What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer ( I I )

Family history of breast cancer:
Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose close blood relatives have this disease. Your risk of developing breast cancer is increased if:
• You have 2 or more relatives with breast or ovarian cancer.
• Breast cancer occurs before age 50 in a relative (mother, sister, grandmother
or aunt) on either side of the family. The risk is higher if your mother or
sister has a history of breast cancer.
• You have relatives with both breast and ovarian cancer.
• You have 1 or more relatives with two cancers (breast and ovarian, or 2 different
breast cancers).
• You have a male relative (or relatives) with breast cancer.
• You have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer and Ashkenazi Jewish
heritage.
• Your family history includes a history of diseases associated with hereditary breast cancer such as Li-Fraumeni or Cowdens Syndromes.
Having 1 first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) with breast cancer approximately doubles a woman's risk, and having 2 first-degree relatives increases her risk 5-fold. Although the exact risk is not known, women with a family history of breast cancer in a father or brother also have an increased risk of breast cancer. Altogether, about 20% to 30% of women with breast cancer have a family member with this disease.

Personal history of breast cancer: A woman with cancer in one breast has a 3- to 4-fold increased risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast. This is different from a recurrence (return) of the first cancer.

What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer ( I )

Genetic risk factors:
Recent studies have shown that about 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary as a result of gene changes (mutations). The most common gene changes are those of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Normally, these genes help to prevent cancer by making proteins that keep cells from growing abnormally. However, if you have inherited either mutated gene from a parent, you are at increased risk for breast cancer.
See the section "Do We Know What Causes Breast Cancer?" for more information about genes and DNA. Women with an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have up to an 80% chance of developing breast cancer during their lifetime and at a younger age than those women who are not born with one of these gene mutations in their cells. Women with these inherited mutations also have an increased risk for developing ovarian cancer.

Other genes have been discovered that might also lead to inherited breast cancers. One of these is the ATM gene. ATM stands for ataxia-telangiectasia mutation. The gene is responsible for repairing damaged DNA. Certain families with a high rate of breast cancer have been found to have mutations of this gene. Another gene, the CHEK-2 gene, also increases breast cancer risk when it is mutated. Neither one of these genes, however, is a frequent cause of familial breast cancer.
Inherited mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene can also increase your risk of developing breast cancer, as well as leukemia, brain tumors, and/or sarcomas (cancer of bones or connective tissue). The Li-Fraumeni syndrome, named after the 2 researchers who described this inherited cancer syndrome, is a rare cause of breast cancer.

If you are considering genetic testing, it is strongly recommended that first you talk to a genetic counselor, nurse, or doctor qualified to interpret and explain these tests, before being tested. It is very important to understand and carefully weigh the benefits and risks of genetic testing before these tests are done. Testing is expensive and is not covered by some health plans. There is concern that people with abnormal genetic test results will not be able to get life insurance or that coverage may only be available at a much higher cost, but many states have passed laws that prevent insurance companies from denying insurance on the basis of genetic testing. To learn about your state, you can go to this internet site -- http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/genetics/ndishlth.htm
For more information, see our position statement on genetic testing or go to the National Cancer Institute site on genetic testing for breast cancer.

What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?

A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of getting a disease, such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. For example, exposing skin to strong sunlight is a risk factor for skin cancer. Smoking is a risk factor for cancers of the lung, mouth, larynx, bladder, kidney, and several other organs.
But having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. Most women who have one or more breast cancer risk factors never develop the disease, while many women with breast cancer have no apparent risk factors (other than being a woman and growing older). Even when a woman with breast cancer has a risk factor, there is no way to prove that it actually caused her cancer.
There are different kinds of risk factors. Some factors, like a person's age or race, can't be changed. Others are linked to cancer-causing factors in the environment. Still others are related to personal choices such as smoking, drinking, and diet. Some factors influence risk more than others, and your risk for breast cancer can change over time, due to factors such as aging or lifestyle.

Risk Factors You Cannot Change

Gender: Simply being a woman is the main risk factor for developing breast cancer. Although women have many more breast cells than men, the main reason they develop more breast cancer is because their breast cells are constantly exposed to the growth-promoting effects of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, thus making breast cancer much more common in women than men. Men can develop breast cancer, but this disease is about 100 times more common among women than men.

