Review & Tips: Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

Please be aware that these posts don't provide comprehensive, guide book level information. We're not claiming a lack of bias either ;) These overviews are simply a record of our experience which we post in the hope that they may occasionally provide more up to date, specific or detailed information than you've been able to find elsewhere...

Getting there:

If you are coming from Thailand you'll probably need to stop in Kota Bharu and catch a cab or local bus to Kuala Besut from there, it takes about 1 hour and it cost us RM40 in the other direction, though you can arrange it cheaper through your KB guesthouse. There are also regular flights to Kota Bharu from most Malaysian cities, and I would assume other parts of SEA. Coming from the south, catch a Kota Bharu-bound bus and get off at Jerteh. It's only a 20 minute cab ride from Jerteh to the jetty at Kuala Besut. You can also arrange transfers from other tourist destinations in Malaysia, like Taman Negara. Once there, rows of speed boats await you. It cost us RM60 for a return ticket which I think is fairly standard. Rows of travel agents along the wharf area can organise your ticket but I'm sure you could deal directly with the boat owners. The boat ride to the islands takes around 20 minutes – most people get off on Long Beach, Kecil, which is the first stop, we had to wait over an hour before we got to Besar, but waiting is no worries at all out there...

Accommodation:

Firstly, we didn't stay on Kecil. We were given a long list of budget accommodation there and the cheapest place is called Rock Garden, on the hill. It's only RM20 a night there. The reason we didn't stay on Kecil is that most guesthouses there cut the power and water during the day, which is fine if you don't have digital equipment to charge and don't mind being sweaty till evening, but wasn't suitable for us. Long Beach is gorgeous but there was some garbage and large machinery there. Noone seemed to mind, but in my eyes it doesn't compete with the other beaches. It was rather stark (vegetation stripped, no coral) and crowded. If you want to pick up, go to Long Beach, if you want to drink, go to Long Beach, if you want to stare at the pretty people or meet lots of other young people or get your hair dreadlocked, go to Long Beach. Otherwise, choose a better beach :p A few of the beaches on the other side of Kecil did look very nice. Most places on Long Beach weren't much cheaper than the lower end accommodation on Besar.

If you want to stay on Teluk Puah, Besar, arguably the most beautiful beach (ignore your LP SEA shoestringers guide, it had the beach descriptions totally ass-about) you'll have to pay an arm and a leg at the Perhentian Island Resort. However, just around the corner over some rickety steps you can stay in any one of the many chalet guesthouses along the channel between the islands and they all seem to average at RM70/night for a fan chalet and RM110 for air-con. It'll take you 5 minutes to get to Teluk Puah from there. You could swim in the channel which is still nice, but why would you? It costs RM10 to get from Teluk Puah to Long Beach by water taxi.

We stayed on Teluk Delam, Besar, about 25-30 minutes walk across the island or an RM20 boat ride from Long Beach. There are a few expensive resorts here, but also 3 reasonably priced places – these are all located on the end of the beach closest to Kecil and Shark Point (you can't miss the fin-like rock on the point). We stayed at Flora Bay Resort. We had a fan room which was serviced daily and it cost us RM50 a night. Dark rooms but with comfortable beds, 24 hour electricity and water and their own bathroom and verandah. To either side of Flora Bay (it's second from the end) you can get chalets for RM40-60. Teluk Delam is coral strewn right up to the beach, but that makes for great snorkelling and there is plenty of shade.

Eating and Drinking:

Almost all the guesthouses and resorts on the Perhentians have their own restaurants. Food is quite a bit more expensive on Long Beach and near Teluk Puah. There are some independent restaurants on Long Beach. Family Restaurant has very tasty food, reasonable (not cheap) prices and delicious mango lassies. Noone will be in a huge hurry to serve you though. The restaurant near Reef Chalets, on the channel near Teluk Puah has several delicious Thai and Japanese options, but again it's not cheap. The food at Flora Bay Resort was quite inexpensive in comparison, though nothing to write home about, mostly western options. I guess the trick is to hunt around. On average we paid 25RM at least for a meal for two with cold drinks on the Perhentians, more than anywhere else we've been in Malaysia. Portions were also smaller.

