, which includes regular temperature checks and enhanced and thorough sanitation of all luggage and guests with silver disinfection spray. All land and boat transportation will also be disinfected before and after each use.
The resort has their own speedboat service. I would really recommend you to book their package that includes a 2 way boat transfer. Without it, the boat ride is pretty pricey which will cost RM 100 per way per pax.
You are advised to arrive at least half an hour before the scheduled departure time. As there is only one boat transfer everyday which is at 11.30 am from Merang Waterfront Jetty and 10 am from the island, please make sure you plan your time well. You will have to charter your own boat if you missed their daily scheduled boat.
The resort has their own speedboat service. I would really recommend you to book their package that includes a 2 way boat transfer. Without it, the boat ride is pretty pricey which will cost RM 100 per way per pax.
You are advised to arrive at least half an hour before the scheduled departure time. As there is only one boat transfer everyday which is at 11.30 am from Merang Waterfront Jetty and 10 am from the island, please make sure you plan your time well. You will have to charter your own boat if you missed their daily scheduled boat.
After the luggage are tagged and sanitized, the staffs will carry and load them in the boat. We simply do not have to worry about our luggage as the resort will transport and deliver all of them straight to our room.
There are plenty of benches at the jetty for you to sit and wait for the scheduled departure time. We were there early and encountered the groups from Sari Pacifica Resort. The boarding process was a little chaotic and there was no SOPs on sanitation. Unlike Summer Bay, guests would have to carry their own luggage onboard and drag them around until check in.
Once all the luggage are loaded, we proceeded to board the boat. Once onboard, we were asked to put on our life jackets before the boat set off.
The boat ride took about 40 minutes. We were glad that it was a calm day and the sea was not choppy. It was a comfortable ride.
The moment we pulled in to Summer Bay Resort, Lang Tengah Island Jetty, we knew that we have arrived in a paradise on earth. The crystal clear water, tall swaying palm trees, pure white sands and gorgeous corals teeming with colorful marine life left us speechless.
Everywhere we look, it was picture perfect. It was exactly like what we have seen in all advertising videos, photos and social media posts. We were in awe of the tropical beauty we were seeing.
For those who are planning to visit Lang Tengah, please note that the island is not a year-round destination. The island will be closed during the Northeast Monsoon season from November to January due to heavy rains and strong waves. Visibility will be poor underwater with currents that will make diving and snorkeling unsafe. Thus, the best time to visit the island is from March to October. I would also recommend visiting during non-school holidays periods for a quieter getaway.
We visited the island around early August and had beautiful weather. Although it was really hot and humid in the afternoon, it was pretty cooling in the morning and rained quite heavily at night.
After alighted from the boat, we have to walk through a sanitation box before being ushered to a reception area. Along our way in, we were greeted by friendly staffs who welcomed our arrival with smiles. Welcome drinks are served before a staff gave us a short briefing about the island, the resort, activities and meal times.
We were told that mosquitoes can be a nuisance on the island, so we were reminded to use insect repellent at all times to prevent bites. We were also advised to use coral reef-safe sunscreen that are safe for the ocean if you are intending to head into the waters.
It was only noon and we were informed that our room was already ready for check in. The check in process was fast and hassle-free. We received the key to our room and a pamphlet containing information about the various attractions and activities available on the island.
Room
Standing at three storey tall, the resort features 89 modern rooms with an ability to accommodate 277 guests. There are 8 types of rooms available, as well as a variety of packages to suit different budgets and needs. All the rooms at the resort are air-conditioned and comes with a private balcony that overlooks either the garden or pool.
Garden View Room
Standing at three storey tall, the resort features 89 modern rooms with an ability to accommodate 277 guests. There are 8 types of rooms available, as well as a variety of packages to suit different budgets and needs. All the rooms at the resort are air-conditioned and comes with a private balcony that overlooks either the garden or pool.
Garden View Room
We stayed at the Garden View room, which is the cheapest type of room available at the resort. The Garden View room is tucked right behind the swimming pool, farthest from front entrance.
Fitted with wooden flooring, the room is decently sized at 20 square metres. Warmly decorated, the room was clean and well-maintained. It comes with a large comfortable king-size bed, a large wardrobe, a dressing table and an attached bathroom.
Or you can also enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of juice and some cakes at the Seaview Cafe.
