Perhentian Islands

The Perhentian Islands (Malay: Pulau Perhentian) are a small group of islands approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km) off the north-eastern coast of West Malaysia in the state of Terengganu. The islands are protected as part of the Pulau Redang National Marine Park.

The Perhentian Islands (pronounced Perhen-tee-ahn) comprise of two main islands, Perhentian Besar (Big Perhentian) and Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian). The name Perhentian means stopping point in Malay as the islands became a staging point used by traders travelling from Malaysia to Bangkok.

Kecil attracts more travellers due to cheaper accommodation options, while Besar is a little more expensive and caters more to families and those who want to avoid the backpacker party scene. The Perhentian Islands also comprise of the small, uninhabited islands of Susu Dara, Seringgi and Rawa, which lie off Kecil. All the islands are protected under marine park status, which means that fishing, collecting coral and littering are strictly prohibited. However in practice litter is one of the major problems that face the islands.

Due to the eastern monsoon, the only time to visit the Perhentian Islands is effectively limited to the beginning of March or April until late October. This is similar to many other islands on the east coast of Malaysia. Outside this period the seas can be very rough and choppy with currents that make swimming dangerous and overcast skies with frequent rain. For this reason most accommodation (but not all) are closed. Travel agents may claim accommodations are open and even then many restaurants and all shops will be closed during the off-season. If a restaurant is open during the off-season, expect limited and over-priced food choices.

Many locations on the island are referred to with both their Malay and English names. To make life a little more confusing, the words "beach" (pantai) and "bay" (teluk) are often used near-interchangeably as well, and a few English place names are not literal translations.

Malay	English
Pasir Panjang	Long Beach	Kecil, east coast
Teluk Aur	Coral Bay	Kecil, west coast
Teluk Dalam	Deep Bay	Besar, south coast
Teluk Keke	KK Bay	Besar, southwestern coast
Teluk Pauh	Mango Bay	Besar, northwestern coast

There are no monuments, museums, viewpoints or other above-ground sights whatsoever on the islands; however, the beaches are a sight in themselves. White sandy beaches with clear water and flanked by rolling jungle covered hills make the views from the beach spectacular. The best location to experience sunset is at Coral Bay on Perhentian Kecil, but construction of a new jetty has spoiled most of the view. On Besar, the best and cleanest beaches are on the west side of the island. The south beach on Besar is less inviting and had lots of broken coral, treacherous to bare feet and lots of litter and discarded rubbish (as of May 2012).

There are several trails that you can take around Kecil island that offer spectacular viewpoints such as the Lighthouse Towers, which you can also climb up and jump off of into the sea.

With luck you might be able spot some of the islands' wildlife, including huge harmless monitor lizards (almost guaranteed - they are not afraid of humans) and monkeys, not to mention nesting turtles at certain times of year. Arguably the Perhentians' best sights of all are underwater, where you're likely to see reef sharks and sea turtles amongst the corals and tropical fish. Kecil island also has a huge population of cats, most of which are kittens that a lot of the locals and expats take care of.

Activities on the Perhentians are basically limited to scuba diving, snorkeling, sea-kayaking, sunbathing and turtle conservation volunteering. Those with excess energy may attempt the jungle trails crisscrossing the islands.

The Perhentians offer some great diving and excellent snorkeling. In addition to coral and fish, the Perhentians are home to sea turtles and many species of shark — none of them dangerous unless provoked though. Visibility is usually in the 10-20 meter range (although it will temporarily go down after storms, as well as during the end-of-year monsoon seasons) and no wet suit is required, although you may wish to use a dive skin for protection from coral and the occasional jellyfish. Popular dive sites include the Pinnacle (aka Tokong Laut, "Temple of the Sea"), a pinnacle jutting out from the sea bed, and the Sugar Wreck, an easily accessible 3500-ton sugar hauler. The (more expensive) single-day trip to Redang Island, where the water visibility is considerably better, offers diving a notch above the local options - but be prepared for a rough ride in a small speedboat.

Competition for divers is fierce and consequently diving is quite cheap, averaging out to RM60-80 per dive depending on how many dives you do and whether you bring your own gear. All dive shops also arrange introductory dives (no training required) and PADI training. If you want to try Diving for the first time, ask your Dive Center where did they do introductory dives and escape the 'jetti' trap.

