Extraordinary Island Project

Perhentian Island, Malaysia

About the Island

• Perhentian Islands are another 2 gems in east coast of Malaysia. Perhentians are a cluster of islands off Terengganu but because it is located at far northern of Terengganu and is bordering with the neighboring state, Kelantan, further more, the accessible point is through the Kuala Besut Jetty, a small Terengganu fishing village but with Kelantanese culture, therefore many people actually misunderstand that these islands fall within the governance of Kelantan.

Accommodation Coral Bay

Aur Bay ChaletsAmelia ChaletsButterfly ChaletsFatimah ChaletsMaya ChaletsSenja Bay ResortShari-la Island Resort

There are plenty of budget and midrange accommodation options on the Perhentian Islands, with one or two more comfortable resorts, but nothing luxurious.

Perhentian Kecil is more geared towards the budget traveler and the backpacker scene, especially along the idyllic Long Beach (Pasir Panjang). A fifteen minute walk through the jungle takes you to Coral Bay (Teluk Aur), which is smaller and quieter, while also predominantly catering for budget travelers. The other resorts on this island occupy their own private beach coves and are priced in the budget or moderate category.

Private BeachersD’LagoonMira Beach ChaletPertani Beach Chalet

Long BeachBubu Long Beach ResortCempaka ChaletsLemongrass ChaletsLily ChaletsPanorama ChaletsMatahari ChaletsMohsan ChaletsMoonlight ChaletsRock Garden ChaletsSimfony Chalets

Coral Bay

Aur Bay Chalet Butterfly Chalet Maya Chalet

Senja Bay Resort Shari-la Island Resort Fatimah Chalet

Long Beach

Bubu Long Beach Resort Lily Chalets

Mohsin Chalet Moonlight Chalet

Private Beaches

D’Lagoon Chalet Mira Beach Chalet

Petani Beach Chalet

Attractions• The beaches are more suited to swimmers and snorkelers rather than divers because they

lead to shallow water over sand with lots of rays, cuttlefish and parrotfish. For divers, the group of small rocky islets to the northwest of Palau Perhentian Kecil is a location not to be missed.

• The tiny islets have irregular patches of stunted soft tree corals in many colours and deeper down, one can explore the wonders of king-size barrel sponges with Alabaster Sea Cucumbers. Common to the area are harp and black corals, while large hard corals are absent. There are large off-white soft tree corals growing on an experimental artificial reef laid down for the Department of Fisheries to the west of Palau Perhentian Kecil. The rate of growth is unusual for this region.

• Tokong Laut lies out in the sea in the northwest of the Perhentian Islands. It is a rocky pinnacle covered with soft and hard corals. You can find dozens of small bamboo sharks lying under the corals, sleeping. Sometimes there are several lying one on top of the other, moving there tails with the water current. Look under the rocks around 20m. If you don't find bamboos harks it will be a moray eel! This time there were also a lot of mackerels and jackfish.

• You can get a sea taxi charted to visit these Perhentians islands for snorkeling or scuba diving.

Snorkeling• Various operators and resorts offer snorkelling outings around the two

islands, ranging anything from one and a half hours to a full day.

• Trips cost RM 35-60 per person, depending on the duration, stops and whether equipment rental is included or not.

• Some of the popular spots for snorkeling in Perhentian Island are Shark Point, Teluk Pauh and Tanjung Basi. If you are lucky, a combination of these stops may mean that you see a turtle, some black tip reef sharks and an abundance of colorful coral all in one trip.

The sheer amounts of visitors and careless practices have resulted in damage to the coral and consequently the marine life around the islands.

Scuba Diving• Scuba diving around the Perhentian Islands is a

superb experience and many people visit here time and time again to explore the deep.

• Some of the top spots are Tokong Laut (Temple of the Sea, also known as the Pinnacle) and the Sugar Wreck. Tokong Laut is a pointed rock protruding from the seabed, surrounded by all kinds of coral and home to numerous species of reef fish and other marine life. The Sugar Wreck is an eerie-looking sunken freight ship that lies at around 15-22m.

• Marine life is in abundance here and apart from the many species of hard and soft coral that form the backbone of these ecosystems you can also expect to encounter turtles, several species of sharks, mackerel, jacks, moray eels, nudibranchs and various other reef fish.

Natural SitePopular Diving Site•Teluk Pauh•Pulau Serenggeh•Tiga Ruang•Tanjung Panglima Abu•Tanjung Besi•Tanjung Butung•Laluan Naga•Tokong Laut•Terumbu Tiga (Tiger Rock)•Pulau Susu Dara Besar•Batu ButuK•Pulau Susu Dara Kecil•Tanjung Tukas•Tokong Bopeng•Teluk Dalam•Tokong Burung Kecil•Gua Kambing•Pulau Rawa•Sugar Wreck – Shipwreck•Teluk Kerma•Pasir Kerangi•Batu Nisan

There are several popular dive sites around the Pulau Perhentian Kecil, all quickly and easily accessible by local dive boat. With a comprehensive facility, most of the dive center in Perhentian Island provide extensive range of scuba diving equipment and cater for both individuals, as well as diving groups of any level of experience.

Activities• The Perhentian Islands are the ideal place to relax and forget

about your cares and most people that visit here laze away their days in the sun.

• However, if you are tired of waiting for coconuts to drop, there are still some things that you can do to keep yourself occupied. These islands have been gazetted as a marine park and as such littering, fishing and collecting of any marine life (whether dead or alive) is strictly prohibited. As it is a marine park, this also means that the rich diversity of aquatic life has been preserved and it is beautiful to experience.

• Other than diving and snorkeling in Perhentian Island, there are other activities to be enjoyed: Fishing, Jungle trekking, Swimming, Banana boat ride, Camping, Canoeing and other excited water sports.

Country Biography

• Languages: Bahasa Melayu (Malay, official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; several indigenous languages (including Iban, Kadazan) in East Malaysia.

• Religions: Muslim (or Islam – official), Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions, other or unknown.

Malaysia is on the Malay Peninsula in southeast Asia. The nation also includes Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo to the east. Its area slightly exceeds that of New Mexico.Most of Malaysia is covered by forest, with a mountain range running the length of the peninsula. Extensive forests provide ebony, sandalwood, teak, and other wood.