Aging: Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. About 18% of breast cancer diagnoses are among women in their 40s, while about 77% of women with breast cancer are older than 50 when they are diagnosed.

Race: White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than are African-American women. But African-American women are more likely to die of this cancer. Many experts now feel that the main reason for this is because African-American women have more aggressive tumors (see basal-like breast cancer, below). The reasons for this are not known. Asian, Hispanic, and Native American women have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer.

Obesity raises overall risk of breast cancer

Women who gain weight as adults face a higher lifetime risk of all types of breast cancer, researchers reported on Monday. The study adds to a large body of evidence showing that weight and breast cancer can be closely linked.
A study of more than 44,000 women found that the more weight a woman gained, the greater her risk for all types, stages, and grades of breast cancer.
Compared with women who gained 20 pounds (10 kg) or less during adulthood, women who gained more than 60 pounds (27 kg) were almost twice as likely to have ductal type breast tumors and more than 1.5 times more likely to have lobular type cancers, Heather Spencer Feigelson of the American Cancer Society and colleagues found.
The risk of breast cancer that had spread tripled for women who gained more than 60 pounds (27 kg). Breast cancer risk is linked to increased levels of the hormone estrogen and fat tissue produces estrogen, adding to the risk.
"These data further illustrate the relationship between adult weight gain and breast cancer, and the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight throughout adulthood," the researchers wrote.
A study published earlier this month found that women who take estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy for 20 years or longer to treat symptoms of menopause have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women, after lung cancer. More than 200,000 people are diagnosed and another roughly 40,000 die from it each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Globally more than 1.2 million men and women develop breast cancer every year.

Ultrasound better for measuring breast tumor size

A new study suggest that breast ultrasound is more accurate than clinical breast examination or mammography in assessing tumor size in breast cancer patients.
Mammography uses special x-ray equipment to produce detailed images of the breast. It is the single most effective way to detect breast cancer in its early stages. Mammograms can also detect non-cancerous growths, such as cysts.
A breast ultrasound (sonogram) uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of the breast tissue. The test is a valuable diagnostic tool to determine if a lump is fluid-filled, as in a cyst, or a solid mass.
Determining the size of a breast cancer tumor is important for treatment planning, particularly for surgical intervention. Surgeons require an accurate measurement of the tumor and frequently use breast ultrasound as an evaluation tool prior to surgery.

In a new study conducted at Mansoura University Medical School in Egypt, researchers compared diagnostic tools for evaluating tumor size. Clinical breast examination by a physician, mammography and sonography were compared for accuracy in 124 women with known breast cancer.
All of the women had the size of their tumors assessed with the three methods prior to surgery. The measurements were compared to the size of the tumor based on pathologic analysis of the surgical specimen. Results revealed that measurements by mammogram and sonogram both tended to underestimate tumor size while measurements from clinical examination tended to overestimate tumor size.
In analysis, researchers determined that ultrasound was significantly more accurate in determining tumor size. The diameter of the tumor was within 2mm of the pathological tumor size in 45 percent of the cases measured by ultrasound - compared to 28 percent of mammography measurements and 14 percent of the measurements by clinical examination.
Based on the results of the study, researchers suggest that ultrasound should be part of a surgeon's assessment for tumor size in breast cancer patients. The study was published in the May 2006 issue of The Breast Journal.

Larger breasts confer higher breast cancer risk

Women with larger breasts have a greater risk of developing breast cancer before menopause than smaller-breasted women do, a new study shows.
Studies investigating the association between breast size and breast cancer risk have had mixed results. To provide a more definitive answer, they looked at 89,268 women between the ages of 29 and 47, all of whom reported their bra cup size at age 20. The study was prospective, meaning that participants were followed over time to see if they developed breast cancer.
Women with bra sizes of D or larger had an 80-percent greater risk of developing breast cancer during the study's follow-up period than those with a smaller cup size. However, there was no link between bra cup size and breast cancer risk among overweight or obese women.
This is because cup size is most accurate for measuring breast size in thinner women. Increased risk with larger breasts most likely occurs for all women, but bra size is a less accurate gauge of breast size among heavier women.
The findings are simple, "The bigger the breast, the more breast cells. The more cells you have, the more cells are at risk for a potential mutation or malignant change."

