Best Things to Do in the Perhentian Islands

The best things to do in the Perhentian Islands are scuba diving and snorkelling with turtles and reef sharks, a day at Turtle Beach, kayaking between the islands, the jungle hike to Windmill Point, and simply relaxing on beaches like Long Beach and Teluk Dalam. The two islands, Perhentian Kecil (lively, for backpackers) and Perhentian Besar (quieter, for families and couples), sit off the northeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia and are reached by a 30 to 45 minute boat from Kuala Besut. Three to four days is enough for most people. Go between March and October: from roughly November to February, the monsoon closes most resorts and dive centres and limits the boats.

Far from major towns, in a remote corner of northeast Malaysia, sit two small islands with some of the clearest water I have ever swum in. Palm trees, thick jungle, and a version of island life with no roads, no cars, and barely any noise beyond the waves. If you are an adventure seeker who loves nature, things to do in Perhentian Islands could fill several very happy days. Langkawi might be the more famous Malaysian island, but the Perhentians are the more beautiful one.

The Perhentian Islands are two islands: Perhentian Besar (the big one) and Perhentian Kecil (the small one), a short water taxi ride apart. Here is everything I recommend doing on both, plus the practical details, from cost and timing to the monsoon closure that catches a lot of first-time visitors off guard.

Perhentian Kecil vs Perhentian Besar: Which Island Should You Choose?

Before anything else, it helps to know which island fits your travel style, since where you base yourself shapes the whole trip.

• Perhentian Kecil (the small island): lively, social and backpacker-heavy, with budget hostels and chalets, beach bars and fire shows on Long Beach. The main beaches are Long Beach, Coral Bay and Keranji Beach, and walking paths connect most of them. Best for solo travellers, backpackers and couples who want some nightlife.
• Perhentian Besar (the big island): quieter and more relaxed, with mid-range resorts and family-friendly hotels and very little nightlife. The main beaches are West Beach, Teluk Dalam and Tuna Bay; some need a water taxi or a hike. Best for families and couples who want peace.

Many visitors stay on one island and take a water taxi across to explore the other for the day, which is exactly what I did.

Best Time to Visit Perhentian Islands

March to October is when everything is open. Within that window:

• July and August are peak season, with the best underwater visibility, the busiest beaches, and the highest prices
• April, May, June, September, and October are the shoulder months, with good weather, noticeably fewer crowds, and better value on accommodation

I’d point most travellers towards the shoulder months unless you specifically want the peak-season energy.

How to Get to Perhentian Islands

The islands have no airport, so every visit starts the same way: fly or take a bus/train to the Terengganu/Kelantan coast, then catch a boat from Kuala Besut jetty.

In brief: most travellers fly into Kuala Lumpur first, then continue by flight to Kota Bharu or by overnight bus to Kuala Besut, before taking a 30 to 45 minute boat to the islands. Speedboats and the covered ferry both run regularly during the season, and a return ticket costs about RM80. Expect to wade through shallow water when boarding and getting off at some beaches, since not every beach has a jetty.

Book your Kuala Besut Jetty to Perhentian Islands ferry ticket in advance; this saves you queuing and negotiating at the jetty itself, especially useful in peak season when boats fill up fast.

I’ve written a full breakdown of every route and cost, from flights and buses to taxis and the jetty itself, in a dedicated guide:

👉 Read the complete guide: Kuala Lumpur to Perhentian Islands

Best Things to Do in Perhentian Islands

Scuba Diving: The Top Thing to Do in the Perhentian Islands

Perhentian Islands and diving are synonymous! Perhentian Islands is a paradise for scuba divers. My first scuba diving experience was there. In good conditions, visibility can reach about 20 metres. You will be able to see a different world once you dive under the water. Besides colorful fishes, you will see turtles and sharks (of course if you are lucky).

As I am not a certified diver, I had to go to a diving agency for diving. I followed the recommendations of Lonely Planet Malaysia and chose Pro Diver’s World in Coral View Resort. While they are a bit expensive compared to others, they satisfied me with their services. My instructors were from Europe. They are certified PADI instructors and move to different countries, doing part-time jobs with a scuba diving operator so they can dive more with people like me.