At the far right end of the beach, about 5 minutes walk away from the resort, you will find a jetty bridge. This is where the mysterious bio-luminescent (more commonly known as Blue Tears) phenomenon occurs every night. Every evening after dinner, you can join the Blue Sand tour organized by the resort whereby a staff will bring you to the bridge and see the Blue Tears.
Fitted with wooden flooring, the room is decently sized at 20 square metres. Warmly decorated, the room was clean and well-maintained. It comes with a large comfortable king-size bed, a large wardrobe, a dressing table and an attached bathroom.
Furniture are kept to a minimum to allow maximum use of space. The room comes with a flat screen LCD TV with limited channels. However, the TV cannot be watched at all because the reception is very poor on the island. Complimentary WiFi is available but connection can be a little slow and unstable sometimes. Fortunately, I can still use my Maxis mobile data as it worked pretty well. Other in room amenities also include a mini fridge, a mini safe and hairdryer.
The room opens out to a balcony that overlooks the garden. There are ropes on the balcony where you can dry your wet clothes.
There are no coffee and tea making facilities in the room, but it does not matter much to me. I love that there is a huge water dispenser in the room. It really helps us to save some money from buying water and most importantly, it is more environmentally friendly. So remember to bring your own water bottle and refill them in your room.
The bathroom is a little small and comes with hot and cold shower. Basic toiletries like body wash, hair shampoo, disposable toothbrush and toothpaste are provided.
Dining
All meals are served buffet-style at De Lang Restaurant, which is the main restaurant at the resort. They offer a variety of dishes, usually with drinks, fruits and desserts. The quality of food is not exceptionally good, but enough to keep you full. We feel that the food options that they offered for lunch were always delicious. But dinner were not as good. Breakfast were average as they tend to be repetitive with limited choices.
Day 1: Lunch
Day 1: Dinner
Day 2: Breakfast
Day 2: Lunch
Day 2: Dinner
We were excited when we saw that steamboat was served for dinner. But it was disappointing because the ingredients were not fresh, especially the fish and meat.
Mamak
In case you get hungry at any time of the day, the resort has a Mamak restaurant located at the entrance where it sells a variety of local food and drinks. Prices are not cheap but it is a good place to eat.
The tables and chairs are placed on a large veranda overlooking the beach and the sea.
We enjoyed spending our afternoon here drinking fresh coconut water while enjoying the view of the sea.
Seaview Cafe
Sunset Bar
Nightlife is inexistant on the nightlife. The Sunset Bar is probably the best hangout place for nightlife lovers. The bar serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. You can watch the sunset while enjoying a drink here. There will be a live band performing daily at the bar too.
Mini Mart
There is also a mini mart at the resort where you can shop for some souvenirs, snacks, drinks, beach wear, swimming gadgets and personal care products.
Swimming Pool
The resort features an outdoor Olympic length pool for adults. There is a pool for children too. Please note that there is no lifeguard on duty, so you should not leave your kids in the water without adult supervision.
Other than humans, the resort is also frequently visited by a variety of wild animals. Small monitor lizards are commonly sighted around the resort's grounds. But they are not dangerous as they are naturally shy and will generally stay away from humans.
There are squirrels as well, who often visit the resort's restaurant to steal some food. The island is also a great place for bird watching too!
Snorkeling Centre
The resort has a Snorkeling Centre where you can rent some snorkeling equipment or book a snorkeling trip. Some of the popular activities that you can book here include "Snorkeling with Turtles" and "Night Snorkeling".
Diving Centre
Located beside the Snorkeling Centre, you will find the Diving Center complete with snorkeling diving equipment and professional trainers. A wide range of diving package is offered to suit different diving needs.
The Beach
Summer Bay has the widest and cleanest beachfront among the three resorts. The beach is set against a backdrop of lush green hills and dotted with plenty of lounge chairs, swaying hammocks and a swing.
Surrounded by lush forests and hills, the air is amazingly fresh on the island. The uninhibited island remains mostly untouched due to the limitations of its small size, providing a peaceful and serene atmosphere. There are no roads on the island, so there are no air or noise pollution from vehicles. You have to explore the island by foot through the jungle paths or the beach to get from one resort to another or take a boat around the island. But I do not recommend using a boat to get around because it is a small island and it is fairly easy to get from one place to another by foot.
