The Perhentian Islands
The Perhentian Islands are a set of islands located in the North East of western Malaysia. Both Islands, Kecil (small) and Besar (big) have accommodations and beautiful beaches, but Besar has more resorts and high-end stays. Kecil, especially Long Beach, targets a younger, more budget-friendly crowd.
So given our situation, we stayed on Long Beach and loved it. In this post, I’ll focus on Kecil Island since we spent most of our time here. Even if you stay on Besar, you can easily take a boat taxi over to Kecil to do any of the activities mentioned below.
Why visit the Perhentians?
The Perhentian Islands are surrounded by warm, crystal clear, turquoise water. I was shocked when I first arrived. This is probably the clearest and bluest water I’d seen myself. Isabelle compared it to the Caribbean waters. Because of this, the Perhentians are a popular vacation destination for the Malay people – many come here to dive and snorkel on the weekends. However, it seems like the rest of the world has no idea that they even exist.
If you search online, you’ll find people comparing the Perhentians to the Maldives and calling them an “undiscovered paradise”. With the new addition of a Marriott Resort on Kecil Island, it is hard to call them “un-discovered”, but they definitely are beautiful and far less touristy than, say, the beaches of Southern Thailand.
The Best Time to Visit Perhentian
The islands are closed from November to March during monsoon season because it is too dangerous to travel to the islands. A 45-60 minute speed boat ride is required to reach the islands, and even on the calmest days, it’s a bumpy ride. Fair warning: the boat drivers like to go fast and make it as bumpy as possible. It goes by quickly, though, I promise. The busiest time will be June-August when diving conditions are the best. Because the Perhentians are also a popular destination for Malaysians, weekends and holidays will be busier.
Traveling to the Perhentian Islands
To get to the islands, you first go to the Kuala Besut Jetty which can be a bit of a journey. Here is how we did it:
Our Route (Shuttle Bus)
We took an overnight bus from Melaka to Jerteh and arrived around 6 AM. Jerteh is a town about 20 minutes away from the Kuala Besut Jetty Terminal. When we arrived in Jerteh, there were zero Grab’s (their version of Uber) available. There was a taxi driver already waiting for passengers, but he quoted us twice as much as a Grab, so we waited for a bit until there was one available. We left Jerteh around 6:45 AM and arrived at Kuala Besut around 7 AM. The driver dropped us right at the ticket office.
Round trip tickets were 70 MYR (approx. $15 USD per person round trip), and since we arrived early in the morning, we were able to catch one of the first ferries to the island. We had a quick breakfast at T’Kafé (5 MYR for coffee and a roti) while waiting for our boat ride in Kuala Besut. The boat ride was quite bumpy, so try to sit at the back if you want a smoother ride. After less than an hour, we were walking to our campsite right on the beach.`
Alternative Option (Airport)
Jerteh and Pasir Puteh are the two larger towns with bus stations around Kuala Besut, so search both options – chances are your location of origin goes to one of those two bus stations. If you do book through a tour company, they will have it figured out for you. Once you arrive at one of those bus stations, you’ll take a taxi or Grab to the Kuala Besut Jetty.
There is an airport in Kotah Bharu which is north of Kuala Besut. We didn’t consider this option since it didn’t quite fit in the budget, but that is definitely another way of transportation. Especially if you’re trying to avoid a 6-8 hour bus ride (assuming you’re coming from Melaka or Kuala Lumpur), you should be able to get a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur. From the airport, you’ll take a quick taxi ride to Kuala Besut Jetty. Unfortunately, the *very bumpy* ferry ride is unavoidable – but it’s just a part of the experience!
Food and Drinks
Restaurants
The entirety of Long Beach is scattered with restaurants, so if you’re on Kecil and need food head to the beach. Coral Bay, which is on the other side of Kecil, doesn’t have many options, but it does have our favorite restaurant on the island, Amelia’s. (Note: we know the reviews for this place aren’t great. We tried it anyway and were pleasantly surprised. We even ended up coming back multiple times – it’s also a prime spot to watch the sunset.)
Amelia’s is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the evenings, they have a giant BBQ where you choose from local catch-of-the-day. Starting at 25 MYR ($5), you’ll get a plate of freshly caught fish with rice, sauce, and a salad. You can expect to choose from these options: squid, barracuda, dorado, prawns, and on some days, there might even be a special catch available! Since they’re grilling it fresh, you’ll most likely wait 20-30 minutes, so enjoy a beer in the meantime.
On Long Beach, we ate at Pit Stop Station for breakfast and lunch (typical Malay food). Mummy Burger is also decent, and very cheap if you’re in need of your Western fix.
Alcohol (it’s hard to get!)
Drinks on the island are hard to come by, and they’re pricey. If you’re looking for cheap drinks you’ll need to bring them from the mainland. In the evenings, you can also find cocktails on Long Beach at some of the drink stands near the nightly fire show (they’re around 25 MYR or $5 USD). There’s also a bar, Joe’s, which tends to get pretty rowdy between 10 pm-2 am every night if you’re looking for a bit of a party. We only knew about it because our campsite was right next door, so it might’ve kept us up some nights (lucky us!).