Take care when choosing your dive center. Look closely at the state of the scuba equipment. It's not only about price but also about safety.

There are multiple dive centers on the small island (Kecil).

On Kecil's Long Beach (from North to South):

• Panorama Divers, +60 19 324 7199. French, English, German, Spanish, Malay spoken. Friendly staff, chillout atmosphere and mid-size dive groups. Dives are at 08:00, 11:00 and 14:00. Night dives on occasion. When you are not diving you can hang out, there is a small local restaurant just beside the dive shop. They have accommodation as well in chalets, and offer packages that combine dives with nights.
• Turtle Bay Divers, +60 19 333 6647. English, French, German, Polish, Chinese and Malay spoken. Another respectable, long-running outfit (started in 1993) with locations on both islands; a nice chilled-out shop on Perhentian Kecil's Long Beach, and a relaxing shop on Perhentian Besar next to Mamma's Chalet. It offers affordable prices for courses and fun dives, and they always have small groups. The staff are very enthusiastic, friendly and always up for a chat.
• Oh Lala, +60 19 331 9624.
• Monkey Dives, +60 19 252 1535.
• Matahari Divers, +609 6911 742 (+60 19 914 2883).
• Angel Divers, +60 10 576 6564. French, English, Spanish, Swedish, Malay spoken. Small, intimate shop with friendly staff, chillout atmosphere and small dive groups. When you are not diving you can hang out, use the internet (free for customers) and listen to music. Formerly Sunlight Divers.
• Seahorse Diver, +60 19 984 1181.
• Spice Divers, +60 11 107 66735.

And on Kecil's Coral Bay (from North to South):

• Quiver Dive Team, +60 12 213 8885. A PADI 5-star IDC and the only National Geographic centre in the Perhentian. Has two dive shops located on Kecil's Long Beach, one adjacent to the Bubu Long Beach Resort and one at the other end of the beach adjacent to World Cafe. Also has a large dive shop on Coral Bay where dive equipment can be purchased. Offers fun dives with friendly staff, great service and small dive groups. Free wifi for customers.
• Ombak Dive Resort, +60 9691 1002.
• Sea Voice Divers, +60 13 494 0992.
• Anti Gravity Divers, +60 12 921 2395.
• Sea Sight Scuba, +60 11 2923 0249.

On the big island (Besar) are a number of dive centres on different beaches:

• Alu Alu Divers, +60 9 6911 650. A small, friendly dive centre.
• Bubbles Dive Centre, +60 12 9838 038. An environmental friendly dive centre with own housereef on South Beach.
• Flora Bay Divers, (email: letsgodiving@florabaydivers.com),, . The only PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Instructor Development Centre on Perhentian Besar. Offers courses from Open Water Diver up to Master Instructor on top of diving & snorkelling trips.
• Perhentian Island Divers. A small and friendly dive centre on the same beach as Perhentian Island Resort. It has modern equipment and excellent service. Dive courses and boat diving are always on offer, and the beach diving is great as well. Huge sea turtles can be seen off the beach.

Panorama Divers, +60 19 324 7199. French, English, German, Spanish, Malay spoken. Friendly staff, chillout atmosphere and mid-size dive groups. Dives are at 08:00, 11:00 and 14:00. Night dives on occasion. When you are not diving you can hang out, there is a small local restaurant just beside the dive shop. They have accommodation as well in chalets, and offer packages that combine dives with nights.

Turtle Bay Divers, +60 19 333 6647. English, French, German, Polish, Chinese and Malay spoken. Another respectable, long-running outfit (started in 1993) with locations on both islands; a nice chilled-out shop on Perhentian Kecil's Long Beach, and a relaxing shop on Perhentian Besar next to Mamma's Chalet. It offers affordable prices for courses and fun dives, and they always have small groups. The staff are very enthusiastic, friendly and always up for a chat.

Oh Lala, +60 19 331 9624.

Monkey Dives, +60 19 252 1535.

Matahari Divers, +609 6911 742 (+60 19 914 2883).

Angel Divers, +60 10 576 6564. French, English, Spanish, Swedish, Malay spoken. Small, intimate shop with friendly staff, chillout atmosphere and small dive groups. When you are not diving you can hang out, use the internet (free for customers) and listen to music. Formerly Sunlight Divers.

