Although many people travel from (KL) Kuala Lumpur to Redang Island on a package tour, it is easy to do it yourself with a bit of planning.
Located off the north-east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Redang Island can be reached using public transport or by air, fairly cheaply.
First, you have to get to Shahbandar Jetty in Kuala Terengganu (KT for short), where there is a public ferry service over to the island.
The distance from Kuala Lumpur to Redang island is approximately 490 km if you travel overland by road and ferry from KT.
Redang Island (Pulau Redang in Malay) is not a year-round destination.
Due to the monsoon season, the island is effectively closed from November until the end of February.
Most of the resorts on the island will be open by the 1st of March, then close again at the end of October.
From the Shahbandar Jetty in KT, there are three daily departures to Redang (Kampung Jetty), operated by Sejahtera Ferry Services.
Ferry Schedule from Kuala Terengganu to Redang Island:
Boats depart at:
09:00
10:30
15:00
Check-in time is 30 minutes before the departure times shown above.
The duration of the ferry trip is around one hour 30 - 40 minutes.
Fares for the ferry to Redang from Kuala Terengganu:
Adult ticket: 110 RM return / 55 one-way
Child ticket: 60 RM return / 30 one-way
Tickets are purchased from the ticket office at Shahbandar Jetty.
Each boat can accommodate 267 passengers so they are rarely full.
If you have already booked at one of the larger resorts on Redang Island, chances are you will have to travel to Merang Jetty to take one of the private boats over to the island.
Located to the north of KT (around 38 km), Merang Jetty is the shortest distance over to Redang from the mainland.
To get there from KT, you will have to organise transport by taxi, Grab car or pay for a private transfer with your hotel/resort.
The boats from Merang to Redang only take around 40 minutes to the nearest resorts.
When you book your accommodation/package, you will be advised if you need to travel from Merang and at what time you need to be at the jetty to take your boat.
The cheapest way to get from KL to Redang is to take a bus from KL to Kuala Terengganu Bus Terminal (Hentian Bas MPKT).
From the bus terminal in KT to the jetty, it is a 15 minute walk or short taxi ride to the boats.
These days, most buses from KL to KT leave from the TBS Bus Terminal in Kuala Lumpur.
TBS is easy to get to from most parts of KL as the bus terminal is connected to the Bandar Tasik Selatan Train Station.
So, you can easily take an LRT, KTM Komuter or KLIA Transit train to TBS.
Bus companies that operate on this route include:
Transnasional MY
Kesatuan Express
Adik Beradik Express
Darul Iman Express
CTTS Holidays
Sani Express
Jasa Pelangi Express
Mata Air Ekspres
The duration of the bus journey from TBS to KT is around 7 and a half hours.
Bus tickets from KL to KT cost between 40 - 45 RM depending on the type of coach used (normal / VIP).
If you don't mind travel on night buses, this is a good option if you want to take one of the morning boats to Redang and saves you having to spend the night in KT.
To find buses from KL to KT click here >
As Kuala Terengganu is not connected to the KTM rail network, it is not practical to travel by train.
There are currently no direct scheduled flights between KL and Redang Airport.
The only airline that flies there (Berjaya Air), now offer charter flights only from Subang Airport (SZB).
So, if you want to fly from KL to Redang without chartering your own plane, you will have to take a scheduled flight to Terengganu Airport (TGG), then take a taxi to the KT jetty (30 minutes drive) and take the ferry.
Flights to TGG are operated by Air Asia and Malaysian Airlines from KUL (KLIA2/KLIA).
Or you can fly from SZB to TGG with Firefly.
To find flights to TGG click here >
Taking your car over to Redang Island is not possible, but you can drive to the ferry departure points and park your car.
Car parking is available at the Shahbandar Jetty for around +12 RM a day.
The quickest route over to Kuala Terengganu from KL involves following route 8 all the way across from west to east, then stay on route 8 heading north up to KT.
The distance of the trip following this route is around 450 km.
Related pages:
KL to the Perhentian Islands >
How to get from Penang to Redang Island >