The Five Elements in Chinese Philosophy

The yin and yang philosophy was further refined into the system of the five elements to gain a deeper understanding of how the body, mind and spirit work and acupuncture.
The microcosm of the body is linked to the universe and is affected by the daily and seasonal cycles of nature. (Think about the seasonal affective disorder which manifests itself in winter or when the light is not sufficient). The individual and the world are changing all the time. But Chinese believe that these changes are occurring in certain order and in cycles. (We can think about these like our economic cycles or agricultural cycles. A period of growth is always followed by a period of stagnation or unemployment. In the stock market, a bull market is always followed by a bear market etc.) In the same way, a seed planted in spring blooms in summer, seeds itself in late summer to autumn, dies in winter, and a new seed grows again in spring. It is part of a never-ending cycle and each phase has its role to play in maintaining the balance of nature. The same process of change occurs within the body. Cells grow and die to make way for new cells, and body systems depend upon each other in a similar way to the seasons, working together to ensure the balanced functioning of the body, mind and spirit and the healthy flow of life through the whole person.

Representation of the Five Elements

Chinese philosophy recognizes five distinct elements of cyclical change called water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. These five elements can be related to our four seasons (with a fifth late summer season) as shown in the table below. The elements can also be related to different colors, emotion, taste, voice and various organs. These can also be related to the selection of food and herbs. Notice the correspondence between the Chinese philosophy and the underlying Indian philosophy, which also classifies everything in the universe under earth, water, fire, air, and ether.

Acupuncture (I)

Acupuncture (from Lat. acus, "needle" (noun), and pungere, "prick" (verb) or in Standard Mandarin, zhēn jiǔ (針灸) is a broad term covering techniques for inserting and manipulating thin needles into "acupuncture points" on the body in order to restore health and well-being. Acupuncture is practised by "Licensed Acupuncturists" and other healthcare professionals. In the West, it is associated with Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM along with herbal medicine and tui na. Other types of acupuncture, notably Japanese, Korean, and classical Chinese acupuncture, are practiced and taught throughout the world.

Whether acupuncture is efficacious or a placebo is subject to scientific research. There is no scientific consensus over whether or not evidence supports efficacy. Reviews of existing clinical trials have been conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration and Bandolier according to the protocols of evidence-based medicine; some reviews have found efficacy for headache and nausea, but for most conditions have concluded a lack of effectiveness or lack of well-conducted clinical trials. The World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the American Medical Association (AMA) have also commented on acupuncture. These groups disagree on what is acceptable evidence and on how to interpret it, but generally agree that acupuncture is relatively safe and that further investigation is warranted.

Acupuncture

As my boyfriend was practicing Chinese medicine; thus, I would like to introduce to all of you regarding acupuncture.
Acupuncture originated in China over 2,000 years ago and is one of the oldest and most commonly performed types of medical procedure. The literal meaning of Acupuncture is “needle piercing.” As the name suggests, the procedure of acupuncture involves penetrating the skin with solid, metallic needles that are very thin. Acupuncture has grown in popularity in the United States since the 1970s and is now widely regarded as a safe and effective treatment for a variety of conditions.

According to Chinese medicine, the body transmits energy or qi (pronounced chee) through pathways or meridians in the body. The unimpeded flow of this energy, along with a balanced Yin and Yang, account for a person's overall health. Acupuncture targets more than 2,000 acupuncture points along these pathways to ensure the proper flow of energy through the body.

According to Western medicine, Acupuncture works by stimulating the Central Nervous System to release chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord and brain that can alter biochemicals in a way that may relieve pain, stimulate healing and promote physical and emotional health.

Both Eastern and Western medicines agree that Acupuncture can help treat a wide variety of illnesses by relieving pain and symptoms associated with these illnesses. Acupuncture can help with conditions as diverse as abdominal pain, diarrhea, indigestion, anxiety, menopause, infertility, chronic pain, arthritis, headaches, Parkinson's Disease, bronchitis, smoking cessation, addiction and high blood pressure just to name a few.

