Activities & Things To Do
REDANG ISLAND
Redang Island is recognized as one of the most beautiful islands in Malaysia.
Visitors can enjoy the unique scenery of the Southeast Asian coast from the bottom of the sea. The sand here is fine, soft, pure and white, known as “Crystal Beach”. The white sandy beach is extraordinarily pure and white against the clear blue-green water. The diving resort of Redang Island have extremely clear waters, the transparency of the sea water of Redang Island under the sunlight can reach nearly 35 feet deep, which is an ideal place for diving enthusiasts. The waters here are very rich in marine life, including brightly colored coral groups, peculiarly shaped tropical fish and lazy swaying turtles, etc., which can be enjoyed while diving.
RUMAH BOTOL
This location is quite interesting as it is an individual initiative to collect bottles.
Beginning with worries that visitors’ feet might be injured by the glass bottle shards on the beach, Tengku Mohd Ali or known as Ayah Ku, 75-year-old started buying bottles from the villagers. Now he has collected 7,000 bottles including glass bottles washed up on the beach and receives donations from the public to continue his work.
In addition to bottles, there were also mugs that were collected as early as 1976 when he operated a small resort on Kapas Island. You can visit Bottle House in Kampung Baru Penarik, Setiu.
THE ART OF KITE MAKING Kite flying is one of the popular traditional pastimes in Terengganu. It was once played by farmers on leveled ground after the harvesting season. Today, kite-flying attracts people from all walks of life. Kite or Wau (pronounce as ‘wow’) can appear in all shapes and sizes. The most popular kites in the east coast are the moon kite (wau bulan) and cat kite (wau kucing).
Kite making requires patience and tremendous skill as it applies the elements of physics and mathematics. Other than the joy of kite flying, the decorative traditional kite adorns the walls, making it the pride of the owner.
CULTURE, ARTS & HERITAGE WEAVING HANDICRAFT
Weaving has been part and parcel of the local community for centuries. Weaving has long been done as a cottage industry in the rural areas, and thus has supplemented villagers’ income. There are pandanus (screw pine leaves) weaving, nipah leave frond weaving and rattan weaving. Screw pine leaves are woven into beautiful mats and other souvenir items such as coin purses, hand held fans, slippers, pencil cases, handbags, gift bags and decorative slippers. Nipah leave fronds are the gift of nature much valued by locals who utilize the veins of its leave fronds to make beautifully crafted products such as ‘lekar’, a type of traditional utensil basket, fruit basket, traditional bird cage, lamp shade and other woven products limited only by ones imagination.
PANTAI PENARIK- KAMPUNG MANGKUK
Setiu, Terengganu is one of Malaysia’s hottest ‘instagramable spots’. Not only is the view of the sea breath-taking, but the cultivation of the coconut trees along the coastline is a major attraction. Some of the activities you can do are swimming, having picnics with family and friends and even photography. You can also cycle around while having the coconut trees and beaches as your backdrop.
Penarik Beach is a regular filming location often seen in the film industry as a movie or drama venue especially for its fishing villages along the coast. When it comes to vacationing on the seaside, seafood is a must. Don’t worry, many restaurants do offer sea-based cuisines along the coast which includes one of the main cooking styles of ‘celup tepung’.
SETIU WETLANDS
With the size of 23,000 hectares, Setiu Wetlands is the largest natural wetlands in the East Coast. It consists of nine ecosystems – the sea, rivers, sandy beaches, estuaries, islands, mudflats, a lagoon, freshwater swamps and mangroves. The authorities and locals work together for preservation and conservation efforts.
The Wetlands is an area of high biodiversity and difficult to locate. Research carried out in the wetlands indicates that 29 species of mammals, 161 species of birds, and 36 species of reptiles and amphibians are found. It surely is a unique spot for tourists to explore using the boat services to these Wetlands.
SETIU BOARDWALK
From the boat cruise, you can take a short walk to Setiu Boardwalk where you can get a closer look of the mangrove forests. A 500-foot bridge is built along the mangroves.
Various marine life can be found here, among them are the lesser-known reefs, shrubs and marine plants. Both local authorities and the locals are involved in preservation and conservation work. Along the pedestrian bridge, lots of information is given to facilitate visitors. No fee is charged to visitors.