Book a guided Scuba diving experience in Perhentian Islands

We were supposed to dive to 10 meters, however, I could only make it to 5 to 7 meters at most. It gave me a good idea of the colorful world. Many people ask if you need to know how to swim for scuba diving. The answer might seem obvious, but look it up; it might surprise you.

For those who want to go further than a single discovery dive, the islands are also one of the most affordable places in Southeast Asia to get PADI certified:

If you’re already certified and just want to get in the water, book the Perhentian Dive Extravaganza, 5 fun dives with a PADI 5-star dive centre instead of a full course.

Beyond the general reefs, two dive sites to know by name: Sugar Wreck, a sunken cargo ship that has become an artificial reef home to giant pufferfish and the occasional bamboo shark, and T3, a rocky pinnacle popular with more experienced divers. Ask your dive shop which sites are included before booking.

Snorkelling at Turtle Point, Shark Point and Coral Garden

The water in the Perhentian Islands is astonishingly clear. When I was standing on the ferry pier, I could see a bunch of small fishes from above. If you are afraid of diving, or simply don’t want to for whatever reason, snorkeling gives you nearly as much of the underwater world.

Most half-day snorkeling trips stop at three well-known sites, mainly around Perhentian Besar:

• Turtle Point: shallow, calm water known for green sea turtles grazing on the sandy seabed, although sightings are never guaranteed. The easiest and most beginner-friendly of the three.
• Shark Point: home to small, entirely harmless blacktip reef sharks. More of an adrenaline spike than an actual risk; they’re far more cautious of you than you are of them.
• Coral Garden: softer corals and smaller, more colourful reef fish, a gentler contrast to the other two stops.

A half-day boat trip covering all three typically runs a few hours and costs a modest amount per person, usually arranged directly through your resort or a dive shop on Long Beach.

Kayaking

The Perhentian Islands are two islands, Perhentian Besar (the big one) and Perhentian Kecil (the small one). You can take a kayak and go from one island to another, or alternatively just roam around in the open sea.

I did the kayaking from Besar and traversed along the edge of the sea. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Kayaks can be rented by the hour from most resorts and beach kiosks, and are a good way to reach smaller coves that boats can’t easily access, like Romantic Beach on Kecil.

Relaxing on the beach

While there are two islands in the Perhentian Islands, there are several beaches on each one.

In Perhentian Kecil, notable beaches are Coral Bay, Long Beach, and Keranji Beach.

Long Beach is the most famous beach on the island. You will find plenty of backpacker hotels here. The sand on the beach is white, and the water is of wonderful quality. There are some bars, although they are not cheap. In fact, the Perhentian Islands are expensive compared to islands in Thailand.

Coral Bay is the largest of all, and most of the hotels are placed there. As boats come to that beach, it can get busy around arrival times. Still, you can find a piece of space of your own somewhere.

Keranji Beach is far and less busy. If you want to spend some time on your own, you will find this beach suitable.

It’s possible to walk from Coral Bay to Long Beach in 10 to 15 minutes. You won’t find much light after sunset, so it isn’t wise to make that walk at night.

In Perhentian Besar, the notable beaches are West Beach, Teluk Dalam, and Tuna Bay.

I didn’t like West Beach much; it’s a short stretch with hotels and restaurants.

Teluk Dalam is nice, and my favorite in Perhentian Besar. It’s quite a long beach. If you go past Coral View Resort towards the beach, you’ll need to climb down a bit. There are palm trees at one end complemented by green jungle. The view on the way to Teluk beach is a treat for the eyes.

Hiking through the forest

If you get bored of the ocean and tired of beach-bumming, there are jungle trails on both islands. You enter the forest and follow marked paths, occasionally rewarded with a view of the island from above. Trails on Besar tend to be in better condition than those on Kecil.

The best-known hike on Kecil leads to Windmill Point, a jungle trail running from the back of Long Beach up to a hilltop where two disused windmills stand, with a spectacular panoramic view over both islands. It’s a steep climb of around 20 to 40 minutes depending on your pace.

On Besar, a popular trail runs from Perhentian Island Resort to Teluk Dalam through dense tropical forest, where you might spot monitor lizards and the occasional monkey along the way.

