Delima Redang Resort

The snorkeling sessions were interesting, and staff helped guests with how to snorkel. The reception service was good too. The canteen is halal certified, and food and drinks are included as paid for in the package. The facilities need better maintenance, especially the public toilets, where sand traps could help prevent blockages. Since the resort is far from Long Beach, a small cafe would be useful. I also wonder whether there are plans to clean up the beach.

The staff were great, and for what we paid, the resort turned out better than I expected. I’d read the Google reviews only after booking this last-minute trip and had gone in with no expectations, especially about the food. The first impression wasn’t great: after our ferry arrived, the resort pickup hadn’t come yet, so we felt stranded and had to carry our luggage to a checkpoint while other resorts handled theirs. I understood the difference might come down to budget. Our room was fairly clean, with a comfortable bed and clean towels. They’d switched on the AC before we arrived, which was welcome in the heat. The bathroom was OK, with a heater and basic toiletries, though there was no tissue. There was no TV, hairdryer, coffee set, or drinks in the room, but hot and cold water was available in the corridor and canteen. The food looked unimpressive at first, but tasted pretty good. It’s about a 10-minute walk to the main beach and other attractions. The beach by the resort isn’t for swimming, though there’s a jetty for snorkeling and speedboats. The snorkeling wasn’t quite what I expected, perhaps because it was low season and there weren’t many stops, but the beautiful sea made up for it. Not a bad resort, though not amazing either. You get what you pay for.

We arrived at 10 and didn’t get our key until 11:20, even though we were first to register at the counter. We ended up being the last to get a room. While we waited, we saw staff smoking and relaxing as they cleaned rooms. Poor service, attitude, and management.

The snorkeling was a letdown. We paid RM5 for Marine Park, then swam off the beach where there were no corals and very few fish. In the open sea there were still no corals, though the fish were pretty. Perhentian was much better, and it felt disappointing to travel so far for so little. Getting to Long Beach means passing a really smelly dumpster, since the resort is at the end of the island. The room was so-so, and the staff were rude, strange, and unprofessional. A woman at the buffet questioned whether I was a guest and asked for my check-in and check-out dates just because she didn’t recognize me. An Indonesian worker made unwanted advances toward my friend and me, then the next day tried to record my friend while talking to her and asking where I was. On the boat, the boatman harassed me and hit my thigh as if it were a joke. I was wearing long leggings and a long-sleeved swimsuit. It may cost less than other resorts, but I’d pay more to stay somewhere else. I won’t return.