Seahorse Diver, +60 19 984 1181.

Spice Divers, +60 11 107 66735.

Quiver Dive Team, +60 12 213 8885. A PADI 5-star IDC and the only National Geographic centre in the Perhentian. Has two dive shops located on Kecil's Long Beach, one adjacent to the Bubu Long Beach Resort and one at the other end of the beach adjacent to World Cafe. Also has a large dive shop on Coral Bay where dive equipment can be purchased. Offers fun dives with friendly staff, great service and small dive groups. Free wifi for customers.

Ombak Dive Resort, +60 9691 1002.

Sea Voice Divers, +60 13 494 0992.

Anti Gravity Divers, +60 12 921 2395.

Sea Sight Scuba, +60 11 2923 0249.

Alu Alu Divers, +60 9 6911 650. A small, friendly dive centre.

Bubbles Dive Centre, +60 12 9838 038. An environmental friendly dive centre with own housereef on South Beach.

Flora Bay Divers, (email: letsgodiving@florabaydivers.com),, . The only PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Instructor Development Centre on Perhentian Besar. Offers courses from Open Water Diver up to Master Instructor on top of diving & snorkelling trips.

Perhentian Island Divers. A small and friendly dive centre on the same beach as Perhentian Island Resort. It has modern equipment and excellent service. Dive courses and boat diving are always on offer, and the beach diving is great as well. Huge sea turtles can be seen off the beach.

Most resorts and a few restaurants rent out snorkeling gear (typically RM10 a day for mask, snorkel and fins) and arrange snorkeling tours around the islands. Popular snorkeling spots on Besar include Teluk Pauh (to the left of the beach in front of the PI Resort), Shark Point and Tanjung Basi. The best place to see sharks (black tip) is in front of an extremely small "beach", only accessible by boat, between Shark Point and the Teluk Dalam large beach, or the rocks off the Coral View and PI Resort. They are usually seen cruising the bottom of the reef but be careful in low tide, otherwise you could end up swimming right alongside them (mostly babies though). For turtles, best place is the middle of the beach in front of Perhentian Island Resort, where the sandy bottom is covered with algae.

On Pulau Besar, if you are planning to do snorkeling just in front of your chalet, then stay on the northern and east side of the island where the water is clearer than the south side.

The best spot for family snorkelling would be the south-west of the island. The water is shallow and it is not faced by any chalet so the corals are more abundant and colourful. Between Pulau Besar and Redang, the corals are much better in Pulau Besar.

The Perhentian Islands are home to a significant green turtle nesting population. The island was once home to hundreds of nesting Green and Hawksbill turtles but now the islands only receives 300 nestings per year partly due to frequent oil spills from oil production platforms and oil tankers owned by Petronas not too far away. The Department of Fisherie run a turtle hatchery on the islands to help readdress the declining turtle populations. Help Our Penyu are complimenting the work done by the Department of Fisheries by protecting two beaches on Perhentian Besar and educating visiting tourists around the islands. Ecoteer also run their weekly Turtles Need Trees after-school marine club which is educating the local school children about turtle and marine conservation. If you want to help the turtle conservation efforts whilst visiting the Perhentian islands you can join Ecoteer's or Bubbles Dive Resort volunteer program which accepts new volunteers every Monday.

The islands are crisscrossed by small paths connecting one beach to another, but be prepared to sweat and swat off bugs if you tackle any of these. There is a good chance to see big monitor lizards and large spiders between Long Beach and Coral Bay (Kecil), and if you are walking off the main trails, you are likely to spot some wild monkeys if you are lucky.

There is a wide trail (30 min) between Watercolours Paradise and Arwana on Besar, you can see large termite trails, monitor lizards, big fruit bats and sometimes monkeys.

There is a paved walking trail from Coral Bay to Mira Beach (30 minutes) and on to Impiani beach (20 min) and to the main fishing village on Kecil (20 min). This is a great trail to see monitor lizards.

Many of the smaller resorts only offer meals as part of an all-inclusive package. These are usually buffet-style with a variety of Western and Malaysian dishes. Larger beaches, such as Pasir Panjang, offer a larger variety of eating options. Since everything (except seafood) has to be imported, expect to pay at least 2 to 3 times more than on the mainland. Restaurants on Long Beach (Kecil) are slow to deliver food (30 min to 1.5 hr) and there are no hawker stalls and only one buffet (breakfast at Bubu's), so ask the waiter first how long the food will take before deciding to eat there.

