(PULAU BIDONG) BIDONG ISLAND

Pulau Bidong was internationally well known as the relocation center for Vietnamese refuges from the middle 70’s until it was closed in the early 90’s. the state government decided that no hotels are to be built on the island. Remnants of what used to be hospital, school, sundry shops and warehouse are a stark reminder of what used to be home to thousands of the boat peoples. There is a turtle research centre conducted by local university and underwater gallery comprises of replicas of Inscripted Stone (Batu Bersurat), a Keris, a traditional sampan and betel chewing canisters (tepak sireh) located 15m underwater. Day trip visitors can snorkel and scuba dive around Pulau Bidong. Recently the state has set up Bidong Heritage Fund to formulate, monitor and reconstruct the Island into a visitors, zone.