Imagine palm-fringed heaven which offers over acres of rainforests and sparkling beaches. Devouring a five-course meal as the sun sets over the South China Sea. Getting a super-relaxing massage to the sound of the waves. Swimming with baby sharks and loggerhead turtles. Luxuriating in the splendor of cozy rooms far away from the hassles of urban life.

Does a typical holiday start with doing check-in formalities and signing a few forms? But here, it started with a carefully prepared lunch (cons of being a vegetarian) in the Mamak Shack.

If you are thinking to be at a place where you are surrounded by azure waters, white sands, and a lot of freshness, look no further than Lang Tengah Island situated in Malaysia. It is a small island lying in the South China Sea and is known for its vibrant marine life and corals. It has 4 resorts (one of them is closed already, you can walk down to this one to click pictures) on the entire island, and we chose to stay in Summerbay Resort. It offers a plethora of activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, island hopping trips, sunrise walk, blue sand walk, night snorkeling, kayaking, and many more.

After checking in, we were shown our exquisitely designed poolside room. It has everything that you need for a comfortable living. Starting from air-conditioning, king-sized bed, lounger-sofa, patio with outdoor furniture, mini-fridge with drinks to free self-care products. This boutique property lets you enjoy ultimate privacy with your partner and spend quality moments with them.

Coming to the itinerary at Lang Tengah,

Day 1- We checked in and embraced sunset views lying on the hammocks. You can choose to walk barefoot on the soft sands of the beach. Click pictures and relax after a long journey.

Whoever says ‘Life on islands is all about bright sunshine’ has probably never been to this island where you will spot thousands of stars, and star gazing by the beach is not what you do every day. There are many hammocks and bean beds to laze and gaze at the sky. Plus, you can sign up for a night photo shoot, where you can get yourself clicked with zillions of twinkling stars.  

Day 2- After a delicious breakfast in the main restaurant, we assembled near the BIG ROSE APPLE TREE, yes there is a giant tree inside the resort that is a century old and has millions of birds chirping.

‘Everyone loves to fly, and flying underwater is even better than flying in the air because there are things around you

Swimming with colorful fishes and turtles was a unique thing to do and was one of its kind experience. If you are scared of water and don’t know how to swim, snorkeling is definitely for you as you will be given a life jacket that keeps you floating, you just need to learn how to breathe through your mouth. But this is worth learning as you will see a wonderful life below you, blue corals, clownfish, stingrays, etc. This snorkeling session was followed by an island trip to Redang which is the most happening island in this area. 

Humming guitar, soothing lyrics, an open-air bar, and a spa facing the ocean welcome you to enjoy your time. This island offers breathtaking views of the beach, hillside, and endless horizon.

Bathe until you feel wonderful is what they meant I guess. There is a unique ritual that you follow on an island- bathing almost every hour. There is an outdoor shower where you can feel drops of fresh water after soaking up the sun, sea, and sand. And, yes after all the exhilaration, it’s lunchtime. It was so difficult to choose from Tarts and Doughnuts, after all, I am a dessert lover. Starting from desserts, soups, and the main course, to starters, they had everything derived from Chinese cuisine. Yes, vegetarians like me might face some problems but variety is the key to living, isn’t it? Explore different flavors and enjoy organically prepared meals.

Aaah sunsets! They are the best when you are holidaying on an isolated island. Allow tinted shine on your face and let it penetrate as a long-lasting memory. Evenings are great for clicking pictures, stroll around or you may burn some calories while playing beach volleyball with the locals.

Or choose a hammock, treat your eyes with panoramic views and indulge in a soul-searching session with the setting sun. Well, if you are an Instagrammer and want amazing pictures, the resort offers unique photography packages, you can choose the drone photography package or romantic couple shoot.  

BBQ by the beach is bliss, isn’t it? If yes, then The Okeechobee is your destination for freshly barbecued cheese, chicken, seafood, and yes pineapples and potatoes (My kind of BBQ). Fill your plate with grilled seafood or slurp some pumpkin soup, the choice is all yours. 

As I mentioned, nights are equally exciting on islands, the resort organizes a Blue Sand Walk, in which an instructor takes you to a walkway from where you can spot the bioluminescent beach. Yes, there are fewer places where you can spot such a phenomenon and Lang Tengah has it. A day full of adventure, calming walks, beach activities, and ravishing food lets you sleep in contentment.    