• Shari La, Coral Bay. Great evening buffet (all you can eat) for RM20 with BBQ food (seafood, chicken, kebabs, etc.) Live music most nights and free drinks. Nice chilled out atmosphere with free wifi too. Food during the day is set menu or similar buffet style food. The cheapest meals in Coral bay at their beach stand - fried rice/noodles RM5, 2 pcs sandwich/waffles RM5, beef/chicken burger RM5, spaghetti RM6, big water RM2. Many meals from RM6 at their proper restaurant, looks quite upmarket surprisingly compared to their low prices.
• Senja, Coral Bay. nice restaurant with the best sea views over Coral Bay, most of the meals from RM8, water refill for RM1.5, only place with WR in Coral bay.
• Maya, Coral Bay. One of the two most popular restaurants in Coral bay, meals with reasonable prices - beef/chicken/kampung fried rice RM7, veg fried rice RM6, Thai fried rice RM8, veg fried noodles RM6, chicken fried noodles RM7 (same options with soup), fried vegetables with rice RM6, hot mango soup RM8, chicken cream soup RM8.
• Amelia Cafe, Coral Bay. Simple and most popular restaurant in CB with good meals for good prices - fried rice Malay with veg&egg/Kerabu/Chinese/Kampung 6RM, veg fried noodles with egg 6RM, chicken/pataya fried noodles 8RM, many salads from 8RM, French baguettes with filling plus french fries for 8RM (same options for sandwiches), creamy soups tomato/chicken/mushrooms 7RM, roti with egg/banana/onion/garlic/cheese/chocolate plus curry sauce for 4RM.
• Mama's kitchen, Coral Bay. Simple and most popular restaurant in CB with good meals for good prices - fried rice Malay with veg&egg/Kerabu/Chinese/Kampung RM6, veg fried noodles with egg RM6, chicken/pataya fried noodles RM8, many salads from RM8, French baguettes with filling plus french fries for RM8 (same options for sandwiches), creamy soups tomato/chicken/mushrooms RM7, roti with egg/banana/onion/garlic/cheese/chocolate plus curry sauce for RM4.
• Ewan's Cafe, Coral Bay (path between Coral bay and Long Beach. from 07:30. Set under big shady trees, away from the beach. A most enjoyable, popular restaurant off Coral bay, two minutes from pier next to Shari-la resort. Overall good value for money, while cheaper than most competition. Ewan is usually there and is very friendly and up for a conversation. Fast WiFi.
• Matahari Restaurant, behind the Matahari dive shop and chalets on Long Beach. Cheaper than Panorama, but the meals are smaller and the place is not as swanky. Still a nice joint to have a meal and the staff are friendly. Also screen a movie at 20:00, and you will have a better chance of hearing it here.
• Crocodile Rock Beach Bistro, Coral Bay (Infront of Maya Chalets. This relaxing little restaurant with its palm-leafed roof and beanbags on the beach is a wonderful place to chill out whilst enjoying the view and eating great homemade sausages, burgers, spaghetti, pizzas and salads. They also serve good European coffee and are open for brunch as well - do try their eggs benedict or buckwheat pancakes.

Shari La, Coral Bay. Great evening buffet (all you can eat) for RM20 with BBQ food (seafood, chicken, kebabs, etc.) Live music most nights and free drinks. Nice chilled out atmosphere with free wifi too. Food during the day is set menu or similar buffet style food. The cheapest meals in Coral bay at their beach stand - fried rice/noodles RM5, 2 pcs sandwich/waffles RM5, beef/chicken burger RM5, spaghetti RM6, big water RM2. Many meals from RM6 at their proper restaurant, looks quite upmarket surprisingly compared to their low prices.

Senja, Coral Bay. nice restaurant with the best sea views over Coral Bay, most of the meals from RM8, water refill for RM1.5, only place with WR in Coral bay.

Maya, Coral Bay. One of the two most popular restaurants in Coral bay, meals with reasonable prices - beef/chicken/kampung fried rice RM7, veg fried rice RM6, Thai fried rice RM8, veg fried noodles RM6, chicken fried noodles RM7 (same options with soup), fried vegetables with rice RM6, hot mango soup RM8, chicken cream soup RM8.

