Backpacking the Perhentian Islands
On the Perhentian Islands you snorkel with sharks before lunch. Blacktip reef sharks, a metre long and shyer than you are, cruise round the rocks at Shark Point, and a few hundred metres on, green turtles graze calmly on the seabed while you float above them. A snorkel trip to five spots costs about €10. The water is so clear you can see the bottom from the boat.
Two islands, two personalities. Perhentian Kecil, the small one, belongs to the backpackers: Long Beach with its white sand, dive schools side by side, and beach bars with fire shows at night. Ten minutes through the jungle and you are in Coral Bay on the other side, where the sun drops into the sea. Perhentian Besar, the big island, is quieter, with resorts along the beach. There are no roads anywhere: you walk, or you jump in a water taxi.
Budget about €30 a day, more than on the mainland, because everything arrives by boat. There are no cash machines, so bring enough cash from Kuala Besut. And come between March and October: after that the monsoon hits the east coast and large parts of the islands shut down. Three to four days is enough, yet plenty of backpackers get their first dive certificate here and stay a week.
Why the Perhentian Islands are popular with backpackers
- Snorkelling with reef sharks and sea turtles
- Learning to dive with the dive school next to your bed
- Crystal-clear water and white beaches
- No roads and no traffic
- A sociable backpacker scene on Long Beach
- Sunsets in Coral Bay
- Small bays you reach on jungle trails
- Barefoot days after the cities of the peninsula
Best time to visit the Perhentian Islands
The Perhentians are on the east coast and run to a different rhythm from Penang and Langkawi. From roughly November to February the northeast monsoon blows, the sea gets too rough for the boats and most of the places to stay close.
June, July and August are the busiest months, partly because of Malaysian holidaymakers. Coming then? Book your first nights on Long Beach in advance.
Backpacker budget: around €30 a day
- €10hostel bed
- €3local meal
- €3beer
- €4water taxi per ride
Guide prices for a backpacker's day on the Perhentian Islands. Add a tour or a night out and it climbs fast.
Best area for backpackers
Long Beach on Perhentian Kecil
Long Beach, Pasir Panjang in Malay, is the heart of the backpacker scene. A long strip of white sand on the east side of Perhentian Kecil, lined with chalets, guesthouses, dive schools and little restaurants.
By day you swim straight off the beach and the snorkel trips and dive boats head out from here. In the evening Coral Bay sets the mood, ten minutes over the jungle trail on the west side, and afterwards the beach bars on Long Beach open up.
Worth knowing: Long Beach faces the open sea. At the end of the season the waves can get big, and then the boats sometimes drop you in Coral Bay instead.
Why stay on Long Beach?
- Most of the cheap beds on the islands
- Dive schools within walking distance
- A sociable backpacker vibe and beach bars
- Swimming and snorkelling straight off the beach
- Coral Bay round the corner for sunset
- Water taxis to the rest of the islands
After peace and quiet? Pick Coral Bay or a beach on Perhentian Besar. But if you want to meet other travellers, Long Beach is the place.
Best hostels in the Perhentian Islands
Booking works differently here than on the mainland. Lots of chalets and guesthouses on Long Beach still take reservations through their own channels or simply at the desk, and only a handful are on Hostelworld. Outside the busy summer months you can often just turn up and ask around; in June, July and August you are better off booking your first nights ahead. Trip.com has, among others, the first three below, all on Kecil; Ohlala you book through Hostelworld.
Mimpi Perhentian
Mimpi sits at the start of Long Beach on Perhentian Kecil, right next to the jetty, so you do not have to drag your bag through the sand. It is a resort with 75 rooms and a saltwater pool on the beach, dive courses and fun dives are arranged through the resort, and from the beach out front you are snorkelling among the fish in minutes. From about €105 a night it costs more than the chalets further along, which makes it the place to treat yourself after a few weeks of dorms.
For a few nights of luxury, couples, and snorkelling straight off the beach.
Ombak Dive Resort
Ombak is on Teluk Aur on Kecil, about ten minutes’ walk from Long Beach and close to Coral Bay, with loungers on a terrace by the water where you watch the sun go down. You can do dive courses here (PADI and SSI), the rooms have air con and a mosquito net, and the staff are happy to sort your snorkel trips. Bring mosquito spray, because on this side of the island they come out in the evening.
