Everything to Know About Traveling to Malaysia’s Perhentian Islands
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Malaysia’s Perhentian Islands are an inexpensive and remote paradise for snorkeling and beach-going.
Just a little bit of planning and preparation can ensure a fantastic trip.
WaL offers local recommendations for the best snorkeling and dinner.
There are many typical island paradises on Earth, but Malaysia’s Perhentian Islands should be considered among the finest.
For adventurous beachgoers, they have all the benefits of both civilization and remoteness, including spectacular wildlife, but also credit card machines, luxury resorts, but also empty spaces.
Located off the northeast coast of the Malaysian peninsula, they have the added deterrence to other travelers of being nowhere near the major cities of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, and depending on where one arrives from, may require 5-6 different modes of transport to arrive.
Islands near Penang or Teoman, north of Singapore, will absorb a fair amount of ocean-going tourists, ensuring that even in high season the Perhentians never lose their wild charm.
Taking care of a short basic checklist will avoid routine errors in reaching and enjoying these islands, ensuring your loved ones can sit back and relax without a care in the world.
Situated in the tropic of Cancer, the Perhentian Islands are made up of two inhabited islands and several uninhabited rocks, about 20 minutes by boat from the mainland. They are forested in largely pristine tropical rainforest of vines, palms, some bamboo, and ficus trees.
Every variety of island accommodation can be found there, from a tent and a bathroom on bare sand, to luxurious $500-a-night package resorts. The resorts are spaced out around the two islands, and taxis can be hired to go to and from them and the various snorkeling locations or beaches.
The Malaysian ringgit is around 4-1 against Western currencies like the dollar or euro, meaning a 15-ringgit boat taxi split two ways is less than the cost of bottled water. However there are no ATMs on the islands at the time of writing, so be sure to withdraw all you need beforehand.
The climate is one of the monsoon. The good period largely coincides with the Western spring and summer, but varies month to month depending on which website is reporting.
The most important thing to consider, as Malaysia can experience rain, storms, and humidity at any time during the year, is when the monsoon will arrive. WaL spoke with divers and cabbies on the islands who explained that when the monsoon rains come, the heavy seas will routinely destroy the stunning coral reefs around the islands.
The best time may be late in the high season, say late August if one were to be certain of avoiding the monsoon, or even into early September. By that time, the majority of the coral reefs will have regenerated their spectacular colors and sizes, and the majority of vacationers will have returned home.
There are many dive schools that will offer internationally-recognized certification courses while diving in the gorgeous seas around the islands, but are costly as they would be in the West.
People live on the islands, but it, like the rest of Malaysia, is largely safe and you shouldn’t feel apprehensive about approaching the largely English-speaking population.
All boats going to the Perhentian Islands depart from the town of Kuala Besut, where a flotilla of speed boats float ready to bring vacationers and school children alike to and from the islands.
Getting to Kuala Besut is simple. Flights leave from KLIA airport in Kuala Lumpur to Sultan Ismail Airport at “Kota Bharu” on the country’s north coast. If a reservation has been made at a resort, they will arrange transport from the airport to Besut where you can then take a boat to the islands, which the resort will likely also arrange.
Three regular ferries arrive on the islands with times hovering around 8 AM, 12 PM, and 4 PM, which can be used to arrive on or depart from the islands. This varies depending on whether one is staying on the “big island” or the “small island”.
A bus terminal in Kuala Besut also services major cities including Kuala Lumpur, though it is a long ride of around 8 hours.
Once on the island, it will become immediately clear what someone or their family wants to do. WaL used a local waterman on the big island near the Flora Bay Resort with a name that sounded like “Goalee” as a taxi service to and from the snorkeling locations.
His restaurant is on the beach—literally, and he grills fresh fish every night weather permitting. It’s also one of the only restaurants that serves alcohol, as the country is Muslim and largely dry.
Try telling him that you heard about him through Andy, Mara, Elena, and Matteo, and that you hope to do the 100 ringgit snorkeling trip.
This trip is a day long, cheaper than most, and will take you to all the best beaches and snorkeling locations. He is also incredibly knowledgeable about the waters, how to find turtles and sharks to see, and more.
Some of the resorts are incredibly busy. WaL can report that at Perhentian Islands Resort, while beautiful, it was impossible to get a table to eat at lunchtime. On the other side of the island, Flora Bay Resort was never that full, and there were always empty spots on the beach. WaL
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