Saturday, March 29, 2008

Redang Island (March 20 - March 23 '2008)

WARNING: LONG POST

One week since I am back from Redang.. finally I have time on hand to upload my photos and write about it.. while dar is away to the workshop putting new rims for baby pica...

We took a free and easy package from Five Stars / Gurung Raya.. stayed at Laguna Redang Island Resort - Premier Seaview Room.. at first we just wanted the deluxe seaview room but it is all booked and not available so we went for the Premier Seaview..(thinking that perhaps the seaview is much better than deluxe room since it is more expensive)..

My parents in law drove us to Golden Mile Complex whaere we boarded our bus at 10.30pm... everything was fine until we reached Tuas Checkpoint.. there was a HORRIBLE jam!! surprisingly it wasnt the lorries, neither was the motorcycles & cars.. it was the tour buses... freaking long queue.. toopidz Mas Selemat.. anyway while we waited, me and dar dozed in and out of sleep and finally at ard 12 midnight we finally managed to clear the customs.. after like 1 and 1/2 hour later... sianz..

Anyway we did a stopover at Yong Peng at 2am in the morning.. Dar was hungry so he had mee rebus.. I was half asleep and half awake so I cant swallow any food neither do I dare to drink any water (considering the long journey ahead).. so after a short break it is back to the bus and we slept all the way.. not sure about dar.. ut I slept all the way.. not as in those super slam dunk.. those in and out type.. the bus aircon like dun need money.. my legs were super cold, I caught a flu and I was uncomfortable.. so I couldnt sleep well..

Expecting to reach Merang jetty at around 7am (from my parents previous experiences).. in the end by 10am we were still on the roads.. started to get a bit irritated and not even the nice coastal scenary along the way manage to cheer me up a little.. anyway when we finally got to the jetty at ard 11am, it was straight up the ferry hoping to get to the hotel as soon as possible.. tiring journey man...

On the ferry
Cant believe I still manage to smile

View from the ferry
not very nice la..

And finally we arrive

at REDANG!!!!


One little confession: this photo was only taken on the day we are leaving Redang and coming back to Singapore.. hahaha.. cant help it la.. too tired & hungry to take photos le..

Anyway when we got down, we were ushered to the arrival hall where we have to attend a briefing.. after the briefing the resort arranged for a tram to fetch us to the main reception which was about 10 mins walk away.. we got a welcome drink.. then we went to register for our room.. we got the room number but we cant check in yet.. only after 1pm they said.. so they gave us our meal vouchers and asked us to have our lunch first..

The idea of food sound nice.. even though i have no appetite.. got a spliting headache + flu + cough.. just not feeling very well.. anyway we still need to get some food in the stomach so off to the buffet restaurant we went.. I thought the food will at least be average considering that the resort is quite upper class.. but sad to say it wasnt nice at all..

Anyway we went to check in after a short lunch.. got our room keys and proceeded to our room.. I was quite looking forward to it but haiz perhaps I have too high expectations.. it was another disappointment again.. the only difference between Premier Seaview and Deluxe Seaview was the balcony.. as in we got a longer balcony than others and I thought the view will be much better.. but....

Our Premier Seaview balcony

View from our balcony

NO DIRECT SEAVIEW LO...*felt so cheated.. my view is blocked by tall palm trees / coconut trees and the buffet restaurant!!! Why would I want to pay that much to see the buffet restaurant!!! Yeh I do get a glimpse of the sea through holes here and there but still..!!

Anyway this got me really pissed... and my headache isnt doing me any good either.. so dar went to buy panadol.. I ate one and decided to go to bed in order to get some proper decent sleep... and this time me and dar really concussed... woke up around 5pm.. even though I am not feeling any better.. I decided to go take a walk with dar.. spent so much go there lay in bed a bit wasted ma.. right??



At least there is the clear blue sea, crystal clear waters and white sands...if not I sure vomit blood..

After that we went back to shower, then dinner at the buffet restaurant..(yucky dinner again.. not worth mentioning..). Headache came back.. suspect not enough panadol taken or panadol effect is gone.. dar suggested we go for a drink.. saying that perhaps some beer will do me some good.. so we went to the beachfront bar where there was a live band.. dar had 2 stouts and I had a tequilla sunrise.. then it was back to the room and straight to sleep..anyway we got to wake up early the next day for breakfast in order to go snorkelling at 9am..

First day is gone just like that.. fucking wasted... lousy me..

DAY 2
Woke up at 8am in the morning wanting to go for the 9.30am snorkelling trip.. headache is still there and dar checked my forehead temparture and thinks I am running a fever.. as much as i dun feel like getting out of bed.. i did but in the end we still decided to give the morning snorkelling trip a miss.. I think dar was quite upset even though he nv say..

