A beautiful island not far from the coast of Terengganu, Lang Tengah Island is an up and coming Malaysian beach destination. Though not many tourists may have heard of this island, it is slowly but surely gaining the interest of divers and travelers in search of places that are off the beaten track. The population on the island is rather small, with most residents being employed by the resorts which operate on the island. This, along with the small number of visitors, is a significant factor in the sustainability of the island's immaculate beaches, tranquil surroundings and thriving coral reefs. Most of the visitors return to the island time and time again as its seclusion evokes a sense of privilege and exclusivity for them.
Similar to Redang and Perhentian Island, Lang Tengah Island is a great location for diving. The colorful variety of corals and marine life within the waters outlying the island make this experience a memorable one. Big shoals of snappers, fusiliers and rabbitfish, as well as bamboo sharks, turtles and shovel nosed rays have been spotted around the island. One interesting experience divers may encounter whilst admiring the underwater world is how indifferent the fish are towards the presence of the divers. The fish seem to have no qualms about coming close to the divers. This rare occurrence really makes the diving experience at Lang Tengah Island even more special. There are 12 diving sites located all around the island, with depths ranging from 7 to 26 metres. As Redang, Perhentian and Bidong Island are all located nearby, it is possible to head out to these islands for a full day of diving as it takes only 30 to 45 minutes to reach the dive sites by speedboat. There are also a few shallow bays that are really good for night diving to observe crustaceans and nocturnal reef life.
One of the better known diving sites in Lang Tengah Island, Batu Kuching, is a good place to see glass sweepers, wrasses, butterfly fish and snappers. This dive site obtained its name, which means 'rock cat' in English, from a boulder perched on top of other boulders which resembles a cat. Terembu Kuning has a rocky outcrop which gently slopes into the sea bed at about 20 metres. The hard corals that can be found here makes it a great spot to see groupers, barramundi cods as well as nurse sharks. Another favourite diving site on this island is Karang Nibong Laut, which is an underwater mound with piles of big rocks spread on a sandy area. Some of the beautiful marine life spotted here includes bamboo sharks, often seen sleeping under these huge rocks as well as some nudibranches and moray eels.
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