Travel Islands Around Malaysia

Perhentian Island consists of two islands with endless stretches of palm-lined beaches, clear water sea and coral reefs. The lush rain forest on the island is just an ideal for jungle trekking.



Located at South China Sea east coast of Malaysia, the Perhentian group of islands consists of Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil. Situated 108 km from Kuala Terengganu (1.5 Hours) and 54 km from Kota Bharu (1 Hours). The boat journey of about 30 minute by speedboat and 1.5 hours by slow boat. Pulau Perhentian promises interesting holidays destination with white sandy beach, jungle interior and interesting diving are a sure combination to attract the diver and non-diver. Best month for diving is between March to September. Dive equipment is readily available for rent at almost all dive centers.



Situated 20 km off the coast of Terengganu, the Perhentian group of islands comprises of Pulau Perhentian Besar, Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Serenggeh, Pulau Susu Dara Besar and Pulau Susu Dara Kecil.







'Perhentian' when translated from the Malay language means stop over. Dive operators and resorts are located on both Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil offering various styles of accommodation to suit the visitor's budget and dive packages.

A hop over to these enchanting islands will reward every visitor with the breathtaking view of their natural beauty - countless coconut trees lining their un-spoilt and pure white sandy beaches.

Perhentian Besar
As most of Perhentian Besar's interior is covered by virgin tropical jungle, hiking and trekking are there possible recreational pursuits. A luxury resort here can be booked for accommodation .At trip to this lush and exotic tropical island is a must for all nature lovers and those who enjoy scuba diving, snorkelling, deep sea fishing, swimming, wind surfing, sailing, boating and canoeing.



Perhentian Kecil
Claimed to be one of the best getaway beaches in the world among travellers and tourist. Long beaches (locally known as Pasir Panjang) prides itself with long stretch of sandy beach of fine sand with crystal clear water up to a depth of 20ft. Calm waters make you feel as you are in a very large swimming pool !



To get to the perhentian.

To get to the Perhentian Island or Pulau Perhentian (in Malay), The only way to go there is by the sea especially a boat services from Kuala Besut. Arriving on Kuala Besut jetty please come to our sales office (Anjung Holidays) nearby the jetty, and our staff will help and give you free information about how to get the boat and about the resort on Perhentian Island.

Boat from Kuala Besut to Perhentian Island take about 1/2 hour journey by fast boat and 1 1/2 hour by slow boat. Please click here for futher detail about boat to Perhentian Island.




You don't have to worry about miss the boat because there are many guest house or hotel around Kuala Besut. Car parking facilities are available at RM5/night on Kuala Besut.


From Kota Bharu Town / Airport
~ Drive to Pasir Puteh > Kuala Besut Jetty
~ From Kota Bharu Town you can get direct bus (Transnasional) to Kuala Besut, but please tell to the driver that you want to stop at Kuala Besut jetty because some time they will stop you at Tok Bali or some time they drop you at Kuala Besut bridge only. But from Kuala Besut bridge you can walk to the jetty (10 minutes)
~ From Kota Bharu Airport there are a few counter selling boat services, but make sure that you look for boat and taxi service to Kuala Besut jetty because that is the main jetty to Perhentian Island.

Just look for our counter (in front of the arrival hall) our representative (Mr. Zul) will help you, with all the information, accommodation, land transfer, boat transfer or further information about Perhentian Island or other interesting places in Kelantan & Terengganu.



From Singapore...
~ Drive to Johor Bharu > Segamat > Kuantan > Kuala Terengganu > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ You can take flight from Senai Airport (Johor Bharu) to Kota Bharu airport.
~ Take bus from Singapore to Jerteh bus stand and get taxi to Kuala Besut jetty
~ Take train to Tanah Merah train station and get taxi to Kuala Besut jetty

From K.Lumpur....
~ Drive through Karak Highway > Raub > Gua Musang > Kuala Krai > Jerteh > K. Besut
~ Drive through Karak Highway > Kuantan > Kuala Terengganu > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take bus from Putra bus stand and stop at Kuala besut jetty or Jarteh bus stand
~ Train from K.L Sentral to Tanah Merah train station
~ Flight from KLIA to Kota Bharu airport



From Penang / Kedah...
~ Drive to Grik > Tanah Merah > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take bus to Kuala Besut jetty or Jerteh bus stand

Thai Border (Rantau Panjang)
~ Drive through Pasir Mas > Pasir Puteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take bus to Kota Bharu > Pasir Puteh > Kuala Besut
~ Get taxi direct to Kuala Besut jetty

From Taman Negara...
~ Drive through Gua Musang > Kuala Krai > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take mini van direct to the jetty

From Cameron Highland..
~ Drive through Gua Musang > Kuala Krai > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Take mini van direct to the jetty

From Cherating & Kuantan...
~ Drive to Dungun > Kuala Terengganu > Jerteh > Kuala Besut
~ Get bus to Jerteh and take taxi to Kuala Besut

Map of Pulau Perhentian

Labels: kuala terengganu, perhentian island, terengganu

Posted by david at 8:46 PM | Permalink

The Langkawi archipelago is made up of a cluster of 99 islands, sprinkled just off the shores of the Northern Kedah State in Peninsular Malaysia. During low tide, the number of islands expands to 104. It's understandable that only a few islands are inhabited. Many of the islands are little more than rocky outcrops separated by narrow canals where only sampans(little boats) can travel through. Langkawi island (478.5 sq.km) is the largest of them all and is not much smaller than Singapore (646 sq.km) but has a much smaller island population of only 62,000.