When choosing an Acupuncture practitioner, make sure to consult your physician to make sure Acupuncture can be beneficial to your condition. Acupuncture is not for everyone, and prescription or over-the-counter drugs, breast implants, pregnancy or a pacemaker may actually make Acupuncture dangerous. Always consult with a physician before any new medical treatment begins.

It is always a good idea to choose a licensed acupuncture practitioner. Many states have established certification guidelines for physicians and non-physicians who practice acupuncture. Getting referrals from family, friends and physicians is also a good idea. Make sure you get an estimate of the cost and the length of treatment proposed and make sure you understand what your health insurance plan will or won't cover.

With proper research and medical advice, Acupuncture may be the most effective treatment for your condition. With acceptance and popularity continuing to grow in the United States, Acupuncture has become an easy and affordable solution to many common health problems. Consult an Acupuncture practitioner in your area for more information

Calcium can reduce fracture risk in elderly women

Calcium supplementation is an effective public health intervention for preventing fractures in elderly women, but it is only effective if women are compliant. Unfortunately, most women do not comply with treatment over the long-term.
Increased dietary calcium intake has been proposed as a population-based public health intervention to prevent fractures due to the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, note researchers in a report in Archives of Internal Medicine.
In a study lasting five years, a total of 1460 women with an average age of 75 years were randomly assigned to receive 600 mg calcium carbonate twice daily or placebo. Overall, 1228 women completed the study.
A total of 236 women (16.2 percent) sustained 297 osteoporotic fractures. Some analyses failed to show a protective effect of calcium on fracture risk. However, in an analysis restricted to the 830 patients (56.8 percent) who took at least 80 percent of their calcium tablets, a reduction of 34 percent in the risk of fracture at any site was apparent in the calcium arm.

Calcium-treated patients showed significant improvements in measurements of the heel, femoral neck, and whole-body dual x-ray absorptiometry data. Bone strength was also improved in patients treated with calcium compared to placebo-treated patients.
While a total of 92,000 adverse events were recorded, only constipation was more common in calcium-treated patients compared with placebo-treated patients (13.4 percent versus 9.1 percent).

Acupuncture may control vomiting after chemo

Acupuncture, in conjunction with the latest drugs to prevent nausea and vomiting, seems to help relieve chemotherapy-induced vomiting, a new report suggests.

Despite the advent of new drug that control nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy (anti-emetics), many cancer patients still experience these unpleasant side effects, which can impair quality of life, cause emotional distress, and aggravate cancer-related symptoms such as weight loss, lethargy and weakness.

The ancient Chinese technique of acupuncture, used to treat a variety of ailments by stimulating specific points on the body, has become increasingly popular for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, based on what the National Institutes of Health recently called "promising" research.
The current findings are based on pooled data from up to 11 trials that looked at the impact of acupuncture-point stimulation on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in more than 1,200 cancer patients.
The studies looked at several different types of acupuncture, including electro-acupuncture, in which a small electrical current is passed through very thin needles that penetrate the skin; noninvasive electro-stimulation of the skin surface using a wristwatch-like device; manual acupuncture -- the most well-known type that involves insertion and manual rotation of very fine needles; or acupressure, which involves pressing on the points usually with fingertips.
According to investigators, 22 percent of patients who underwent acupuncture experienced vomiting the first day after chemotherapy compared with 31 percent of those who did not undergo acupuncture.
A Baltimore-based company that develops complementary and alternative medicines, and associates also found that electro-acupuncture reduces first-day vomiting, whereas noninvasive electro-stimulation of the skin surface does not.
Manual acupuncture also appears to be largely ineffective for chemotherapy-induced nausea or vomiting.
Acupressure, the team found, reduces first-day nausea, but is not effective for "delayed" symptoms of nausea or vomiting.
In all of the trials included in the analysis, patients received concomitant anti-emetics, and all patients, except those in the electro-acupuncture trials, received "state-of-the-art" drugs such as Zofran and Anzemet, which are currently recommended for chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting.
Therefore, it's not known if electro-acupuncture adds anything to the most current anti-emetic drugs. This is an important unknown that needs to be studied, note the investigators.

