Pulau Lang Tengah via ferrata a magnet for extreme sports enthusiasts

A via ferrata (whose origin dates back to WWI when troops used mountain trails) denotes an iron trail in Italian, is a special trek on a hilly rockface lined with safety climbing features for climbers to scale right up to the peak.

Tourism Malaysia Eastern Region Director Hafiz Hazin called the Pulau Lang Tengah Via Ferrata a big boost to the tourism industry for the isle destinations of Terengganu, much more so when the government allows border-crossing to resume pretty much soon.

"Tourists normally make a beeline for the islands in Terengganu to savour the bountiful nature of marine life and corals through snorkelling and scuba diving.

"This time around, Pulau Lang Tengah offers this via feratta, a new product introduced by Summer Bay Resort since last May.

"We at Tourism Malaysia Eastern Region are always ready to support the initiative and creativity of industry players to promote the country's tourism sector for a speedy recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic," he told a group of tourist agents and 16 Terengganu media personnel invited for a whirlwind tour of the via ferrata recently.

Straddling some 1.72 sq km, the boat ride to Pulau Lang Tengah located between Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian takes 45 minutes from the Merang jetty. For now, only two resorts are in operation at the exclusive island which used to attract only a pocket of tourists at any one time.

Meanwhile, Summer Bay Resort executive chairman Chong Fah Ming said the via ferrata has been rendered as a safe extreme sport and it has received approval from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) as well as the Kuala Terengganu Municipal Council.

"A comprehensive study and the construction of the iron trail have been carried out by experienced consultant and contractor, while we as resort authorities have four licensed drivers in position to guide tourists for a safe experience.

"The trail is just 200-metre long and 80 metres above sea level, but it promises a rare experience for climbers. We are also planning to introduce more extreme sports in the near future to draw tourists to this resort," Chong said, adding that they spent over RM200,000 to create the via ferrata.

Meanwhile, several media personnel who were given a trial climb asserted the via ferrata as irresistible for extreme sports enthusiasts, notably for the younger generation including YouTubers and Instafamous and social media influencers.

Sin Chew Jit Poh reporter Lew I Ling rated it as a worthwhile experience and a great personal challenge.

"It was thrilling to be clinging on along the whole trail until the exhilaration of reaching the peak to be rewarded with the breath-taking view.

"Before this, I have never even pondered travelling to an island for lack of exciting activities, but the Pulau Lang Tengah Via Ferrata has made it a must-try experience," she said.

TV3 journalist Mohd Ishak Abdillah Ngah, on the other hand, said he had been excited about the activity since learning about it last year.

"As a Terengganu born-and-bred local, I am certainly impressed with this new product at Pulau Lang Tengah and I know it would be famous and hopefully it will bring a positive socio-economic impact for local residents.

"My instinct was spot-on because immediately after uploading our pictures scaling the via ferrata, there was a barrage of inquiries from friends who were keen to try it. This is probably just a small contribution from media reps to help the government revive the tourism industry in the country," Ishak said.