The Maldives of Southeast Asia
A resort in Terengganu has been ranked as among the top five most romantic island resorts in the Asia Pacific, writes Adrian David
IT was once a coconut plantation and resting place for fishermen off the Terengganu coast. Today, a holiday facility in Lang Tengah Island has been ranked as among the top five most romantic island resorts in the Asia Pacific.
The Summer Bay Lang Island Resort has been billed as the “Maldives of Southeast Asia” by Asian Diver magazine. It enjoys high occupancies, except during the monsoon season, giving Terengganu its much needed tourism revenue, and jobs for locals.
An estimated 12,000 tourists flock to the resort annually and it’s no different now with Visit Beautiful Terengganu Year 2017 in full gear.
Resort general manager John Chong, 33, says the resort is much favoured as it faces the mainland, protected from strong currents and waves. “More fascinating are
the resort’s pristine waters and one-of-akind coral dust beach that is produced from dead, broken coral.
“What is also astounding is the ‘bioluminescent blue sand’ waters of the sea that sparkle at night,” he says.
John says another attraction is the existence of more than 100 fish species, including baby sharks, which can be spotted 80m
from the shore. “Owing to its rocky terrain, only 10 hectares of the island can be developed into a resort,” he says and plans are on to expand the resort.
The present resort provides 89 modern rooms that can accommodate 277 guests at its three-storey facility run by 85 staff. “We started from scratch, grooming mainland Terengganu locals, boat operators and fishermen
into our employ,” says John, a marketing graduate. “We have 11 twin-engine boats that ferry tourists to and from Merang jetty daily.
The resort comes with three restaurants, a lounge, a 50-metre swimming pool, a dive and snorkelling centre complete with professional trainers, and an island-hopping tour.