The Perhentian Island are a pair of two beautiful islands, Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil, 25 kilometers from Kuala Besut which is located on the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The islands are not only full of natural beauty but provide tourists with opportunities to enjoy nature in new ways. The islands also offer the perfect escape from the noise, traffic, and pollution of modern living.

Diving Deep into the Sea

Scuba diving is one of the top activities on the Perhentian Island. Because of the popularity of this underwater activity, you can find many affordable diving excursions on all of the islands. The dives are popular because the sites available for going deep below the surface are numerous and because the water is so clear divers have impressive visibility in the depths.

You can also get a close look at many types of marine life, including sea turtles, shark species, and even jellyfish. The coral reefs are also a popular draw, although you must be careful around them so as not to cause damage to these fragile living ecosystems.

Besides the marine life and coral, you can also explore the Sugar Wreck which is the wreckage of large ship that once hauled sugar and the Temple of the Sea, a pinnacle that comes up from the floor of the sea. You also have the option of visiting nearby Redang Island or Lang Tengah Island where even more diving spots are available.

If you don’t want to go scuba diving, you can also try snorkeling at Perhentian Besar (the larger of the two islands). There are several excellent spots, such as Teluk Pauh, Shark Point and Tanjung Basi. Sea kayaking is also available through some of the islands’ resorts.

Land Activities

When you’re not exploring the underwater areas or relaxing on the numerous white sandy beaches, you might want to try an excursion into the islands’ jungles. Both islands are covered in untouched jungle areas which are full of paths that are often used as shortcuts to reach other beaches. The journey is worth the sweat and the bugs if you want to get a close look at some of the animal life on the island, including monitor lizards, monkeys, fruit bats, and some large spiders that might be too much for the feint hearted.

You can also learn about turtles on the island. Because the Perhentian Island were once home to many turtle nests, one of the beaches has been protected for their nests and also serves as an education spot for tourists of all ages. When on Perhentian, there are few resorts and chalets to choose for your stay - some of them - Mohsin Chalet, Coral View Island Resort and Senja Bay Resort.

Getting to Perhentian Island

Although you can charter boats from nearby islands to take you to Perhentian Island, most people arrive by boat from Kuala Besut. The most common type of transportation is the speedboat and the trip takes around 30 to 45 minutes depending on where you are staying on the islands.

You can reach Kuala Besut by flying into one of the nearby airports, either the one in Kota Bharu or the one in Kuala Terengganu. Buses to Kota Bharu can also drop you off near Kuala Besut so that you can take a taxi the rest of the way.