Had another panadol and then we went for breakfast.. i only had some bread becoz bread will never go wrong!! and true to the fact it didnt ruin my breakfast.. didnt have anything else.. dar tried the nasi lemak and he commented that it wasnt very nice.. thank god I didnt try..

After breakfast, we decided to go swimming in the pool.. so we changed into our swimming costume and went for a dip in the pool and jacuzzi.. soaking there till about 1pm then we went for lunch.. (again not worth mentioning...). After lunch I was feeling much better so we decided to go snorkelling.. already the last snorkelling trip liao for our entire trip..so die die must go le... if not dunno go Redang for what..we went for the 2.30pm trip to Kalong Bay...

It was dar's first snorkelling trip so he was very exited!! But it was all good.. managed to see alot of fishes & beautiful corals (even though I commented to dar that it wasnt as nice as the one in Tioman.. I think my few swimming lessons did me some good as I could now at least swim through the water.. yippess... however i still ended up drinking a good amount of salty seawater.. oh and I got bitten by the fish.. becoz I tried to act clever by holding a piece of bread in my hand underwater to attract the fishes.. and in the midst of the fishes frenzy, one toopidz fish decided to bite me on my hand instead of the bread.. fish cant even see properly.. dotz..

After we got back to the resort, dar and I decided to continue snorkelling at the house reefs in front of our resort.. so off we went.. as it was in shallow waters, I cant really swim properly and I kept hitting onto rocks.. got quite frustrated.. next thing u know I felt a sharp pain on my thighs.. thinking that I might have brush myself against a rock, I stood up to check my wound.. there was small rashes popping up all over my leg... and it was painful!! I panicked and told dar i dun want to continue snorkelling anymore.. so dar and I returned to shore.. dar then suggested that we go to the medical bay to check out what is it.. and when we got there, it was closed... so we went to the dive center to return our snorkelling equipment.. I then decided to try my luck by asking the staff if they know what could have cause my injury since they have been there for so long and would have possibly see all kind of injuries.. the staff upon seeing the rashes immediately went to the first aid box and took out a bottle.. asking us to spray onto the rashes.. dar then asked what was it and he said jellyfish... I am like "wat!! jellyfish!!?? then how..?? what should I do.. could it kill me??....." Meanwhile dar sprayed the medication onto the rashes and asked the staff if everything is going to be okay.. dar asked "huh just like that can liao??" and the staff went (he couldnt speak english that well) "yeh okay okay.. go back relax.. nothing nothing.. "

I was really suspicious man.. but anyway I thought he must have encountered alot of such cases and probably know what to do.. so we went back to the room.. dar said that he saw a similiar spray at the grocery store so he went off to buy it.. After my shower, I sprayed the medication again and indeed the pain is gone and the rashes wasnt that red anymore.. so indeed the medication work...

Me and dar then went out to take photos since it is our last day at Redang.. and of coz must take while there is still sunlight right...


More More Tea Inn - from the movie Summer Holidays






SO BLUE.....

After the photo taking session, we then went for dinner.. finally the chef decided to buck up on his cooking skills and delivered a average meal on my last day at Redang... there was satay, grilled chicken wings and so so fried beehoon (already much better than the fried rice & noodles before)..


Even the moon at night seem more beautiful..


After a walk by the beach, we brought beer at the grocery store and went back to our room.. with the intention of fully ultilising the long balcony that we paid so much for... how toopidz right.. so there we were.. two silly idiots sitting at the balcony (while everyone was at the beach) with absolutely nothing to see.. chatting with one another over beer.. even Avillion fare much better since we had a proper seaview then.. .. anyway we drank and then we slept.. that is pretty much how we ended our last night in Redang.. sad case..

Before we end Day 2, let have a look at what the jellyfish have done to my leg.. absolutely amazing experience I would say.. sick for the first day, bitten by fish, stung by jellyfish.. hahaha..

Jellyfish wound - After medication


Day 3
Woke up damn freaking early at 7am for breakfast since we have to check out by 8.30am..


Sunrise at Redang

Again i stuck to bread for breakfast..quick breakfast then it is back to the room to pack & check out... walked to the jetty, took the ferry, onto the bus and back to Singapore.. nothing much to say about the trip back as nothing much happen.. other than it is a freaking long journey back loh.. hahaha... anyway I was expecting to reach Sin at around 7pm.. counting 9hours from Trengganu.. but haiz.. in the end we only got back at 11.45pm close to midnight.. there wasnt a traffic jam at the checkpoint though.. although there was a long queue of humans at the luggage checkpoint.. But that's expected la.. so no complaints..

Conclusion:
I always wanted to go Redang after watching the movie "Summer Holiday".. but I am not sure if the long journey is really worth it...