Perhentians/redang In August - Is It Worth It?

[kdacdive]

Hi y'all,

I have used this forum with great success several times to plan dive trips around the world - and here we go again This time, my wife and I (+ 2 year old daughter) have considered visiting Perhentians/Redang this coming August.

Before becoming parents, we did quite a bit of diving and have logged dives in Thailand (all over), NZ/AUS, Bonaire, Egypt, Fiji/Cook Islands/Tonga, Komodo/Gili, etc. In January, we stayed at Ko Lanta for three weeks and really enjoyed the diving combined with the very child friendly environment. In essence, we are looking for a similar experience in August, and trying to match these criterias Perhentians/Redang have popped up.

Therefore, my question is whether you think that Perhentians/Redang is the place for us to go? And if it is, whether we should opt for Perhentians or Redang? One of my bigger concerns is that we could end up being disappointed about the diving. I hear great things about diving Perhentians/Redang but mostly from people "fresh out of dive school". We have all been there - and I do remember being stunned about diving Ko Tao with my newly acquired open water certificate. But today, Tao with its many dive schools and to some extent over dived reef, would not be my first choice. And I have a tiny bit of concern in me saying that there are similarities between Tao and Perhentians/Redang.

Well - guys - I hope to have a lot of great comments from you on this! Alternative destinations are also very welcome.

Cheers
Anders
Copenhagen

 

[helarno]

Just came back from diving there last week. I covered Redang Island a bit in a previous post:

Can't make Sipadan work. Redang?

It's still one of my favourite places to dive today. Thoughts from this most recent trip though:

1. There has been significant coral die off from when I last dived the place 2 years ago. 2 years ago, the best sites had unbroken living coral carpeting the ocean bottom for as far as you can see. Today, somewhere between 10%-25% of that coral is dead. There is new growth coming back in the dead areas, but now the carpet of living coral is broken up by patches of dead areas. Still incredibly beautiful.
2. For hard coral and just pure coral variety, still the best site I've been to. I've dived Maldives and Similans. Haven't dived Sipadan yet though, so can't compare to that. IMHO only Richelieu Rock in Thailand is comparable or better for corals, though that place is very unique and not a fair comparison.
3. You're going to be sick of seeing stingrays. I saw stingrays (large and small) every dive. Lots of turtles, reef sharks and other sea life too.
4. Most dives are shallow (18-20m) and low current, so quite easy. Recommend places like Mat Cantik and Che Isa.

I have yet to visit Perhentian, so can't offer any first hand comments. I have made it a point to ask anyone I know that has visited both Perhentian and Redang of their opinions and they as a whole have said Redang is better. One of the main reasons why I have yet to visit Perhentian.

August is a good time to visit Redang as that is right in the middle of its dry season. Calm seas, clear skies and usually great visibility underwater. Unfortunately, also peaks season so you'll see a lot of tourists.

Another good option in South East Asia for that time for the year is Bali as that will be close to Mola Mola season. Bali (and the islands nearby) has a wide range of dive options from easy to really challenging. Places like Nusa Pendida, Amed, Lembongan, etc, offer a huge variety of options at low cost. Usually more child friendly than Redang Island.