Cinema

Yesterday went for a midnight show in one of the KL cinema. The movie was pretty cool and nice. But, the environment inside the cinema was horrible, from the beginning till he end of the show there was somebody sitting surround us keep on passing flatus, the smell was horrible. We can’t even enjoy our show; at last, we changed to another seat that was empty.

National Nurses Day 2006

TRENDS
• the aging population increases demands for nurses, and the need for long-term caregivers continues to grow.

• Advances in medical science have allowed those with debilitating and terminal conditions to live longer, increasing needs for nursing skills.

• Health care cost containment initiatives and the increasing importance of managed care in the U.S. health care delivery system have had a great impact on the work environment of nurses. Just like professionals in other areas where "downsizing" has occurred in recent years, today's nurse is part of a leaner staff doing more work.

• At the same time, nurses are moving into new positions – nurse practitioners and doctor's assistants, for example.

• Registered nurses top the list of the 10 occupations with the largest projected job growth in the years 2002 to 2012, according to a 2004 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report.


WHEN

 National Nurses Week is May 6-12. (The week-long celebration accommodates the variety of schedules nurses are required to work).

 Not just this year, but every year, regardless of the days of the week upon which those dates fall.

 May 6 is the official nurse recognition day, with student nurse day on May 8 and school nurse day on May 9. (This recognition day was previously observed during January and, unlike the others, is not a fixed date.)

 The week draws attention to and celebrates the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community. The full week of recognition culminates on Florence Nightingale’s birthday, May 12.

Breaky Bones

Did you know…?
It is estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 worldwide have osteoporosis. It is responsible for millions of fractures annually, mostly involving the lumbar vertebrae, hip, and wrist.
Hip fractures are responsible for the most serious consequences of osteoporosis. In the United States, osteoporosis causes a predisposition to more than 250,000 hip fractures yearly.
An estimated 700,000 women have a first vertebral fracture each year. The lifetime risk of a clinically detected symptomatic vertebral fracture is about 15% in a 50-year-old woman.

Treatment
The underlying mechanism in all cases of osteoporosis is an imbalance between bone absorption and bone formation. Either bone absorption is excessive, or bone formation is diminished. Achieving a higher peak bone mass through exercise and proper nutrition during adolescence is important for the prevention of osteoporosis.
Patients at risk for osteoporosis (e.g. those with excessive steroid use) are generally treated with Vitamin D and calcium supplements. In renal disease, a different form of Vitamin D (1.25 dihydroxycholecalciferol) is used, as the kidney cannot adequately activate vitamin D from precursors. In osteoporosis (or a patients with a very high risk), bisphosphonate drugs are prescribed.
To aid in the prevention of osteoporosis, women aged eight to 18, need 1,300mg a day of calcium, while women aged 19 to 50, need 1,000mg. Women older than 50 years need 1,200mg of calcium a day.

My achy

It is very important that we keep our bones strong and healthy for weak bones or osteoporotic bones could result in a higher chance of us breaking our bones. Osteoporosis is a disease of bone in which bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced hence bone fracture risk is increased.
The world Health Organization (WHO) defines this disease as a bone mineral density of 2.5 below the peak bone mass. Also, due to hormonal reasons, women are more prone to suffer from osteoporosis than men.
Osteoporosis fractures are those that occur under slight amount of stresses that would not normally lead to fractures in nonosteoporotic people. Typical fractures occur in the vertebral column, hip and wrist.

Risk Factors
People who smoke, take soft drinks (containing phosphoric acid), with low body weight, estrogen deficiency, have early menopause, low calcium and vitamin D intake, alcoholism, impaired eyesight despite adequate correction, recurrent falls and inadequate physical activity are at risk for the disease.

Arm support prevents pain in computer users

Forearm boards and training in ergonomics can prevent injuries and pain in people who use computers, new research shows.

