The Perhentian islands are 2 small islands off the East coast of Malaysia, Pulau Perhentian Besar the “big island” and Pulau Perhentian Kecil the “small island”.
You can travel from the port of Kuala Besut, a sleepy little coastal town with a nice local market on the streets at weekends.
Most tourists get here by bus and the jetty is fairly close to the station, its easy to get accommodation and then negotiate with the various tour operators for your trip to the islands.
You will need to pay a marine conservation tax and also the port fees so be prepared to shell out before departure!
The boat trip can be quite bumpy depending on the seas, but once you enter the waters around the islands the seas ease into a more relaxed state.
There are various areas to stay, we spent a mixture of time on the big island and small island, however there are water taxis everywhere all charging roughly the same.
For the best food on the island head to B First, they also offer fairly cheap accomodation but do charge extra for the air con!
Some other notable accomodation can be found on the beach in the form of camping, there are 2 options on the South coast of the big island, Juita Glamping and Cabana Cafe and Campsite.
Both boast of beachfront coastal views but our pick was Juita at the end of the beach due its more peaceful and serene atmosphere.
There are a few establishments offering night entertainment in the area, the best of which is the fire show at Flora Bay.
For cheap and friendly scuba diving look no further than Octo Divers who offer great deals and service.
The islands boast some amazing snorkelling and diving opportunities, such as Turtle Beach and Shark Point.
Its best to explore these as part of a boat trip / tour package as visiting them individually in a water taxi would add up to significantly more cost.
However you can negotiate with the boatmen and come to your own arrangement, we saw a people arrange to be stranded on the remote beaches all day to be picked up later, which is a good option if you want the place to yourself!
On the small island there is a little bustling community of locals with plenty of food options near the Jeti Kampung Nelayan.
From here you can explore the West coast via footpaths, which are more plentiful and better maintained than on the big island.
Some popular spots include Long beach, Coral bay and Romantic beach, each with their own charm.
You can easily spend weeks here and not even notice the time go, the prices are very reasonable for Malaysia, the scenery is fantastic and the islands vibes are guaranteed to calm the most tempestuous souls.
Co-ordinates – 5.895,102.754