Amelia Cafe, Coral Bay. Simple and most popular restaurant in CB with good meals for good prices - fried rice Malay with veg&egg/Kerabu/Chinese/Kampung 6RM, veg fried noodles with egg 6RM, chicken/pataya fried noodles 8RM, many salads from 8RM, French baguettes with filling plus french fries for 8RM (same options for sandwiches), creamy soups tomato/chicken/mushrooms 7RM, roti with egg/banana/onion/garlic/cheese/chocolate plus curry sauce for 4RM.

Mama's kitchen, Coral Bay. Simple and most popular restaurant in CB with good meals for good prices - fried rice Malay with veg&egg/Kerabu/Chinese/Kampung RM6, veg fried noodles with egg RM6, chicken/pataya fried noodles RM8, many salads from RM8, French baguettes with filling plus french fries for RM8 (same options for sandwiches), creamy soups tomato/chicken/mushrooms RM7, roti with egg/banana/onion/garlic/cheese/chocolate plus curry sauce for RM4.

Ewan's Cafe, Coral Bay (path between Coral bay and Long Beach. from 07:30. Set under big shady trees, away from the beach. A most enjoyable, popular restaurant off Coral bay, two minutes from pier next to Shari-la resort. Overall good value for money, while cheaper than most competition. Ewan is usually there and is very friendly and up for a conversation. Fast WiFi.

Matahari Restaurant, behind the Matahari dive shop and chalets on Long Beach. Cheaper than Panorama, but the meals are smaller and the place is not as swanky. Still a nice joint to have a meal and the staff are friendly. Also screen a movie at 20:00, and you will have a better chance of hearing it here.

Crocodile Rock Beach Bistro, Coral Bay (Infront of Maya Chalets. This relaxing little restaurant with its palm-leafed roof and beanbags on the beach is a wonderful place to chill out whilst enjoying the view and eating great homemade sausages, burgers, spaghetti, pizzas and salads. They also serve good European coffee and are open for brunch as well - do try their eggs benedict or buckwheat pancakes.

• Arwana Resort, East end of the South beach (jump off airplane in tt corner. The resort has two restaurants, one serving a la carte, the other as a deli buffet. Prices are quite high, but if you have breakfast/lunch/dinner coupons, the food is ok. Breakfast choice in May is not great, but may get better at the height of the season. There is usually a BBQ at dinner times serving fish, squid, chicken, and beef. The place is clean too, just ignore the stagnant swamp behind the resort and the rubbish along the beach.
• Florabay Restaurant, In the middle of Flora bay resort. The restaurant offers good food at good prices. RM8 for a dish of chicken fried rice, and RM11 for fried prawns with mashed potatoes.
• Watercolours Restaurant, next to the dive shop of the same name on Besar's main western beach. Affiliated with the Paradise Resort, this simple but attractive restaurant is packed every night with people feasting on fresh seafood and other items on the menu. Needless to say, the quality of the food is very good. Prices have gone up lately but RM25 for 3 BBQ rock lobsters or RM20 for fresh barramundi in banana leaf, served with a small baked potato and salad, are still a steal by Perhentian standards. Vegetarian food is available upon request.
• Mama's Restaurant, beside Mama's Resort (oddly enough). This is the only other largish restaurant near the north end of Perhentian Besar. Their menu is closer to typical "kampung" (village) fare; however, the nighttime BBQ fish is not to be missed - the portions are far more generous, and the spices are much bolder/fragrant than the rather plain BBQ offerings from Watercolours. As well, it is the more economical of the two restaurants. Try roti canai (local bread) for breakfast and pisang goreng (banana fritters) for dessert. Service is friendly but slow, so expect to wait over half an hour.
• Teluk KK, at the southwestern tip of the island near Teluk Keke. This little place is frequented mostly by locals and serves basic food - don't expect super tasty dishes. RM5-6.
• On the way to Teluk Keke is a restaurant that is part of Abdul's Chalet. Cheaper than Mama's and Watercolours, Abdul's has a good deal for their nightly BBQ seafood, RM15-25 for your choice of BBQ and plenty of side dishes (you can get as much as you want). Their garlic bread is simple and amazing. Bring a flashlight or a digital camera with a large backscreen because it will be dark by the time you walk back.