Even though the beach at Lang Tengah is smaller than the popular Redang island nearby, it is more peaceful as it is less crowded and less developed. Just a perfect place for you to relax, unwind and cast all your worries away.
There are nothing much to do on this island except swimming, snorkeling, diving, lazing on the beach or strolling down the beach or through the jungle while taking lots of photos. We really enjoy taking photos because every corner of the island is beautiful and instagrammable.
Bright sun, white sand, blue skies, tall swaying palms and turquoise water makes the perfect backdrop for your photos.
The waters around the island are clear with turquoise hues. Beautiful hues aside, the calm, warm and shallow waters provide great snorkeling, especially for beginners. There are probably over 100 species of fish with corals in the water. You can just grab your snorkeling equipment and snorkel straight off the beach. However, there are a lot of sharp rocks and dead corals near the shore. We could not snorkel because we did not have water shoes and were worried that we might injure our feet. So, if you are planning to snorkel straight from the beach, please remember to bring along your water shoes or fins.
There is a deep sea snorkeling trip that was included in our package. But we did not go because we have chosen to join the "Snorkeling with Turtles" activity. We thought we could snorkel near the shore to see the corals and fish, but we did not expect it to be so rocky.
The "Snorkeling with Turtles" activity is not free. It costs RM 100 per person and we actually have to give up on the jungle trekking trip due to overlapping schedule. But it was so worth it because that was such an unique experience! We also paid for a photography service that costs RM 80 per person.
We were brought to Turtle Point, which is situated just right in front of the upscale The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort operated by the Berjaya Group. There are no fishes or corals in this area. You will find only sea turtles here. And they actually guaranteed us that we will see one. If not, they will not charge us a single cent.
Our guide has packed and brought some squids for this trip. Upon arriving, he threw some of the squids right into the water. Within seconds, you will spot turtles swimming across the water near the surface. We could not wait to be in the water.
There are about six to eight resident turtles that regularly visit this area. They are used to people feeding them and are comfortable with the presence of humans.
While in the water, the guide will continue to feed the turtles and try to attract them to us for photography. Getting a nice shot with a turtle is really not easy. We have to take tons of photos in order to get a few nice ones.
When we were swimming with the turtles, we were reminded not to touch, ride or chase the them. Our touch might be hurt them and cause them to become aggressive. We were also told that the turtles do bite too (our guide was bitten on his finger and bled). Thus, we have to constantly look out as they might mistaken your fingers or toes for food. But otherwise, the turtles will not attack you for no good reason. But don't let that scare you away. Even though, the turtle's bite can be painful, it is not life threatening. Just try to stay alert when you are in the water.
It was a nice experience and we had fun. But I feel that there are way too many boats at a time, which can be dangerous for the turtles.
The Blue Tear tour is usually included in your room booking or package, but will be subjected to weather conditions. Of course, you can also visit this bridge on your own after dark if you do not feel like joining the tour. But we prefer to go to the bridge in a large group because the beach is very dark at night and can be a little scary to walk by ourselves.
Once at the bridge, we were asked to turn off all our torch, phone light or any other lights in order to see the glowing plankton, which will sparkle and dance across the ocean's surface. But it was disappointing because their amount was too little, so they were not as spectacular as what we have expected. It is a pity that I could not capture this phenomenon on my camera.
Other than the Blue Tears, you will find a lot of small fishes swimming synchronously under the bridge. It was such an impressive sight!
Among the fishes, baby sharks can be seen cruising very close to the shore in the shallow waters. The sharks can be seen nearly every day due to less crowds. You can actually snorkel out to see and swim with them. Don't worry. We were told that the sharks are generally harmless and pose little to no threats to humans. I believe the resort would have sealed the area or warned us about it if they are dangerous.
After 3 days 2 nights, we had to say goodbye to that beautiful island. It was hard but I am glad that we had our photos to remember this wonderful trip. Lang Tengah is mesmerizing. A hidden gem where one can escape and relax. We had an especially great time staying at Summer Bay Resort. The staffs are really friendly and helpful. They always make us felt so welcome!
Due to the lack of accommodation, the island has not been affected mass tourism. But I would really advise you to make a reservation in advance because the resorts are almost fully booked all year round.
I recommend visiting the island for at least 4 days 3 nights because I find 3 days 2 nights is a little too short to enjoy what the island has got to offer.
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