Perhentian Islands

Perhentian Islands, or Pulau Perhentian in Bahasa Melayu, are located north east off the coast of peninsular Malaysia. They consist of 2 main islands, Pulau Perhentian Besar (big island) and Pulau Perhentian Kecil (small island).

These islands are definitely worth visiting, considered by most one of the best islands not only in Malaysia, but in Southeast Asia as well, due to their pristine beaches, incredible corals and marine life, and not too crowded in comparison with neighboring countries.

How to get to Perhentian Islands

By boat

Speedboat from Kuala Besut to Perhentian Islands

The main entry point to the idyllic Perhentian Islands is via a small town named Kuala Besut, from where most of the ferries (speedboats) depart.

The fares are as follows:

Adult: 35 MYR one way (12 years old and above)

Child: 17.5 MYR one way (between 2 and 11 years old)

Infant: Free (below 2 years old)

Speedboat From Redang to Perhentian Islands

It is possible to get directly from Redang to Perhentian Islands by a charter boat that can take you directly from your hotel in Redang to your hotel in Perhentian.

Please get in touch with us should you like to book a private ferry from Redang to Perhentian.

Ferry Schedule from Kuala Besut to Perhentian Islands *

Departure	Arrival
09:00	09:40
10:00	10:40
11:00	11:40
12:00	12:40
13:00	13:40
14:00	14:40
15:00	15:40
16:00	16:40
17:00	17:40

* The timings indicated above might vary during non-peak periods, where some boat operators might wait until a boat is full to departure to the island. Coming back from the islands though is a fixed schedule indicated below.

Ferry Schedule from Perhentian Islands to Kuala Besut

Departure	Arrival
08:00	08:40
12:00	12:40
16:00	16:40

By plane

Fly from Kuala Lumpur to Perhentian Islands

The best way to get from Kuala Lumpur to Perhentian would be to fly to Kota Bharu (daily flights with companies like AirAsia or Malaysia Airlines). From Kota Bharu, is quick one hour taxi ride to Kuala Besut to get the boat as detailed above.

Fly from Penang to Perhentian Islands

There are daily flights from Penang to Perhentian Islands with the company Fireflyz (currently one flight early in the morning and another in the evening). We recommend to wake up early and take the morning flight as you can get on the same day to the islands.
If you opt for the evening flight, you would need to spend one night in Kota Bharu or Kuala Besut before you can make it to the islands.

Fly from Singapore to Perhentian Islands

Currently Scoot Airlines offers direct flight 3 times a week between Singapore and Kota Bharu. From there, you can hire a taxi or book one of our packages to get to the islands.
Alternatively, from Singapore there are quite a number of flights to Kuala Lumpur that can be connected afterwards to Kota Bharu and arrive to the islands.

Fly from Borneo to Perhentian Islands

AirAsia operates weekly flights that can take you directly from Borneo to Perhentian Islands. Departing twice from Kota Kinabalu, we also recommend the first flight in the morning to Kota Bharu so you can make it on the same day to the islands.

By Bus

Bus from Kuala Lumpur to Perhentian Islands

Few companies operate daily and night buses either from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Besut, or the other way around from Kuala Besut to Kuala Lumpur.

There are plenty of options available, but in case all the options to Kuala Besut are fully booked, one can also book a bus to Kota Bharu or Kuala Terengganu and take a taxi from there.

Bus from Penang to Perhentian Islands

Similarly to Kuala Lumpur, there are buses departing during daytime or nighttime from Penang Island that will arrive directly to Kuala Besut (the bus terminal is located 800m away from the ferry terminal).

Bus from Taman Negara to Perhentian Islands

The only possible way to arrive from Taman Negara to Perhentian islands within the same day would be to hire a shuttle van that departs early in the morning, arriving just in time to take one of the last speedboats to get to Perhentian.

Bus from Singapore to Perhentian Islands

There is only one operator covering the direct route from Singapore to Kuala Besut (takes between 13 or 14 hours).

Alternatively, buses can be booked directly from Singapore to Kuala Terengganu or Kota Bharu, and from there you may book another bus or taxi that will take you directly to Kuala Besut to take the jetty.

Bus from Cameron Highlands to Perhentian Islands

There are direct buses and shuttle vans that will take you from Cameron Highlands early in the morning, to arrive in the afternoon to Kuala Besut and Perhentian there after.

Bus from Kapas to Perhentian Islands

There is no direct ferry or speedboat from Kapas to Perhentian islands, so the best way would be to take a bus from Marang to Kuala Terengganu, and from there another bus to Kuala Besut (notice the town where the jetty to Kapas is located is named Marang, not to be mistaken with Merang, a small jetty to Redang).

Perhentian Islands Weather

Best time to go to Perhentian Islands

From March to October

Without any doubt, the best time to visit these islands will be from March to October as it is the dry season on Malaysia’s east coast, so most of the days will be sunny and warm.

July and August are considered peak months due to the school holidays in Malaysia and summer holidays in most parts of the world, so it is advisable to book your hotel or accommodation in advanced.

Contrary to Thailand and Vietnam, Malaysia’s east coast doesn’t get affected by the monsoon rains, which makes Perhentian islands one of the best islands to be visited in Southeast Asia.

When are the Perhentian islands opened?

In february the islands can be visited already and the weather in average will be good with ocasional days with heavy rain. Waves can still be rough, so accommodation options might be limited in February on Perhentian islands, but you will definitely find some options opened, specially on Perhentian Besar.

Boat schedules will be more limited in February as well to get to Perhentian, so please check the timing in advanced.

When are the Perhentian islands closed?

In november most of the hotels in the island will be closed, as the weather will start to bring already monsoon rains.

Contrary to popular belief, Perhentian islands are opened in October, and is a wonderful time to visit, as they will be less crowded compared to peak season, and accommodation options will be plenty and with good deals.

Perhentian Islands Resorts