Day 3 started around 5:30 AM, it was the wake-up call for Sunrise Walk. It was an opportunity to witness a gorgeous sunrise on the other side of the island. A soft trek of 30 minutes amidst the rainforests, bushes, and rocks takes you to the rocky side of Lang Tengah where you silently wait for the sun to spread its red wings. There can’t be anything more serene and pure than watching the sunrise from endless waters. Collect some shells from this trek, click astonishing pictures or just feel the island vibes.

‘The Moment’– After enjoying a fulfilling breakfast, we could feel that adrenaline rush inside us because it was the time for scuba diving. After signing the disclaimer form and selecting our gears, we were with the trainer who taught us some signals and hacks that would work under the sea. When he said, there are sharks and rays inside, we swallowed our fear and could sense chill down the spine, but we were determined to do it, so we went ahead with oxygen cylinders on our back, masks on our faces, neon fins below our feet and excitement in our hearts.

The romance with the South China Sea started with walking in the shallow water but increased with every step we took in it, we could feel the increased heartbeats and pressure in our ears, but couldn’t believe what our eyes were witnessing. A captivating world filled with all shades of blue and green, an incredible collection of corals, and marine plants, and suddenly you get stunned when you see a fish swimming along with you, that’s where you realize that you are in another world, away from all the stress. You just swim like fishes with fishes, count every breath you take, and feel alive.

Hello, Nemo let’s chat for a while..! We saw a Clownfish (popularly known as Nemo fish) in her waving home, and honestly, there wasn’t anything more winsome I have seen so far. After an hour of exploring this beautiful world, you come out as a newer you.

After this once-in-a-lifetime moment, you just want to relax and think about those moments. We also did the same, we celebrated our first-ever underwater adventure with a glass of martini by the beach and saw the sun hiding in the waters of the South China Sea.

Heard of Steamboat Dinner earlier? Nor did we, it’s a unique style of making meals in which you have a stove on your table with a large pot filled with boiling vegetable/chicken broth, you can add vegetables/ tofu/chicken/seafood/rice noodles/pasta of your choice and wait for it gets done and serve with sauces and garnishing as per your taste. Don’t forget to try this when you are here.    

Day 4– By this time and this day, we felt our holiday went in a jiffy and there isn’t much time left in this heaven. So we wanted to absorb as much as we could from Lang Tengah. Took long walks on the beach, enjoyed some splash at the pool, got socialized with the locals, and went to Perhentian and another side of Lang Tengah for snorkeling. Perhentian Island has a shack that serves tempting mango smoothies, try it..!

When the sun is bright and the water is warm, you can put your arms into action and row your kayak to the pristine shores. The resort offers glass-bottomed kayaks for you to explore different parts of the island. If you learn the trick and get hang of it, kayaking is super-fun. Kayaking also gives you a lesson in coordination with your partner and taking life to newer venues.

Sunset in a bar sounds idyllic, right? We chose to spend our last evening in the bar where Kin and his team played live music and the beautiful bartender made refreshing drinks. I have seen almost entire India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Singapore, but no vacation could beat this one. We explored a newer side of us and experienced a perfect detox from our mundane city life.

Getting here-

    •    From Kuala Lumpur, take a flight/bus to Kuala Terengganu. The flight takes 1 hour, and the bus takes 5 hours.

    •    Kuala Terengganu to Merang jetty point in a cab- a 45-minute drive.

    •    Take a boat ride of 45 minutes from Merang jetty point to Lang Tengah Island. 

When to visit-

The best season to visit Lang Tengah is from March to October, November to February is monsoon time here and most of the resorts remain closed.

What to wear-

Take 3 swimsuits/beachwear/bikini for snorkeling and scuba diving session.

Floral beach dresses for my beautiful ladies and floral print shirts/capris/vests for men.

Don’t forget hats, sunglasses and flip-flops/crocs. Oh yes, keep your favorite fuchsia lipstick for the beach days.

Tips and Trivia

1. Sun is harsh in this part of the world, carry a sunscreen of SPF 50+ (The ‘Love you-you’ shop at the resort sells a special sunscreen that helps in preserving coral reefs in the area, sounds great inst it?)
2. A quick dry towel is what you should carry in a bag while on a snorkeling trip.
3. Keep drinking water and juices as the sun here is harsh and you will lose water from your body while enjoying water sports. Mamack Shack is here for your rescue.

They say, if you visit a place, don’t forget to meet locals. My super-guides on this solitary island were Jannice, Jay-jay, and Kin.

Enjoy and make most of your time in Summerbay Resort, Lang Tengah, Malaysia because ‘Malaysia is truly Asia’