Musculoskeletal disorders involving neck pain, shoulder pain and arm pain are common in workers who use computers, according to scientists at the University of California, San Francisco. They conducted a one-year study of 182 employees at a call center who used computers at least 20 hours a week.
The volunteers were randomly assigned to one of four groups: ergonomics training, training plus replacement of a computer mouse with a trackball, training plus a large forearm board attached to the front of the work surface, or training plus a forearm board and trackball. Weekly questionnaires assessed pain, and physical examinations by a physician detected new musculoskeletal problems.

The researchers found that the trackball did not help but that the forearm support helped prevent neck and shoulder disorders and reduced pain the neck, shoulders and right arm. A cost-benefit analysis showed a forearm board would pay for itself in about 11 months. They concluded that large forearm supports and training in ergonomics could prevent musculoskeletal disorders and pain in the upper body of computer workers.

World Thalassaemia Day

World Thalassaemia Day
It is unacceptable that many of us don’t even know what Thalassaemia is. It’s no longer an excuse to be ignorant as it is important for people to know this carrier rate of 3% to 5% in the country. Today is world Thalassaemia Day.

What is Thalassaemia? (Also known as Cooley’s anemia or Mediterranean Anemia)It’s an inherited blood disorder which reduces the amount of hemoglobin in our bodies hence affecting the performance of our red blood cells. Now, it’s needless to stress the importance of having healthy red blood cells as these cells are of utmost importance in ensuring our body gets its vital oxygen.

Thalassaemia major
Children with Thalaseamia major are born normal but become anemic between the ages of three months and 18 months resulting in the need for medical treatment and frequent blood transfusion hence become transfusion dependent. When these children are not treated, they usually do not live long enough to pass their ninth birthday. Those with Thalassaemia major require live long treatment to survive.

Thalassaemia minor
These bunches of people are basically the carriers of the disease. They are healthy and normal as everyone else with only a handful of them having slight anemia. The scary thing about this Thalassaemia type is that many people do not know that they are carriers until too late.

Thalassaemia intermediate
Patients with clinical features between those of Thalassaemia trait and Thalassaemia major are categorized as having Thalassaemia intermediate. A majority of these patients can survive without regular blood transfusions. Children with Thalassaemia intermediate usually display symptoms later compared with children with Thalassaemia major.

DVD Player

Today gone to KL again, as my DVD player gave me problem again. It will stop half way while playing, and then skip to another section, no fun of watching movie anymore. Finally, we decided to send it fro repair as it’s still under warranty. The life spend of this VCD or DVD player is getting shorter and shorter, if you get a good one which is cost you about RM 400-RM 500; but, it may have problem if you want to watch pirated disc and the life spend might be same as the cheaper player. Thus, I decide to get a cheaper one but to change it yearly.

Go back to work…….

After 3 days holiday, it is time for me to go back to my work. Hopefully I can adapt to the stress working environment again. I like to go for a holiday every half a year, or whenever I feel stress in my work. There is some time where we can’t cope with our work and you may feel frustrated. You make some funny decision like change to another profession or just resign from the job and stay at home to cool down for few months. All this idea had across my mind for the past one year.
But, my final decision will still stay at the place that i familiar to.

The photo that i took with my boyfriend in Yun Nam end of last year

Redang Island (III)

Activities @ Redang Island
Day I
After lunch, we proceed for island hopping and snorkeling around the island. Before that, we have to rent the snorkeling mask and life jacket which is cost us RM 20.00 for three days usage.
The open sea is about 15-20 feet. For those who are not very good in swimming, there will be life guards to bring you snorkeling around the sea; they will show you different types of fish and coral. Beside that, there is an underwater photography section for all participants. RM 5 for each copy of photo. You have a choice either to develop the photo or save it into a disc.
Evening, my boyfriend and I explore along the beach, we walked from Laguna Redang Resort to another resort.

