Exploring Malaysia 
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Beaches
As you drive along the coast from Kuala Besut in the north to Kemaman in the south you will be amazed by Terengganu’s lovely sandy beaches and refreshing sea breeze.
Rantau Abang
Rantau Abang located about 60 km south of Kuala Terengganu is one of only six special beach terrains in the world where the giant leatherback turtles come ashore to lay eggs. Female turtles usually arrive around midnight and each will dig a deep hole in the sand to lay its eggs. This lasts till about dawn when turtle then covers the hole and makes it way back to sea. The period to watch this phenomenon is between May and September. Many wait the whole night to catch a glimpse of these prehistoric creatures and some chalet operators even offer wake-up calls when turtles come ashore. Torchlights and cameras are prohibited and visitors are not allowed to make too much noise as the turtles scare easily.
Tanjung Jara
Tanjung Jara is another popular spot for beach lovers. Located about 60 km from Kuala Terengganu and just eight kilometres from Rantau Abang, this idyllic beach offers swimming, boating, wind surfing or simply invites you to sit back under the shade of the trees and enjoy the sea breeze.
Other beaches that are equally fascinating in Terengganu are Pantai Air Tawar, Teluk Dalam, Pantai Batu Buruk and Chendering.
Islands and Marine Parks
Exotic and amazing islands like Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Kapas are the precious emerald gems of Terengganu. Other small wonders are Pulau Tenggol, Pulau Bedong and Pulau Gemia. They are rich in magnificent marine life, corals of rainbow hues and aquamarine seawater. Many of these islands are also gazetted as marine parks. Include these precious tropical islands in your itinerary for a memorable holiday.
Pulau Redang Marine Park
Off the Terengganu coastline on the northeastern coast is the Redang Archipelago. It is made up of nine islands namely Pulau Redang (the largest), Pulau Pinang, Pulau Lima, Pulau Ekor Tebu, Pulau Lang Tengah, Pulau Perhentian Besar, Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Pulau Susu Dara and Pulau Kapas. Gazetted as a marine park the brilliant underwater world here is one of the best in Malaysia.
Pulau Redang, one of Malaysia’s most idyllic islands, offers pearly-white sandy beaches, sparkling clear seawater, lovely sunsets and a spectacular marine life. Its marvellous marine fish varieties, turtles and huge range of coral reefs make it a wonderful diving spot and its coral species are said to be among the best in the world. The five famous dive sites in Redang are Tanjung Lang, Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Gua Kawah, Pasir Panjang and Batu Mak Cantek. Two historic shipwrecks, the H.M.S. Prince of Wales and H.M.S. Repulse discovered around the waters off Pulau Redang are now prime sites to be explored by divers.
Apart from diving, beach lovers can also enjoy other activities like swimming, snorkelling, fishing, boating or sunbathing. For longer visits there are various resorts on the island for varied budgets.
Pulau Perhentian
Pulau Perhentian is situated about 21 km off the coast of Terengganu and comprises two islands - Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil. Surrounded by tropical rainforest, golden sandy beaches, tall swaying palm trees and crystal blue waters, it is an ideal destination for swimming, wind surfing, sailing, boating and canoeing. It also boasts wonderful underwater treasures.
Coral Bay on Pulau Perhentian Kecil offers marvellous views of the sunset. It is also a perfect paradise for nature lovers with paths available for exploration of the virgin tropical jungle. On the northern shore of Pulau Perhentian Besar lie three coved bays where you can indulge in turtle watching.
Between the islands of Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Susu Dara are more spectacular dive sites. Sightings of whale sharks, the largest fish in the world, are quite common in these waters. These harmless monsters are usually found close to the equator where they enjoy basking in the warm waters and surprisingly take little or no notice of divers.
Pulau Kapas
Pulau Kapas situated offshore about 30 minutes by boat from Marang, south of Kuala Terengganu, is a lovely small island with beautiful, quiet, unspoiled sandy beaches; cool and clear blue waters, swaying coconut trees and caves with swallows’ nests. Its waters are home to beautiful marine life such as fish, turtles, corals and others. It is a great place for swimming, snorkelling, diving, wind surfing, kayaking, boating or just pure relaxation.
Pulau Pinang
Meanwhile Pulau Pinang has a visitors’ centre that houses an exhibition room, an audio-visual room, a research lab, turtle touch pools and chalets.
Pulau Duyung (Island of Boat Builders)
Pulau Duyong, is renowned as the home of Malaysia’s best boat builders. Their unique craftsmanship building timber boats, by hand and without any visible plans (except the ones that are in their heads) is truly amazing. The classic timber boats they build have a character all of their own.
Tenggol Island
Pulau Tenggol is another beautiful diving getaway island just 45 minutes from the coastal jetty in Kuala Dungun. The petite island measuring approximately 3km in length and 2km in width is considered a paradise by many people especially diving enthusiasts. The sandy beach blends harmoniously with the surrounding environment while further inland are forested rocky hills rising over 800ft to offer a panoramic view of the island.
This rocky terrain extends which from the interior of the island to the ocean has created a dramatic ideal hideaway for marine life. For example in Teluk Air Tawar there is a large spread of sloping reef on the rocky wall, whereas Rajawali Reef, with vertical rocky walls which fall as deep as 32m, is home to corals and other marine life like batfish and black tip reef sharks. Besides calm coral gardens, you could also chance upon humphead parrotfish, giant stingray, bat fishes, whale sharks, leopard sharks, schooling jacks and others in the diving spots around Tenggol.. Whale sharks are seen in certain areas from August to October every year.
Other island paradises rich with marine treasures are Pulau Ekor Tebu, Pulau Pinang, Pulau Lima and Pulau Lang Tengah. Diving and snorkelling enthusiasts will not want to miss these little wonders.
Lakes & Springs
Tasik Kenyir
Tasik Kenyir is located about 55 km south of Kuala Terengganu and is the largest man-made lake in the world. Spanning over 38,000 hectares, it is a popular destination for nature lovers as it is surrounded by lush tropical rainforest, more than 14 lovely waterfalls and a few rapids and rivers. It is also an angler’s haven as the lake is home to hundreds of species of freshwater fish like Baung, Toman, Kelisa, Lampam and Kelah.
LA Hot Springs
Located in Besut, the LA Hot Springs is a very popular picnic and camping spot for locals. Its sulphur-rich water has healing properties, which are said to be beneficial for those suffering from skin ailments It features a covered pool area where water is piped in from the nearby hot springs, allowing visitors to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of its rich sulphur content.
