Getting to Redang Island (locally and commonly known as Pulau Redang) doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Actually, it’s quite straightforward. In most circumstances, tourists wanting to visit Pulau Redang book a flight into Kuala Terengganu (try Momondo and/or BookingBuddy) and then take the ferry from the city center to the island. If you are flying into Kuala Terengganu after the ferries stop running you can easily find a room near the ferry pier here. Since I have recently completed this trip from Kuala Terengganu to Pulau Redang, I felt it was necessary to provide our readers with the most up to date information regarding this popular transport connection. Pulau Redang (Redang Island) is beautiful and relaxing, therefore the last thing you want is to be stressed-out before you even reach it.
So here it is, a step-by-step guide how to get from Kuala Terengganu to Pulau Redang (Redang Island):
1. Make arrangements to reach Kuala Terengganu. This is the most practical and economical jump-off point for accessing ferries to Pulau Redang. I have booked flights into Kuala Terengganu’s airport on multiple occasions. Once you land, you can easily get a taxi to bring you to your hotel/guesthouse downtown or straight to the Shahbandar Jetty for about 30 RM. They won’t use a meter in the cab, but you will receive a set price before the trip starts with an issued ticket.
2. If you have to stay a night in Kuala Terengganu before you can get on the ferry to Pulau Redang, then try to book a room near China Town, Central Market, or Kuala Terenganu’s central bus station. During all my trips to Pulau Redang I have stayed near the central bus station and it literally took me 5 minutes to walk to Shahbandar Jetty. China Town is also only 5 minutes away from the jetty.
3. Proceed to Shahbandar Jetty to book your ferry tickets for your trip from Kuala Terengganu to Pulau Redang. During my recent experience, the one-way ferry tickets from Kuala Terengganu to Redang where 55 RM. If you want to pay upfront for the round trip then it will cost 110 RM. In my case, I pre-booked my tickets a day in advance at the Shahbandar Jetty to avoid disappointment.   The woman working in the office at the jetty informed me that on Thursday’s and Friday’s the ferries can fill up during high season if it’s a busy weekend.
4. Once you have purchased your ferry ticket from Kuala Terengganu to Redang Island then arrive at Shahbandar Jetty 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
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During my experience, the ferry ride from Kuala Terengganu to Redang took around 1 hour and 40 minutes. Of course, expect this to vary based on the weather conditions on the day of your trip. The water was calm during my trip, therefore, if it’s choppy, 2 hours would be a more practical estimate of the amount of time it should take.
Since I arranged my own transport to and accommodation on Pulau Redang I purchased my ferry ticket for the public ferry. If you have booked a packaged trip with a specific resort then be sure to see if your resort’s private ferry departs from Shahbandar Jetty in Kuala Terengganu or Merang Jetty which is located north of Kuala Terengganu. Of course, expect a private boat to take more or less time for the trip from Kuala Terengganu to Redang Island than the public ferry.
5. Once you arrive at the first stop on Pula Redang (Kampung Baru Jetty) with the public ferry then you should get off if your resort is located near Kampung Baru. A few of these resorts include the highly recommended Taaras Beach and Spa Resort and also Redang Island Resort and Redang De Rimba Resort.
6. Many tourists visiting Pulau Redang tend to stay on Long Beach (Laguna Redang Island Resort). During my trip, the tourists staying on Long Beach switched ferries and then got transported to Long Beach from Kampung Baru Jetty. This should take about 20 minutes.
7. Once you grab all your luggage from the ferry then either walk to your resort or wait for your resort staff to fetch you. When I got off the ferry I waited for my resort driver to pick me up from Kampung Baru Jetty. The resort charged me 10 RM for this pick-up, but keep in mind that this might be already paid for if you booked an all-inclusive trip.
Accommodation InformationÂ
Where did I stay during this trip?