Day II
After breakfast, transfer by boat trip to Redang Island Marine Park. Visitors to the Marine Parks will be required to pay conservation charges:
RM 5 for adults RM 2.50 for children
I have set up the web regarding Marine Park on 3rd May (pls. do refer).
After lunch, we suppose to proceed with another island hopping and snorkeling; but, I have a very bad migraine attack, thus we cancel the trip and canoeing around the sea near to our resort , we paid RM 20 for the rental (two hours). It is a joyful activity if you know how to operate the boat and must have a good partner and good posture during canoeing, to prevent from backache (I’m having backache that night……)
During dinner time, we found that few of our friends never join the afternoon snorkeling trip, as they also felt that there was no rest time between the morning section and the afternoon section. As soon as we came back from Marine Park (morning section) at 1245hrs, we had our lunch and got to go back to jetty again at 1430hrs for our afternoon section, thus there is no rest time for us.
This evening, we join the beach disco and dance till 12 midnight.

One of the famous gift shop -> more-more tea

Day III
After breakfast, we check out at 11am and transfer back to Merang Jetty. Then, say “bye bye” to Redang Island.


If you would like to have a relax, low cost and enjoyable holiday in Malaysia, Redang Island is definitely a good choice, provided if you are staying there for about four days, so that you can explore the whole island.

Redang Island (II)

Getting there
I took a flight from LCC (Low cost carrier) – KLIA to Kuala Terengganu. It takes about 50 minutes for me to reach the Kuala Terengganu airport. Upon arrival, transfer to Merang jetty (30 minutes) → the shortest kick-off point to Redang Island, about 38 kilometers north of Kuala Terengganu. Travel time to this island via speed boat is about 45 minutes.

During the high season from March to October, boats depart either from Kuala Terengganu or Merang. However, the frequency is not regular prior arrangements would ensure an enjoyable trip. After that, we transfer to Laguna Redang Resort; there was a welcome drink and briefing at arrival hall regarding our exciting journey during the period of stay.

Redang Island (I)

Marine Park → Redang Island
An excellent snorkel and dive site, the Marine Park Centre incorporates a visitor centre at Pulau Pinang to provide tourists with necessary information.
Permitted activities that are encouraged in Marine Park are those which do not destroy the coral reef environment. These activities will expose the visitor to the beauty and wonder of the underwater world. Some of these activities are
- SCUBA Diving
- Snorkeling
- Underwater photography
- Fish feeding
- Observation and appreciation of aquatic flora and fauna
- Hill or nature walks on the islands.

Scuba diving around the park vicinity can be interesting, towards the left (from the park centre looking towards the direction of the sea) is a hard coral garden with polite mounds carpeted by Christmas tree worms observed at depth around 10-15 meters. Right below the jetty area is an artificial reef at about 3 to 5 meters with abundant marine life like, moray eels, hatchet fish, soldier fish, groupers, rabbit fish and squids.
Towards the right of the jetty is a shipwreck, with several steel structures visible from the topside. The stern of the wreck lies in 15 meters of water, sitting upright.

Visitors to the Marine Parks will be required to pay conservation charges:
RM 5 for adults RM 2.50 for children

Redang Island - Terengganu

Terengganu, on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, beckons with an aura that is distinctively Malay. Its traditional way of life, vibrant cottage industriesb and fascinating cultural pastimes give the state its unique appeal. The island of Redang, Perhentian, Lang Tengah, Kapas and Tenggol are jewels in Terengganu’s crown.

Redang is located 45 km off the coast of Kuala Terengganu, is the largest of the group of islands dotting the South China Sea off the Terengganu coast. The island offers crystal clear waters and numerous dive sites for the enthusiast. Sheltered within the Redang Island Marine Park, the waters here abound with marine life.

The best time to visit Redang is between April and October. Take note that most resorts are closed during the Northeast Monsoon, which blows from November to March.
Redang Island is perfect for snorkeling, swimming, scuba diving, jungle trekking, boating and canoeing. This paradise-like island offers crystal clear water, pearly white shores, a colorful array of spectacular marine life, a breathtaking sunset and what could be the world's most mature coral gardens. This is your chance to see and be acquainted with the local eel, giant grouper, black tipped shark, etc. Chance encounter with the Green turtle and Hawksbill turtle is common. There are corals of every imaginable shape, size or color. The observant are rewarded with sights of flatworm, nudibranch, shrimp, squid, cuttlefish, stonefish, lionfish and pipefish.