Arwana Resort, East end of the South beach (jump off airplane in tt corner. The resort has two restaurants, one serving a la carte, the other as a deli buffet. Prices are quite high, but if you have breakfast/lunch/dinner coupons, the food is ok. Breakfast choice in May is not great, but may get better at the height of the season. There is usually a BBQ at dinner times serving fish, squid, chicken, and beef. The place is clean too, just ignore the stagnant swamp behind the resort and the rubbish along the beach.

Florabay Restaurant, In the middle of Flora bay resort. The restaurant offers good food at good prices. RM8 for a dish of chicken fried rice, and RM11 for fried prawns with mashed potatoes.

Watercolours Restaurant, next to the dive shop of the same name on Besar's main western beach. Affiliated with the Paradise Resort, this simple but attractive restaurant is packed every night with people feasting on fresh seafood and other items on the menu. Needless to say, the quality of the food is very good. Prices have gone up lately but RM25 for 3 BBQ rock lobsters or RM20 for fresh barramundi in banana leaf, served with a small baked potato and salad, are still a steal by Perhentian standards. Vegetarian food is available upon request.

Mama's Restaurant, beside Mama's Resort (oddly enough). This is the only other largish restaurant near the north end of Perhentian Besar. Their menu is closer to typical "kampung" (village) fare; however, the nighttime BBQ fish is not to be missed - the portions are far more generous, and the spices are much bolder/fragrant than the rather plain BBQ offerings from Watercolours. As well, it is the more economical of the two restaurants. Try roti canai (local bread) for breakfast and pisang goreng (banana fritters) for dessert. Service is friendly but slow, so expect to wait over half an hour.

Teluk KK, at the southwestern tip of the island near Teluk Keke. This little place is frequented mostly by locals and serves basic food - don't expect super tasty dishes. RM5-6.

Pasir Panjang on Kecil (Long Beach) is the only place in the islands with any semblance of a nightlife, although Besar's first bar has recently opened up. Alcohol is expensive at RM8 and more for a can of beer, and Muslim-owned restaurants can't sell any. There is some under-the-counter booze, and bringing your own is also permitted in most otherwise dry restaurants.

Oh La La's, Monkey Bar and Blacktips on Long Beach are the only places where you can get alcohol and hang out, but each have their own chilled out beach vibe. Oh La La's and Monkey bar have sunken or mat seating whereas Blacktips is a tiny shack with beach seating, but that always kicks off as a party late in the night (so if you want to dance, go there.)

On Coral Bay, you can buy Chang Beer and Orangutan after 19:00 from a vendor with a cooler that is usually set up near Mama Restaurant. Just ask around when you are there. As of April 2012, Change beer was RM 7 per can. It is no problem to drink the cans with dinner in the few restaurants on Coral Bay.

Beer is expensive for South East Asian standards, but is still only between 8-10 ringgit a can. Tiger, Carlsberg, Singha and Chang are the only brands readily available. For RM 25 you can get a bottle of Orangutan (325 ml) which is also known as monkey juice,and is the choice drink for backpackers and locals. It's a sweet vanilla rum but only about 25%. Vodka is also available at RM 25-30 a bottle (325 ml). If you have a chance to buy alcohol in either Kuala Lumpur, Kota Bharu or in Thailand, the extra weight you will carry will make it cheaper for your wallet as alcohol is expensive in this area. If you haven't bought alcohol before you get to Kuala Besut, don't bother stocking up there, as prices are no cheaper than in the Perhentians.

• Watercolours Restaurant. serves chilled beer.
• New Cocohut. Serves chilled beer for RM10 (May 2011).
• Tuna Bay. Serves chilled beer. Cost is RM10 (March 2011).
• Flora Bay Resort, +60 9-301 1166.

Watercolours Restaurant. serves chilled beer.

New Cocohut. Serves chilled beer for RM10 (May 2011).

Tuna Bay. Serves chilled beer. Cost is RM10 (March 2011).

Flora Bay Resort, +60 9-301 1166.

Internet cafes can be found on both Kecil and Besar. Although some connections are slow and a little expensive (RM 10 for 30 mins) many resorts are now installing satellite broadband. Many cafes and chalets offer a slow connection (through GSM with wifi extender). If your main reason to use the internet is to stay in touch with friends and family then another option is getting a prepaid GSM SIM and use your mobile phone. Most modern phones do handle email, just remember to get the appropriate settings from you email provider. Rates are the same for all three operators in Malaysia: RM0,01/kB.

