Perhentian Islands Malaysia

The Perhentian Islands are a small group of beautiful, coral fringed islands off the coast of North Eastern Malaysia in the state of Terengganu, not far from the Thai border. Perhentian pronounced perhen-tee-ahn means 'place to stop' in Malay.

The two main islands are Perhentian Basar and Perhentian Kecil. The small, uninhabited islands of Susu Dara, Seringgi and Rawe lie off Kecil.

All the islands belong to a protected marine park, which means that fishing and collecting coral is prohibited.

The best time for travel is between mid February and late October - outside of this time many of the hotels and accommodation resorts are closed due to the rough seas.

There are two ways of getting to the islands - either by a 30 minute speed boat transfer or a slow boat taking up to 2 hours to get there from the ferry terminal of Kuala Besut on the mainland.

The islands offer excellent diving facilities and draw divers from far and wide. In addition to coral and fish there are sea turtles and many species of shark (not dangerous unless provoked). Popular dive sites include the Pinnacle (Tokong Laut).

All the resorts rent out snorkelling gear and arrange snorkelling tours around the islands. The islands are criss-crossed by small paths connecting one beach to another - between Long Beach and Coray Bay you may come across big monitor lizards and very large spiders and you may see monkeys when walking off the main trails.

Quieter of the two main islands is Besar where the Perhentian Island Resort offers the best accommodation available.

For all their beauty the Perhentians have a number of things you should be aware of, such as...

Credit Cards - not accepted widely and where they do then expect to pay a surcharge.

Mosquitoes - make sure you take a repellent as they can be a nuisance after rain.

Tap Water - not safe to drink and bottled water is dearer than on the main land.

Electricity - be warned, there are often power blackouts in the late afternoon, limited to three hours.

Mobile phones - coverage is available on both islands.

Hotels - at the present time most hotels are of a basic nature and there are no luxury hotels on either island.

Our hotels in Perhentian Islands

Perhentian Island Resort

in Perhentian Islands

A perfect dive resort nestled on a private beach

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