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Pulau Redang Marine Park is made up of a group of islands namely Pulau Redang, Pulau Pinang,

Pulau Lima, Pulau Ekor Tebu, Pulau Perhentian Besar, Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Pulau Susu Dara, Pulau Lang Tengah and Pulau Kapas.

The Redang group of islands are known as 'continental islands'. During the Pleistocene period, there were intervals when the sea level dropped, creating land areas that connected the islands with mainland. When the continental ice caps melted in the later periods, the islands were once again isolated from the mainland. What we see today is the result of the earth's climatic and geographical changes that have occurred over millions of years ago and this also includes the sea landscape .

Pulau Redang is the largest island in the park, about 7km long and 6km wide. There are a number of tiny uninhabited islands sprinkled around Pulau Redang itself such as Pulau Ling, Pulau Kerengga Besar and Pulau Paku Kecil. These islands harbour much life beneath the rocky outcrops and pearly white pockets of beaches. A natural playground for divers and snorkellers alike, the islands are within easy reach by boat from Pulau Redang. For Redang dive sites,click here..

The Redang Archipelago is truly a gift sent from the heavens. The water surrounding these islands is teeming with marine life. About 500 species of living, breathing soft and hard corals create a wondrous seascape just below the white caps. And in turn these reef-building variety of corals shelter a host of inhabitants - a myriad species of bivalves and fishes. It forms part of Indo-Pacific Ocean's breeding ground and nursery for many species of fish and other marine life. Sponges, algae and plankton provide a rich soup of nutrient for the thriving community. Green and hawksbill turtles drag themselves onto the white, sandy beaches to deposit their fertilised eggs into deep holes excavated under cover of night. Flying foxes, pythons, birds, mousedeers, monkeys and iguanas take refuge under the canopy of the forest. And in the late evenings when all human activities have quieten down, listen closely for you will here the heartbeat of the land, the whispers of the wind and the secrets of life - at Redang

The people

In 1770, the English EIC or the East India Company was considering Redang Islands as a serious contender for a trading post. The Dutch were already making headway into Indonesia and Malaysia, and this gave them main control over the spice trade. The British were fast running out of time and they were desperate to gain a foothold in the South China Seas trade. But lengthy talks with local rulers only produced inconclusive results and the English dropped the idea of a trading post here for an island off Borneo's Northern Coast. Pulau Redang fell into a lull of peaceful slumber, until Bugis settlers arrived. They settled on Teluk Kalong, a beach on the eastern side of Pulau Redang.

The original people of Pulau Redang are descendants of the Bugis settlers who sailed all the way from the Celebes (Sulawesi) in Indonesia to start a new life far away from their homeland where local discontentment were starting to build up from the many centuries of clan wars. The Bugis were reputed to be formidable warriors and skilled seafarers. For centuries they fared well as trade merchants travelling round the Indonesian Archipelago through to the Malayan lands. During the 18th Century, many Bugis migrants came to the Malay Peninsular. They were eager to find a land free of overlord exaction. They made alliances with the Malay Sultans and some even offered their services as mercenaries, fighting for different warring factions.

The Bugis migrants settled on the west coast of Malaysia especially in the states of Johore and Negri Sembilan. But there were a few who plied the East Coastal waters in search of paradise. After a long search, a boat full of migrants landed on Redang. Batin (Batin meaning Holy Man) Talib, one of the 7 siblings who made up the early settlers, moved his village from Teluk Kalong to an island just south of Pulau Redang.

These days, Redang has a variety of different accommodation catered to tourists and holidaymakers. These resorts are located at Pasir Panjang, a few bays away from the village

A perfect shelter from storms, the island was named Pulau Pinang after the many Betelnut (Pinang) trees found growing there. However, not all the 7 Bugis settlers stayed on Pulau Redang. A few made their way to the mainland and one decided to stay on Pulau Perhentian.

As the population expanded in the later years, villagers began moving to the Redang River estuary, just a short boatride directly across from the old village at Pulau Pinang. The state government had a new village built for the locals in 1976 and named it Kampung Air (Water village). The entire village rested precariously on stilts by the waters' edge but surprisingly was robust and resilient enough to endure the raging storms and torrential rains that hit the oastal regions year in, year out. The entire village on Pulau Pinang moved across to Kampung Air and there the fisherfolk lived contentedly until their recent move again. This time, the population was relocated approximately 4km inland.

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Malaysia Islands