Visiting Turtle beach

To me, Turtle Beach was the best beach on the island (although I could not spot any turtles there; I heard they had been driven away by tourists). You need to take a boat to reach it. The ride takes approximately 20 minutes and costs around RM 20.

The water was turquoise blue there, the sand soft, and there were hardly any people. Most importantly, there is nothing on the beach: no hotel, restaurant or bar. That’s why you should bring food or water with you if you want to stay there longer.

Once you’re there, you’ll want to stay as long as possible. Just make sure someone is picking you up later, otherwise you’ll be stuck in this piece of paradise (which, admittedly, is not the worst problem to have).

Are you convinced about visiting there?

A Suggested 3-Day Perhentian Islands Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival & Long Beach

Take the morning boat from Kuala Besut, check into your accommodation, and spend the afternoon settling in on Long Beach or Coral Bay. Watch the sunset from Coral Bay, one of the best spots on the island for it, then catch a fire show if one’s happening that evening.

Day 2: Underwater Day

Spend the morning on a snorkeling trip to Turtle Point, Shark Point, and Coral Garden, or book a discovery scuba dive if you’ve never tried it before. Rest in the afternoon, then take a water taxi across to explore Perhentian Besar’s beaches if you’re staying on Kecil.

Day 3: Hiking & Turtle Beach

Hike up to Windmill Point in the cooler morning hours for the best light and views, then spend the afternoon at Turtle Beach; bring your own food and water, since there’s nothing there but sand, sea, and quiet. Rent a kayak in the late afternoon if you still have energy left.

If you have a fourth or fifth day, this is a good moment to slow down entirely: no plan, just whichever beach looks best that morning.

Where to Stay in Perhentian Islands

Accommodation is split by personality between the two islands. On Perhentian Kecil, Long Beach and Coral Bay have the widest range of budget hostels and backpacker chalets, along with mid-range options like Bubu Resort. On Perhentian Besar, resorts like Coral View Resort, Perhentian Island Resort, and Tuna Bay Island Resort offer a quieter, more upscale stay geared toward couples and families.

For the full breakdown, with my recommendations by budget and location:

💡 Most budget accommodation on the islands operates on a walk-in basis and doesn’t take advance bookings, especially outside peak season. If you want the certainty of a confirmed room, look toward the mid-range and resort-style properties, which do take bookings ahead of time.

Practical Tips for Visiting Perhentian Islands

• Bring more cash than you think you need. There are no ATMs on either island or at the jetty.
• The marine park conservation fee is RM30 per foreign adult (lower rates for children and Malaysians), paid in cash at Kuala Besut before boarding.
• Pack proper shoes for hiking, not just flip-flops; the jungle trails get slippery.
• There are no roads or cars. Everything is on foot or by water taxi, so pack light if you’re moving between beaches.
• Book diving in advance if you have specific dates, especially in peak season (July and August).

For a fuller list of practical, on-the-ground tips, see my dedicated guide:

👉 Read the complete guide: Tips for Visiting Perhentian Islands

Other Islands Nearby

Perhentian isn’t the only island off the Terengganu coast. If you’re building a longer east-coast Malaysia trip, or Perhentian’s peak-season boats and hotels are fully booked, two neighbours are good to know about, even though I haven’t covered them in depth on this blog yet.

Lang Tengah, reached via the Merang jetty rather than Kuala Besut, is smaller, quieter, and generally more upscale than either Perhentian island, a good pick if you want the same clear water with fewer backpackers around. Book the Lang Tengah ferry from Merang Jetty.

Pulau Kapas, further south, is known for its turtle nesting beaches and tends to draw a slightly different, calmer crowd. If you want to combine it with a short resort stay, Kapas Coral Beach Resort offers 2D1N or 3D2N packages to compare against Perhentian’s own accommodation.

Neither is a substitute for Perhentian’s snorkeling and diving, in my experience researching the region, but both are legitimate options if your dates don’t line up or you want to island-hop along the same stretch of coast.

Perhentian Islands FAQs

Read More About Perhentian Islands

• Perhentian Islands from Kuala Lumpur
• Perhentian Islands Hotel and Resorts
• Perhentian Islands Tips

Booking Your Perhentian Islands Trip

Loved the Article? Pin It!