Pro Tip: At Amelia’s, you can ask the guys running the BBQ for alcohol in the evenings. The official restaurant menu doesn’t have alcohol on it, but these guys will get you their special menu. This menu led us to a bottle of vodka to celebrate our friend’s birthday for around 100 MYR ($21 USD). But it can also get you beers and other drinks.
Where to Stay
When staying on Kecil Island there are two main options, Long Beach and Coral Bay. Long Beach is the livelier side of the Island with more people, accommodations, and restaurants. Coral Bay, a 10-minute walk from Long Beach, has a more relaxed vibe.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Long Beach Campsite for 5 nights, and have a love-hate relationship with the place now. The campsite is partnered with a group of budget cabins and has a clubhouse with good vibes and great wifi.
I recommend staying there if you want a real authentic beach camping experience. Just know that the bar next door might keep you up some nights. There were a few nights when we even pondered joining since they were keeping us up anyway.
It really is a perfect location, because first thing in the morning, you can wake up in your tent and walk to the beach less than 100 meters away to watch the sunrise.
Here are a few places on the Island we recommend:
- Long Beach Campsite
- Harerra
- These are budget cabins right above Long Beach Campsite and they share a clubhouse. If you stay here, you’ll be in a private hut a bit further from the beach. It will be a lot quieter than Long Beach Campsite at night.
- Ombak Dive Resort
- Our friends stayed here for a few nights to celebrate a birthday. It’s a bit more expensive, but it’s definitely more glamorous than our budget camping option.
Island Activities
Here are some activities you can enjoy while on the islands.
Snorkeling
This is the most popular thing to do on the island. For good reason – there are fantastic snorkel spots around Kecil and Besar, and it’s cheap! When it comes to snorkeling trips you have a few options: Short trip (40 MYR or $8.44 USD), Long Trip (50 MYR or $10.55 USD), Rawa Island Trip (80 MYR or $16.88 USD)
We booked the short trip and it was plenty of snorkeling. After snorkeling at 3 different spots (30 minutes each) we were ready for a beach nap.
We booked our snorkel trip with “Jeffery” who has a shop to the left of Amelia’s. His company is smaller and so the tour itself was also small, which was perfect. Many other tour groups we saw while snorkeling were 10-20 people.
Scuba Diving
The Perhentians are a great place to dive, or get your Scuba Certification if you don’t have it. The waters are usually clear and calm which is ideal to learn.
Our friends got certified at Seahorse Diver and recommended it. During their certification, they got a free room at the Dive Resort, and food was included. They stayed at the resort for 3 nights but the certification only took 2 days. The total price for the PADI certification, room & board, and food was around $300/person USD.
Kayaking
There are a few spots on Coral Bay to rent kayaks. We rented from Jeffery, the guy who took us snorkeling. Once again, he was great and gave us some pointers on where to go. For 5 hours of kayaking and renting a snorkel, we spent 80 MYR ($17 USD).
Explore the Hidden Beaches on Kecil
Hike, kayak, or boat to the beaches on the north end of Kecil. There are no commercial shops, restaurants, or hotels, so they are incredibly peaceful. If you’re lucky (or get up early), you can have one of the beaches all to yourself. Be sure to check out these beaches:
Cenderawasih, Adam & Eve Beach, Turtle Beach, and Romantic Beach.
Hire a boat taxi for a day trip
There are signs all over both beaches for boat taxis, so, you can be picked up basically anywhere. Prices were the same across the island, so no need to waste time searching for the best deal.
Fire Show
There is a fire show on Long Beach every night around 10 PM. It is free to watch, but tips are appreciated.
Eat grilled Catch-of-the-Day for dinner
A lot of restaurants break out the grill when the sun goes down. It’s inexpensive and delicious. You will see them all along the beach. If you want dinner with a sunset though, you’ll have to eat at Amelia’s.
Watch the sunrise at Long Beach
We loved waking up for the sunrise and watching it from Long Beach. Most accommodations are on the beach so it is super easy to crawl out of bed and to the beach. The sun rises fairly early here, but if you sleep in a tent, you’re bound to wake up naturally to the light
Watch the sunset at Coral Bay
The sunsets on Coral Bay are amazing! There is a platform you can swim to by Senja to enjoy the view on the water
The Best Way to Spend a Day on Kecil
Keep in mind: you’ll be walking back and forth between Long Beach and Coral Bay A LOT – they’re about 15 minutes from each other, so it’s a good way to get your steps in throughout the day, but it’s an easy walk.
- Wake up on Long Beach and go for a sunrise swim.
- Enjoy a breakfast on the beach
- Head to Coral Bay and rent a kayak, or go on a snorkeling trip
- If snorkeling, opt for the short trip. You’ll have three stops and it is plenty of time.
- If kayaking, rent it for 4-5 hours and head north up the coast. You’ll want to bring a snorkel and mask. Check out: Romantic Beach, Adam and Eve, and the other small beaches along the northern part of the island. Find a private spot (or private beach) and enjoy the peace & quiet for a couple of hours.
- After your morning activities, head to Long Beach for an afternoon lunch and a much-needed break from the sun
- Head back over to Coral Bay and choose a piece of fresh-caught fish for dinner at Amelia’s while watching the sunset
- After dinner, walk back to Long Beach and end the night with the free fire show.
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