• Lazy Boy Shop, Long Beach, Kecil
• Gen Mart, Long Beach, Kecil
• Panorama Chalet, Long Beach, Kecil
• Watercolours Paradise Resort, Besar. Offers satellite broadband at RM10 per 30 mins and now offer a free wireless service for guests with own laptop.
• Coral View Island Resort, Besar
• Tropical Reef, Besar
• Flora Bay Chalet on the southern beach of Besar. RM30 for a three day wireless pass.
• Senja Bay Resort, Kecil
• Mama's Place, Besar
• Cozy Chalets, Besar (Free for guests)
• Tuna Bay, Besar (RM30 for 30 min)
• Ewans Restaurant, Free for customers, password: bananapancake (Jul 2017)
• Mama’s Restaurant, Free for customers, password: dapurmamas999
• Ombak Resort and Bar, Free for customers, password: ombak001
• Shari La Resort, Coral bay. Free for customers, (Fastest and most reliable in Coral Bay)

GSM mobile phone coverage is available on both islands as all three (Digi, Celcom and Maxis) operators have placed their respective cell towers (huge red and white ones). They look a bit weird coming out of the green jungle. Celcom and Maxis provide UMTS 3G coverage though coverage is more limited than GSM, the best coverage is in the band between the islands (east coast of Kecil and west coast of Besar). There are some points where reception cannot be reached on the more secluded beaches. In particular the whole southern beach on Besar has very poor reception and no 3G reception.

Lazy Boy Shop, Long Beach, Kecil

Gen Mart, Long Beach, Kecil

Panorama Chalet, Long Beach, Kecil

Watercolours Paradise Resort, Besar. Offers satellite broadband at RM10 per 30 mins and now offer a free wireless service for guests with own laptop.

Coral View Island Resort, Besar

Tropical Reef, Besar

Flora Bay Chalet on the southern beach of Besar. RM30 for a three day wireless pass.

Senja Bay Resort, Kecil

Mama's Place, Besar

Cozy Chalets, Besar (Free for guests)

Tuna Bay, Besar (RM30 for 30 min)

Ewans Restaurant, Free for customers, password: bananapancake (Jul 2017)

Mama’s Restaurant, Free for customers, password: dapurmamas999

Ombak Resort and Bar, Free for customers, password: ombak001

Shari La Resort, Coral bay. Free for customers, (Fastest and most reliable in Coral Bay)

For all their beauty, the Perhentians remain a bit of an up-and-coming attraction and there are some missing bits in the infrastructure to be aware of:

• Credit cards are accepted at few locations. Some will charge an additional 3-6% so ask before buying. Cash advances can be had on Kecil at Bubu Long Beach Resort and Senja Bay Resort on Coral Bay. Both charge a hefty 10% fee.

Money can be changed on Long Beach, but rates are approx. 10% worse than on the mainland. Watercolours on Perhentian Besar will change money with only a small commission. It seems no one will change travellers cheques, so do it before you leave the mainland.

• Electricity generators provide most of the electricity on the islands, though Kecil has installed some solar panels and wind turbines. Power outages are not uncommon. If you need electricity in your room, inquire about the schedule before booking. It seems most places that have outages on Besar are only limited to 3-hour blackouts during the late afternoon (4-7PM, a good time to snorkel or jungle trek).

Credit cards are accepted at few locations. Some will charge an additional 3-6% so ask before buying. Cash advances can be had on Kecil at Bubu Long Beach Resort and Senja Bay Resort on Coral Bay. Both charge a hefty 10% fee.

Electricity generators provide most of the electricity on the islands, though Kecil has installed some solar panels and wind turbines. Power outages are not uncommon. If you need electricity in your room, inquire about the schedule before booking. It seems most places that have outages on Besar are only limited to 3-hour blackouts during the late afternoon (4-7PM, a good time to snorkel or jungle trek).