For anyone learning to dive, sunsets by the water, and staying between Long Beach and Coral Bay.
Perhentian AB Guest House
AB Guest House is in the fishing village on Perhentian Kecil, next to the mosque, with ten simple rooms with air con, a fan and their own bathroom. In the lobby you fill up with free hot and cold filtered water, and the wifi is fast. You sleep among the locals instead of on the beach, and the early morning call to prayer comes with that.
For budget travellers, anyone curious about village life, and anyone not looking for beach parties.
Ohlala Guesthouse
Right on Long Beach, with the sand outside the door. Under the dorms is their own PADI dive school, so if you sleep here and want your certificate, you just walk downstairs. A relaxed place for solo travellers.
For solo travellers, anyone learning to dive, and backpackers who want to sleep in the middle of Long Beach.
Best things to do in the Perhentian Islands
Snorkel trip with sharks and turtles
The classic Perhentian day. A small boat takes you to five or six spots round the two islands: Shark Point for the reef sharks, Turtle Point for the green turtles, and coral gardens full of fish in between.
Why go?
- Reef sharks up close, and they leave you alone
- Sea turtles right underneath you
- Crystal-clear water and colourful coral
- One of the best snorkelling days in Southeast Asia for about €10
Room for one trip on the Perhentians? This is the one.
Learning to dive
On Long Beach the dive schools sit shoulder to shoulder: in one afternoon you can walk into three and pick the one that clicks. The water is warm, there is little current and the dive sites are close to the islands. Well known ones are Tokong Laut, a coral-covered rock out in open water, and the Sugar Wreck, a sunken cargo ship.
Highlights
- Warm, clear, calm water
- Dive schools a short walk from your bed
- A wreck and rocks covered in coral
- A chance of turtles and sharks underwater
Already certified? Then a few fun dives here cost very little.
Coral Bay and the sunset
Coral Bay is on the west side of Perhentian Kecil, ten minutes over the jungle trail from Long Beach. The beach is smaller and quieter, the water often calmer, and this is where you watch the sun sink into the sea.
Perfect for
- Sunset over the sea
- An easy swim
- Dinner by the water
- Getting away from the Long Beach crowd
Take a torch for the way back. The jungle trail is pitch black at night.
A day on Perhentian Besar
Perhentian Besar, the big island, is a few minutes by boat from Kecil and feels like another world: long beaches with resorts, families, and far fewer backpackers. You can snorkel straight off the beach and follow trails from bay to bay.
Why go?
- Long, quiet beaches
- Snorkelling from the shore
- Walking between the bays
- A day off from Long Beach
Fix a pick-up time with your water taxi before it leaves you on the sand.
Kayaking along the coast
On Long Beach and in Coral Bay you can rent a kayak or a snorkel set by the hour. Paddle along the coast to the little bays that are hard to reach on foot, and jump in wherever the water looks good.
Highlights
- A bay all to yourself for a while
- Snorkelling where the trips do not go
- Quiet water early in the day
- A cheap outing between dives
How to plan your days in the Perhentian Islands
You do not plan much here: the sea decides your day. Pick how many days you have.
Arriving on Long Beach. The speedboat from Kuala Besut drops you on the beach. Find your bed, get in the water, and in the afternoon walk the jungle trail to Coral Bay.
Tonight: sunset in Coral Bay, then the beach bars on Long Beach.
Sharks and turtles. A snorkel trip to Shark Point, Turtle Point and the coral gardens round the two islands. Ask for a morning departure.
Tonight: grilled fish on the beach.
Perhentian Besar. Water taxi to the big island, snorkel off the beach and walk from bay to bay. Or start your dive course.
Tonight: back on Long Beach for the fire shows.
Diving or kayaking. One or two fun dives at Tokong Laut or the Sugar Wreck, or a kayak and a bay of your own. Or nothing at all, which is a perfectly good plan here too.
Tonight: one last sunset, and tomorrow the boat back to Kuala Besut.
Food and drink in the Perhentian Islands
You eat at your guesthouse or at the little restaurants on the beach. In the evening the grills come out on Long Beach with the day’s catch, and by day it is Malay rice and noodle dishes.
Food and drink cost more than on the mainland, because everything comes in by boat. Terengganu is a conservative state: beer exists, but not everywhere and not cheaply. Count on about €3 a can.
