What to See and Do in the Perhentian Islands: A Complete Guide

What to see in the Perhentian Islands? If you're planning a trip to Malaysia, you've probably included this paradise on your list. In this guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know: what to do, how to get, where to stay, best time to travel and other tipsWe were in the Perhentian Islands in May 2025, and we'll share our experience with you, along with important tips to help you make the most of your stay. At the end, you'll find a video, a map, and additional recommendations for your trip. Let's get started!

What to know about the Perhentian Islands

The Perhentian Islands They are located off the northeast coast of Malaysia, in the South China Sea. They are two main islands: Perhentian Besar (the big one) and Perhentian Kecil (the small one). Both offer White sand beaches, Crystal-clear waters and plans to enjoy a vacation by the seaAt the end of the post we will tell you How to get to the Perhentian Islands, where to stay y the best time to travel. Now, if you like, let's go with the list of the main ones things to do in the Perhentian Islands.

What to see and do in the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

1) Relax on its beaches, one of the best things to see in Perhentian

If you are looking for an What to see in the Perhentian Islands, the first thing is to enjoy your Paradise beachesThey're perfect for swimming, snorkeling on your own, or simply relaxing under a palm tree. Here are some of the most recommended:

• coral beach y Teluk Keke (Perhentian Besar), one of the best beaches to see in Perhentian. No buildings, large rocks, jungle, and crystal-clear waters.
• Flora Bay (Perhentian Besar), a nice beach with some restaurants.
• Teluk Puah o Perhentian Island Resort (Perhentian Besar), the beach in the previous photo. It's beautiful, although it has many resorts around it.
• Turtle Beach (Perhentian Besar)
• Romantic Beach (Perhentian Kecil), considered one of the best beaches in Perhentian
• Coral bay (Perhentian Kecil), possibly one of the best places to watch the sunset in Perhentian.

2) Snorkel at key points on each island

One of the best activities What to do in the Perhentian Islands is the snorkelThere are tours that organize stops at the main marine wildlife viewing spots: Shark point, Turtle Point, D' Lagoon y Fish PointWe recommend you put the radar in the search for the Napoleon wrasse, the largest of the wrasse family (parrotfish) and can reach two meters in length. We're showing you one of the ones we saw, almost my size, as you can see. This activity cost us 55 MYR (11€ per person) and, if I remember correctly, it was about 3 hours of snorkeling. We booked it at the same hotel where we stayed, which we share with you below.

3) Enjoy Malaysian cuisine with sharks

One of the things we liked most about the islands was enjoying the Malaysian cuisine while watching sharks next door. You can do this in the restaurant Beach Box (just steps from our hotel in Tuna Bay). They offer a Malaysian meal set with sea view and at night the lighting allows you to see sharks from the restaurant. A very special plan, as you'll see in our video at the end. Dinner It cost us about €37 / MYR 182 (total bill), a bit more expensive than any meal in Malaysia, but It was worth it. By the way, they do serve alcohol, but being a Muslim destination, it's sometimes not easy to find. where to have a cold beer.

4) Snorkeling on Rawa Island

From the Perhentian you can do a boat trip to Rawa, some nearby islands with crystal-clear waters and well-preserved reefs. It's a different option if you have several days and want to explore more. Without a doubt, Here we saw much more marine fauna, several Napoleon fish, nemos, rays, moray eels, starfishAmazing! A guide is required to visit these islands. However, it's not necessary to snorkel at the key spots mentioned in the previous paragraph. This excursion to the Rawa Islands cost us 75 MYR per person, which is about €15. We also booked it at the same hotel where we were staying.

5) Snorkeling on Redang Island

As soon as we arrived on the islands, we asked a local which was the best activities to do in Perhentian. And, without blinking, he told us a excursion to Redang Island. This island is known for its crystal clear waters and marine life. He showed us a video on his mobile phone from the same day he had gone on an excursion with many turtles that could be seen even from the boat. We were only there for two days, so we had to rule it out.

5) Kayak around the Perhentian Islands

On many beaches in the Perhentian you can rent a kayak y explore the coast at your own pace. It is a way to discover the places to visit in Perhentian, as well as reaching hidden coves. This plan is great if you have more days and the The option of lying on the sand enjoying a cool coconut is already boring.

6) Jungle Hiking, Perhentian Islands: What to Do for Adventurers

Although there are no roads in the Perhentians, there are jungle trails. We crossed Besar Island from Tuna Bay to Flora Bay Beach, passing by Perhentian Island Resort. The heat and mosquitoes were the end of us. Along the way, you come across quite a lot of trash and the trail is not in good condition. Upon arriving at Flora Bay Beach we took a water taxi back. If we had seen some wildlife, it might have been worth it. We weren't lucky. We saw this giant lizard in the Teluk Keke Beach Another day. We heard some noises in the jungle, which we assumed were lizards running around. Despite having read this recommendation on other blogs, we believe it's better to enjoy the beaches here. Borneo is the place for jungles.