• Mosquitoes can be a nuisance after it rains. Bring repellent and consider burning a mosquito coil, called "ubat nyamuk" and available locally, especially if your bed does not have a mosquito net.
• Tap water is generally not safe to drink, although most resorts and dive centres seem to use simple filters to make it potable. Bottled water is only available at around RM3 per 1.5 litre bottle.
• Water Bottle Refills You can refill your bottle at some hotels for free, or at Senja Cafe (RM1.50/big bottle, southern end of Coral Bay). There is a water sterilizing machine in Amelias Cafe next to Mamas place near to the jetty. For RM1.50 it will dispense 1 1/2 litres of treated water.
• The sun can be extremely hot and burning in the afternoons till early evenings. Slap on sunscreen and, if snorkeling, wear a T-shirt. Note, ocean conservationists do not encourage sunscreen to be in contact with the sea water as it ruins the corals, so avoid sunscreen and wear a T-shirt. The midday sun is the most dangerous and can really ruin a holiday if you're not careful. Caps, hats or any other sun protective gear would be a good idea. Be careful also about lips.
• Sharks in Coral bay are not dangerous. Some small fishes can bite you if you offer them your finger, but it's just annoying; the same goes for occasional jellyfish. Broken coral can cause nasty grazes to feet and knees, especially if snorkeling in too shallow water. If you are wearing a life jacket, wear a T-shirt with sleeves to avoid chaffing.

There is a small medical reception at the small island, in the main town where most locals reside. It has a friendly staff of a doctor and a couple of nurses, and offers basic medical help at low cost. To get there, ask a boat taxi driver for help.

[[Mosquitoes]] can be a nuisance after it rains. Bring repellent and consider burning a mosquito coil, called "ubat nyamuk" and available locally, especially if your bed does not have a mosquito net.

Tap water is generally not safe to drink, although most resorts and dive centres seem to use simple filters to make it potable. Bottled water is only available at around RM3 per 1.5 litre bottle.

Water Bottle Refills You can refill your bottle at some hotels for free, or at Senja Cafe (RM1.50/big bottle, southern end of Coral Bay). There is a water sterilizing machine in Amelias Cafe next to Mamas place near to the jetty. For RM1.50 it will dispense 1 1/2 litres of treated water.

The sun can be extremely hot and burning in the afternoons till early evenings. Slap on sunscreen and, if snorkeling, wear a T-shirt. Note, ocean conservationists do not encourage sunscreen to be in contact with the sea water as it ruins the corals, so avoid sunscreen and wear a T-shirt. The midday sun is the most dangerous and can really ruin a holiday if you're not careful. Caps, hats or any other sun protective gear would be a good idea. Be careful also about lips.

Garbage/refuse barges in the coves/bays are generally being collected by the marine park. However, when they are not, the cargo falls off the barge, washing up on the shores of the beautiful beaches. Litter remains a big problem despite local regulations. No one seems to want to pick the stuff up. Maybe they need a black bag volunteering day.

When you arrive at the jetty in Kuala Besut, you are made to pay a marine park fee, which is used to pay for services such as this. Despite this conservation effort, there are concerns that the coral reef will be gone within the decade due to the intensive tourism industry. The destruction of the reef, especially close to shore, is becoming more profound each year.

Many snorkeling trip operators have very little awareness of environmental issues. They may discard plastic bags which contained food for attracting fish directly into the sea. This adds up to thousands of plastic bags needlessly thrown into the ocean. Do what you can do discourage this neglectful habit.

If you are a diver then you can dive with operators who care about the marine environment. One or two dive centres run regular reef and beach clean operations and even offer the Reef Check survey methodology, which you can learn whilst helping to monitor and conserve the marine environment. See Watercolours and Coral Sky Dive Centres.

Use the water refill services listed in the Stay Healthy section to reduce the amount of plastic waste you create and the islands have to deal with.

Most people will find themselves returning to Kuala Besut as this is the only scheduled location that boats go to. Boats depart for the mainland daily at 08:00, 12:00 and 16:00 only. If you purchased a return ticket from the mainland be sure to hold onto the ticket and contact the operator the day before you wish to leave to ensure they go to your departure jetty. Usually if you inform the reception of your accommodation they will contact the boat operator for you.

Those looking for more sun, sand and surf could head towards Redang Island, located south-west of the Perhentian Islands. There are no scheduled boat services to Redang but you can arrange transport with a water taxi operator or even the occasional dive or day-trip operator if they are heading there already. Be sure to confirm the trip with the operator beforehand.