Pulau Langkawi's landscape is painted with marbled mountains, vast paddy fields and rural villages, miles and miles of white sandy beaches, secret caves, and pockets of virgin rainforests dating back millions of years.



Although tourism is the main industry for the people of Langkawi and has been for the past decade or so, the sea remains a healthy source of income for local fishermen. In pockets of local fishing communities one can still find the age-old cottage industry of harvesting, drying and processing of sea cucumbers into a balsamic oil for all sorts of minor ailment.






Langkawi's Legends and Hotspots

Centuries ago skilled storytellers on the mainland made a living from spinning wondrous, spectacular tales of folklore, history, myths and legends of celestial beings, demons, warriors and wars, giants, beautiful maidens and gallant heroes. Langkawi was inaccessible to local folks in those days. The Langkawi islands were infested with pirates living and feasting on boats and travellers who chose to sail in their waters. Not many locals ventured to the islands and soon stories abound of these mysterious islands. The myths are still woven strongly into the lifestyle of the local people.



Transport From Kuah, there are ferry connections to Satun in southern Thailand, to Penang, to Kuala Kedah and to Kuala Perlis. Langkawi's international airport lies, as indeed does the harbour at Telok Ewa with its cement works, on the west coast. The whole island has a well developed road network.



Getting There

By Road - Drive to Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis, the main take-off points by ferry to Langkawi. The journey from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Kedah takes about six hours while Kuala Perlis is another hour away.

By Air - Malaysia Airlines and budget carrier AirAsia provide direct air services from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Langkawi.There are direct flights to Langkawi from London twice a week.

By Rail - Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) or Malayan Railway provides economical and comfortable rail services from Kuala Lumpur to Alor Star in Kedah and Arau in Perlis (north of Kedah). From these points, take a taxi or bus Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis for your ferry to Langkawi.

By Sea - Express Ferries provide regular services daily to Langkawi from both Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis. The journey takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and 45 minutes respectively. From Penang to Langkawi the ferry takes about 2 hours 30 minutes. The island is also a stopover for Star Cruises, one of the largest luxury cruise lines in the world.

Map of Pulau Langkawi

Labels: 99 islands, beach, kedah, langkawi island

Posted by david at 12:11 AM | Permalink

Pulau Payar

It is an island covered in tropical forest with mangroves and sandy beaches around the coast. On the island itself there are four small sandy beaches complete with picnic benches and hiking trails so that visitors can explore the island's tropical forests.

On the island itself there are four small sandy beaches which combine to provide a total length of about 200 meters. This island has the friendliest fish you’d ever see. Feeding fishes and baby sharks that come up to the beaches is a popular attraction here.

Two tracking trails have also been made available for visitors to explore the flora and fauna of the island. These tracks appear to be underutilized as few visitors are even aware of their existence. Other amenities provided include picnic tables, barbecue pits, gazebos, and restrooms at strategic points

The Pulau Payar Marine Park

The Pulau Payar Marine Park is the first marine park to be established off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Gazetted in 1985, it includes the islands of Pulau Payar, Pulau Lembu, Pulau Segantang and Pulau Kaca which are surrounded by coral reefs.

Named after Pulau Payar, the biggest island of the group, the marine park teems with a fascinating diversity of marine life and vegetation. The average visibility is between 9 to 15 meters, or 30 - 50 feet and best time is from the month of February until November

None of the island is inhabited, except by on-duty officers of the Fisheries Department, who enforce the law. Fishing, either for hobby or commercial, is strictly prohibited around the islands.

Amongst the islands, Pulau Payar is the most popular as its sheltered waters are ideal for snorkelling, diving and swimming.

Scuba divers and and those who snorkel will enjoy the sight of colourful fishes darting playfully in and out of the corals. You'll revel in the company of shoals and shoals of fishes as they go about their busy way.

There are various seashells, shellfishes and slugs that are scattered all over the seabed.
If you don't dive or snorkel, you can still see the spectacular sights below the water from a large floating platform moored off Pulau Payar.

The Coral Langkawi, is a large 49 m x 15 m floating platform that is used for the day boats to moor up at, and as a base for divers and snorkellers alike.

How to Get There

Day tours can be booked through us and it provides for transfers, equipment and lunch. A trip from Kuah takes around 45 minutes. You can also reach the islands from Kuala Kedah on the mainland, which takes about 45 minutes by boat, and from Penang Island which takes just over an hour.

Staying There

A day trip to the Pulau Payar Marine Park is the only option for most tourists as there is no accommodation on the islands.

Best time to go

Anytime except the monsoon season from October till early-January and more importantly, during public and school holidays.

Map of Pulau Payar

Labels: kedah, langkawi, payar island, snorkeling

Posted by david at 9:25 PM | Permalink