Things to do in Perhentian Islands
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Perhentian Islands
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Opening season: seas settle, resorts reopen in sequence, quietest in season, generally good visibility.
Peak season: most reliable seas, busiest boats and highest prices, book everything ahead.
Late season: good value and warm seas, with weather less reliable through October and some operators stopping early.
Closed for the northeast monsoon: most resorts shut, dive and snorkel boats stop, Kuala Besut speedboats stop, seas dangerous.
What's on
- Turtle nesting season Roughly March to September, busiest in the middle months
Green and hawksbill turtles nest at Pantai Tiga Ruang, patrolled by the Perhentian Turtle Project. Join only through the project.
- Hari Raya Aidilfitri Around 10 March in 2027, shifts earlier each year
End of Ramadan homecoming holiday: boats and resorts fill with domestic travellers, transport sells out.
Best things to do in Perhentian Islands
Perhentian Snorkelling Boat Tour
The standard boat circuit linking Shark Point, Turtle Point and Tanjung Basi in one half or full day.
Teluk Pauh
The Besar house reef off the resort beach, with turtles in the bay and coral metres from the sand.
Fish Garden
A fish dense shore snorkel spot at the south end of the Besar west coast strip, reached by path or boat.
Long Beach
Kecil's main beach for swimming, dive schools, chalets and fire shows after dark in season.
Coral Bay
Kecil's quiet sunset bay, with jetty snorkelling and a short jungle walk back to Long Beach.
Kampung Nelayan
The islands' fishing village, for cheap local food and a look at resident island life.
Perhentian Turtle Project
Week long turtle conservation volunteering, with kayak surveys and nesting beach night patrols.
Where to stay in Perhentian Islands
Perhentian Besar west coast
shore snorkelling, families and quiet nights
Resorts along Teluk Pauh to Teluk Keke with the best house reef in the islands and water taxis to Kecil.
Long Beach, Perhentian Kecil
divers, groups and eating out nightly
Dive schools, chalets at every price and beach bars on one sand strip, with Coral Bay a short walk away.
Coral Bay, Perhentian Kecil
quiet Kecil base and sunsets
Smaller resorts and chalets on the sunset side, with jetty snorkelling and Long Beach ten to fifteen minutes away.
Northwest and southwest Kecil
splurge and boutique stays in their own bays
The Marriott in its northwest bay and Alunan above Petani Beach trade walkable nightlife for space and quiet.
Think twice about
- Middle of Long Beach for light sleepers
Fire shows, beach bars and early dive boats compress the quiet hours in peak season. Sleep at the northern end or in Coral Bay.
- Single cove resorts without a water taxi budget
Several coves have one resort, one restaurant and no path out at night. Check for a jungle path to a second beach before booking.
- Kampung Nelayan as a swimming base
A working fishing village and harbour, not a swim beach. Stay there for food and local life, and swim at the resort beaches.
Best restaurants in Perhentian Islands
Santai Restaurant
BuBu's sit down restaurant on Long Beach, the islands' closest thing to an occasion dinner.
The World Cafe
Italian and international dishes at BuBu Villa, often named as the best meal travellers had on Kecil.
Ombak Cafe
The Coral Bay all day terrace, with a large menu and the bay's default dinner table.
Amelia Cafe
A Coral Bay beach cafe known for its nightly seafood barbecue on the sand.
Ewan Cafe
A small cafe midway on the Coral Bay to Long Beach path, with big portions at local prices.
Mama's Restaurant
A family run Besar table for pick your own grilled fish, roti canai and banana pancakes.
Outdoor things to do in Perhentian Islands
Pulau Rawa
The outer island snorkel day with Susu Dara, for clearer water and less visited reef.
Anti Gravity Divers
PADI courses in very small groups on Kecil, the first name for learning to dive in the islands.
Ombak Divers
Fun dives and small group PADI courses run from Coral Bay on Kecil.
Pulau Perhentian Kincir Angin
The windmill viewpoint climb above Long Beach, with stairs down toward Adam and Eve Beach.
D'Lagoon
A lagoon bay with a lively house reef, reached by kayak along the Kecil northwest coast.
Best hotels in Perhentian Islands
Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa
The islands' one true luxury resort, opened in 2024, with villas, pools, spa and a dive centre.
BuBu Long Beach Resort
The boutique top end of Long Beach, with the beach's two best restaurants in house.
Alunan Resort
A boutique hillside resort above Petani Beach, with an infinity pool and bundled snorkel packages.
Perhentian Island Resort
The big Teluk Pauh resort, with the house reef off its beach and full board snorkel packages.
Tuna Bay Island Resort
A well run chalet resort on the Besar west coast strip, smaller and more personal than its neighbours.
Ombak Dive Resort
Clean, comfortable rooms built around a dive shop on Coral Bay, the diver base on Kecil's quiet side.
Senja Bay Resort
The Coral Bay value stay, tiered simple rooms above the sunset beach, sold in cheap packages.
Butterfly Chalets
Simple hillside chalets with bay view balconies, two minutes from Coral Bay and basic in every way.
Is Perhentian Islands expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MYR 180 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MYR 380 a person |
| Splurge | MYR 950 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Perhentian Turtle Project: weeks ahead
- Pulau Rawa: a few days ahead
- Anti Gravity Divers: a few days ahead
- Ombak Divers: a few days ahead
- Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa: weeks ahead
- BuBu Long Beach Resort: weeks ahead
- Alunan Resort: weeks ahead
- Perhentian Island Resort: weeks ahead
- Book rooms and boats ahead for June to August, school holidays and Hari Raya, and PADI courses ahead if dates are fixed.
- Confirm shoulder season openings and boat runs directly with your resort in writing, especially late October and February to March.
Is Perhentian Islands safe?
- There is no hospital on the islands. Serious cases go by boat to Kuala Besut and onward care, so carry evacuation insurance and full medication supplies.
- Wear the life jacket on speedboats, keep valuables in a dry pouch rather than on the sand, and ask locally about jellyfish before long swims. Emergency number 999.
Perhentian Islands travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Planning a trip from November to February, when resorts close and boats stop for the monsoon.
- Expecting an ATM, card payment everywhere, or a bar in the village. Bring ringgit cash from the mainland.
- Paying distant reseller prices for the standard snorkel circuit that sells on the beach for MYR 40 to MYR 60.
Getting around Perhentian Islands: public transport and more
- Boats leave from Kuala Besut jetty, not Kuala Terengganu, about 30 to 45 minutes to the islands, MYR 35 to MYR 40 one way in current listings.
- There are no cars on either island. Move on foot by jungle path or by water taxi, agree the price before boarding, and expect after dark surcharges.
- Budget about MYR 50 in jetty fees as a foreign adult: MYR 30 marine park conservation fee plus MYR 20 Besut council island service fee.
Who Perhentian Islands suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Perhentian Islands your trip
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