We didn't drink on the Perhentians. Expect to pay RM9 a beer which is standard in Malaysia outside of duty-free zones. You can even get cocktails at Reef Chalets – for RM25 each – kiss that extra couple of days at your guesthouse goodbye. Water is also more expensive, twice the price it costs on the mainland for a large, cold bottle.

Facilities:

There are no banks, money changers or public toilets on the Perhentians. Bring cash or stay at a resort that accepts credit cards (like Flora Bay) and charge everything to your room. You can book tours and transfers to the Thai islands, Taman Negara or the Cameron Highlands at the restaurants on Long Beach. I didn't see any real convenience stores either, you are at the mercy of the restaurants and guesthouses here. Water taxis are dead easy to find, you won't need any help. Internet is horrendously expensive and appallingly slow. Just forget about technology for a while :)

Activities:

You won't get bored at the Perhentians, even if you merely sit and keep your eyes open all day. For the more adventurous though, anyone who isn't another backpacker can organise you a snorkelling tour or diving. Snorkelling tours from Long Beach take in 5 places over 5 hours and cost you RM35 with gear. The resorts and guesthouses at Teluk Delam organise free 2 hour tours but you need to hire gear (20RM for the whole day from Flora Bay Divers if you are a guest.) All these tours take you to the likely places to spot turtles (Turtle Beach) and little black-tipped reef sharks (Shark Point). You can easily find these critters independently by swimming from Teluk Puah and Teluk Delam but once you get into open water out of the bays you'll need fins and to watch the currents. Most guesthouses rent kayaks for RM30-40 for a whole day or half that for a few hours. You can kayak between the two islands. The catamaran Apsara sails up and down the coast to Redang and other islands in the Archipelago. It's RM200 for the first night and RM150 thereafter, but I bet you see some neat spots. They are also advertising for crew. See the posters on Long Beach. The locals hold a soccer match in the village every year in September sporting 42 different guesthouse teams!

Long Beach and Teluk Puah offer the best swimming.

You can also see plenty of jungle on the Perhentians but the trails aren't as well-defined as those on Tioman. It takes a few minutes to walk across the narrow neck of Kecil, and you can do a fabulous hour loop on Besar – across the island from Teluk Delam to Teluk Puah, follow the beaches all the way through the channel and hop back over the hill. Watch for mosquitoes, beautiful black and white monkeys and monitor lizards.

Environment:

The water is the real charmer on the Perhentians. The colour is indescribably beautiful and visibility is wonderful. There was only one day on Teluk Puah that it was opaque after some high winds the night before. The sand is white and very soft, a fraction more pebbly near the channel. The coral we saw was not spectacular but there were plenty of gorgeous anemones and the underwater life is abundant and extremely diverse. A simple swim from Teluk Delam (watch your feet on the coral getting out) took us to Shark Point. Close into the rocks is a shallow section that is heaven for snorkellers, the fish were amazing. We saw blue-spotted ribbon-tailed rays, little reef sharks and long slim garfish along with every kind of rainbow-fleshed and patterned variety you can imagine. I even had two baby golden trevally stick to me like glue, swimming all around my limbs for at least 900m back to shore.

The jungle is not as spectacular as Tioman, in general the growth is not as tall or lush. It is still well worth a short trek though and it is all remarkably untouched.

The Perhentians were the cleanest place we have seen in Malaysia, which made the very tiny amount of garbage on Long Beach stick out like a sore thumb. In general, the islands are spotless, which is a feat worth applauding given the number of tourists who flock there. The Perhentians score 10/10 for environment.

Impressions:

Only one thing to say here – if you miss the Perhentians, you're either a damn fool, or allergic to sunlight.