Getting there and onward
You reach the Perhentian Islands through Kuala Besut, a fishing town on the Terengganu coast. That is where the speedboats leave from.
Getting there. The speedboat from Kuala Besut takes about forty minutes and costs about €7 one way. At the jetty you also pay the marine park fee, about €6. Night buses run to Kuala Besut from Kuala Lumpur, and minivans from Penang, the Cameron Highlands and Taman Negara, among others. The nearest airport is Kota Bharu, about an hour’s drive from the jetty.
On the islands. There are no roads. You walk the jungle trails, or take a water taxi from about €4 a ride.
Onward. The obvious next stop is the ancient jungle of Taman Negara, by minivan from Kuala Besut. To the south is Tioman, another island on the same east coast. Back to Kuala Lumpur is by night bus, or a flight from Kota Bharu. Coming from Penang or Langkawi? Expect a long day right across the peninsula.
- SpeedboatKuala Besut about 40 minutes
- Night busKuala Lumpur to Kuala Besut
- MinivanTaman Negara, Cameron Highlands and Penang
- PlaneVia Kota Bharu, an hour from the jetty
- Water taxiBetween the beaches, from about €4
Staying safe in the Perhentian Islands
The Perhentians are calm and safe. What needs your attention is the water: the boats that run close to the beach, and the coral and wildlife you want to keep seeing.
- Bring enough cash from Kuala Besut. There are no cash machines on the islands
- Watch for boats coming and going when you swim off Long Beach
- Use reef-safe sunscreen and wear a shirt when you snorkel
- Cover shoulders and knees away from the beach. Terengganu is conservative
- Touch, chase or feed the turtles or sharks
- Stand on the coral, not even for a second to fix your mask
- Take the jungle trail at night without a torch
- Turn up between November and February without checking what is open
Rebels on the Road tip
When you book your snorkel trip, ask for one that leaves in the morning. Most boats go after lunch, and if you are out at nine you share Shark Point and Turtle Point with a few boats instead of a fleet. The water is often clearest in the morning, the turtles are there just the same, and your afternoon is still free for Coral Bay.
Frequently asked questions
How many days should you spend on the Perhentian Islands?
Three to four. Enough for a snorkel trip, a day on Perhentian Besar and a few sunsets in Coral Bay. If you do your dive certificate, a week goes by easily.
Perhentian Kecil or Besar: where should backpackers stay?
Perhentian Kecil, the small island. Long Beach has the cheapest beds, the dive schools and the beach bars. Perhentian Besar is quieter and mostly resorts.
Are there cash machines on the Perhentian Islands?
No. Bring enough cash from Kuala Besut for your whole stay, plus some extra in case you stay longer than planned.
When are the Perhentian Islands open?
Roughly March to October. From November to February the monsoon hits the east coast, the sea is rough and most of the accommodation and boats shut down. The best months are April to August.
Can you really snorkel with sharks?
Yes. Blacktip reef sharks swim at Shark Point, about a metre long. They are shy and harmless to people. Leave them alone, no touching and no chasing, and they just carry on cruising.
Are the Perhentian Islands good for learning to dive?
Yes. The water is warm and clear, there is little current, and the dive schools are side by side on Long Beach, so you can compare them in an afternoon. An Open Water course is from about €290 and takes three to four days. After that, Tokong Laut and the Sugar Wreck are waiting for your first fun dives.
How do you get to the Perhentian Islands?
Through Kuala Besut on the Terengganu coast, where the speedboat takes about forty minutes to the islands. Night buses run to Kuala Besut from Kuala Lumpur and minivans from Penang, the Cameron Highlands and Taman Negara, and Kota Bharu has the nearest airport.
Can you drink beer on the Perhentian Islands?
Yes, although it is not sold everywhere and costs more than on the mainland. Long Beach has beach bars. Terengganu is a conservative state, so keep it relaxed and keep it to the beaches.
Where do you go after the Perhentian Islands?
Most backpackers carry on to Taman Negara for the rainforest, or head south towards Tioman. Back to Kuala Lumpur is by night bus or a flight from Kota Bharu.
Sources: hostel ratings from Hostelworld, tours and reviews from GetYourGuide, transport and travel times from 12Go, visa rules from the official immigration sites (see our visa page). The daily budget is our own estimate based on hostel, food and transport prices. How we work.