Like I mentioned before, I opted to book my own accommodation online before I went to Redang. I don’t like packaged vacations, and it turned out to be a good decision for me for this specific trip. Here is a summary of where I stayed while in Kuala Terengganu and Pulau Redang:
While in Kuala Terengganu
My main priority in Kuala Terengganu was staying close to the central bus station and Shahbandar Jetty. Eventually I decided to stay at DJ Citi Point Hotel. I don’t have a direct affiliation with this property, therefore my opinion is an unbiased one. Overall, it turned out to be a super convenient, solid-budget place to stay. Nothing fancy, but only 200 meters from the bus station and a 5 minute walk to Shahbandar Jetty. At the time of writing, it had a score of 7.3/10 based on 866 verified guest reviews. I would stay there again, but if you are looking for something a bit more upscale near the Jetty then you might want to consider the Grand Continental Hotel Kuala Terengganu or the Grand Puteri Hotel instead.
While on Pulau Redang
When I was booking my room online for Redang Island I didn’t want to spend a fortune and I didn’t need to be directly on the beach either. One of the cheapest resorts that I could find (which I eventually stayed at) was Redang De Rimba Resort. Again, this resort was not particularly fancy but it suited my preferences. It’s got a nice local feel to the place due to its close proximity to Kampung Baru – the local town on the island. It was also 15 minutes away from one of the nicest undeveloped beaches I have seen in all of Malaysia. At the time of writing, it had a score of 6.6/10 based on 31 verified guest reviews. I consider this score to be a bit harsh. The staff were very friendly and helpful and our room was clean.
If you have the budget, based on my experience visiting Redang and spending hours looking over guest reviews the two top resorts on the island are:
The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort (rated 8.3/10 based on 580 verified guest reviews at the time of writing). This property is very close to Redang De Rimba Resort where I stayed.
Laguna Redang Island Resort (perfectly located on Long Beach). This property consistently gets reviewed above 8/10 according to guests who have stayed there.
How to find the cheapest rooms in Kuala Terengganu and on Pulau Redang?
I have visited most of Malaysia’s tourist islands. Whether I am booking a room in a coastal city before I board the ferry the following day or on the island I plan to visit, I typically use these sites: www.agoda.com, and www.booking.com.
For this particular trip I used www.agoda.com, because it’s the largest room provider in Southeast Asia and therefore it comes in handy for bookings on small islands such as Redang. Many of our readers also choose to use www.booking.com exclusively. This site is renowned worldwide for its cancellation policies and top-notch customer service. I have created links to their respective property lists for Kuala Terengganu as well as Pulau Redang to save you some time:
In Kuala Terengganu
Rooms in Kuala Terengganu – www.agoda.com
Rooms in Kuala Terengganu – www.booking.com
On Pulau Redang
Rooms on Pulau Redang – www.agoda.com
Rooms on Pulau Redang – www.booking.com
Flight Information
Getting to Pulau Redang (Redang Island)
What airport should you fly to if you want to visit Pulau Redang?
The most popular airport to fly into for most tourists visiting Pulau Redang is Sultan Mahmud Airport (Kuala Terengganu Aiport). Berjaya Air offers flights directly to Redang Island from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, but these tend to be quite pricey. If your budget can allow for it, it’s a convenient option to have. You can compare flight prices to Kuala Terengganu and Redang Island using these two sites: Momondo and BookingBuddy.
How long does it take to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu?
I have completed this flight about 5-6 times. Â It’s never taken over 45 minutes in the air for this flight. Â I actually once made this trip in under 30 minutes in clear weather with an Air Asia flight.
What website did we use to book our flights to Kuala Terengganu?
We used two different price comparison sites called Momondo and BookingBuddy for our trips to Redang Island. Since these are price comparison sites, we used them to compare flight prices from different websites at the same time to ensure we found the cheapest airline. Here are links to their pages if you want to save some time and cash for your trip:
COMPARE FLIGHT PRICES TO REDANG – Momondo
COMPARE FLIGHT PRICES TO REDANG – BookingBuddy
What airlines service flights to Kuala Terengganu?
At the time of writing most Malaysian-based airlines fly to Kuala Terengganu from Kuala Lumpur. Â This includes: Air Asia, Malaysian Airlines, Firefly and Malindo Air. Â You can also check to see if Berjaya Air is still using their smaller planes to fly directly to Redang Island.
How long does it take to get from Kuala Terengganu Airport to the ferry pier?
During our multiple trips to KT, it should take you no more than 45 minutes unless traffic is uncharacteristically poor.
i love how methodical you explain the journey. thanks