7) Enjoy the nightlife in Long Beach

En Long Beach you will find a little party: music, fire shows and sandside bars. We didn't go because we prefer a quiet dinner, but it's a popular plan if you want something more lively, especially if you have several nights on the islands.

8) Visit a local village: the Perhentian Kecil Fishing Village

El Fishing Village It's a small local village with a mosque overlooking the sea. The boat that connects the islands often passes by here, and you can get a sense of what it's like. If you have time, you can visit it to see a bit of local life, although we didn't find it particularly picturesque, nor did its beaches.

Where to stay in the Perhentians

The million dollar question: Where to stay in Perhentian, the first thing is to remind you that there are two main islands to sleep in Perhentian: Perhentian Besar (the big one) and Perhentian Kecil (the little one). The first one is quieter and perfect if you are looking for a break., while the second has a more lively nightlife. We stayed in the Tuna Bay Island Resort, in Besar. It is located on the beachfront, The boat drops you off right at the door of the hotel.Has own restaurant with views and right here you can book all excursions. Also, you can walk to Teluk Keke, one of our favorite beaches and also to the restaurant with views of the sharks that we recommend.

We definitely think Tuna Bay is one of the best areas to stay in the Perhentian Islands. In the following video, in addition to telling you everything we did, We show you the room, breakfast, restaurant, beach and surroundings.

Video: What to do in the Perhentian Islands

Below you can see a video Guide to visiting the Perhentian Islands where we share in detail all the recommendations we mentioned in this article. From boat trips to the most beautiful beaches. And in our YouTube Channel You have the complete list of the trip to Malaysia.

Map of places to see in Perhentian

On this map you will find The main points of interest to see in the Perhentian Islands: beaches, snorkeling spots, restaurants, trails, and more. Save it to better plan your trip.

How to get to the Perhentian Islands

To get to the Perhentian the fastest way is fly to Kota Bharu Airport, in Peninsular Malaysia. From here, you can take a Grab to Kuala Besut Port (approximately 1 hour drive). From From the port, boats leave that leave you directly in the area of ​​your accommodation. (Be sure to tell the operator your hotel.) Boats depart approximately every hour until mid-afternoon. The Grab driver himself can take you to an office where you can buy the boat to Perhentian.

This is how much it costs to visit the Perhentian Islands, without taking into account the Claro flight:

• 🚗 Grab Kota Bharu – Kuala Besut: approx. 70 MYR (about 14€)
• 🏝️ Port tax: 30 MYR per person (about 6€)
• ???? Entrance fee to the islands (marine conservation): 20 MYR per person (about €4)
• ⛵ Round trip boat (any island): 70 MYR / 35 MYR one way (about €14 round trip). The return journey is usually open. Both the office where we purchased the boats and our accommodation made sure we secured our spot on the return schedule, as it was the last boat of the day. Another option to get to Perhentian is by private boat service (if you arrive at a time when there is no public service).

💡 Tip: Book Grab for your return to the airport to avoid negotiations with taxis. In case you didn't know, you can schedule it from the app itself. Although there are plenty of regular taxis upon arrival, With Grab you guarantee price and availability.

Tips for visiting the Perhentian Islands

Although we've already given you some tips throughout this post, here are more travel recommendations.

What is the best time to visit the Perhentians?

La best time to visit the Perhentian Islands it is between april and octoberDuring these months, the sea is calm and all accommodations and tourist services are operational. However, From November to March, the rainy season can make boat transfers difficult and many hotels close.If you can, choose to travel during the peak months of the season (May to September), when the weather tends to be more stable. This way, you'll be able to enjoy the beaches and activities like the snorkel and kayak excursions. We traveled in May and were able to fully enjoy the sun, although there was a storm at night.

How many days to visit the Perhentian Islands?

We only stayed one night (two full days). We are Canarians, and we have the beach all year round. If your goal is to lie on the beach, we recommend a minimum of 2 to 3 nights to fully enjoy the islands. In addition, this way You can visit the neighboring island of Redang, explore some more beaches, and even have a blast some nights. Some travelers spend a whole week enjoying the sun in a hammock. In our case, we prefer to explore other destinations in Malaysia, as you can see in the Videos of our route through Malaysia.

How to get around the Perhentian Islands

In the islands there are no cars or roads. For To move between beaches you can walk or take a taxi boatIt's an economical option and drops you off at any point accessible by sea.

And this is the end of our guide to traveling to the Perhentian Islands independently. Do you want to discover all the route we took through MalaysiaWe're sharing all the articles about the trip with you; we're sure they'll be very helpful.

• 👉 Malaysia and Singapore Route
• 👉 What to see in Kuala Lumpur in 2 or 3 days
• 👉 What to see in Malaysian Borneo
• 👉 Things to do in Penang
• 👉 What to do in Singapore

Ruth González

Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.