The gorgeous azure sea, stunning blue sky, soft beige sandy beach and wonderful sea breeze that leaves a tangy salt taste on ones lips are all I could think of Perhentian Island (pulau perhentian) even way before setting foot on the shores of this east coast gems. It has been three years since I last dived into its stunning water and ventured to its reefs to be mesmerised by the sea dwellers that live down in the deep blue. Three years I thought is way too long to be away from a place I have considered to be a home away from home. Located half an hour’s speedboat ride off Kuala Besut (RM60 for a return ticket), this famous holiday destination, which consist of two islands, Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil, is a haven for foreign travellers. Families, couples or singles, find the lure of the sparkling water and blue sky too hard to resist.
It’s noon and the speed boat ride to Perhentian Kecil, where we will be staying in Bubu Resort – the only resort considered luxurious on Perhentian Kecil’s long beach, is rather smooth when compared to the one I had during my last trip here. With our hair blown by the wind and our eyes squinted to avoid the splashing seawater, the boat cuts through the vast South China Sea, home to an array of fascinating sea life and diving sites.
At times, schools of anchovy-like fish leap to the surface, their shiny scale glistening under the hot sun, probably startled by the boat or perhaps swimming away from predators beneath. The boat service regularly takes visitors to Perhentian Besar, catering to family packages and couples who prefer solace. On the other hand during the month of June, the 800-metre stretch of beach on Perhentian Kecil’s long beach, becomes a haven to hundreds of backpackers, mainly from Europe who come in droves to discover life under the east coast sun. Captivated by the relaxed and laid back lifestyle the island offers, it is not surprising that some visitors keep coming back for more, which incidentally sparks the only dilemma on these beautiful islands – accommodation. According to many chalet owners, many tourist come here planning to stay for only a couple of days but usually end up living on the island for weeks to even months. As there are only 580 rooms available on Perhentian Kecil, with prices varying from RM25 to RM420 per night, most guests are advised to come early in the morning to check for room availability as only resorts like Bubu Longbeach accept bookings for rooms.“Its not because we don’t want to take bookings but its difficult to promise a room on a certain day when we don’t know if the current guests will be leaving on that day. Most of the time, they end up extending their stay,” explains the manager of Panorama Chalets. During the peak season, it is a norm to see people sleeping on the beach when there are no available rooms. Aside from the famous longbeach, guests can also opt to stay at Coral Bay, which is the stretch of beach on the other side of the island that is accessible via a 15minute forest trek that cuts across the island.
What makes Perhentian Kecil a stronger attraction to its sister island is the atmosphere, sea activities and swinging nightlife. Unlike Perhentian Besar which is more subdued as the sun sets, long beach on Perhentian Kecil becomes alive with its array of games and fire shows that is normally organised after 11 pm at either outside of the Palm Tree cafe or on the beachside just in front of Bubu Resort, located on the far right of the beach. Among the many fascinating acts one can feast their eyes on include the fiery sticks juggling act, the fiery baton act and the Dragon Breath in which the performer spews fire out of his mouth.
If day activity is more your cup of tea, then there are just so many on offer on the beach. One can join the daily snorkeling trips that take tourists to several different snorkeling spots located around the two islands. Among them are the Turtle Bay, where you can swim next to a turtle and Shark Point, to catch a glimpse of the docile Black Tip reef sharks. Those who have always wanted to learn how to dive, Perhentian Kecil has a few dive schools like Sunlight, Spice Divers and Turtle Bay Divers that offers several courses, among others, the Open Water Diver course, Advance Open Water Diver, Medic First Aid, Rescue Diver and Divemaster course at reasonable prices.
Other attractions include the island hopping ride of which you can include the spectacular and secluded Rawa Island and Saji (where fish swim right up to the edge of the sand in the crystal blue water), the Turtle Sanctuary to view how work on turtle conservation is carried out, banana boat rides, kayaking, beach volleyball and doing a 40-minute trek through banana plantation slope for a scenic view of the beach. When it comes to food, tourists and visitors are spoilt for choice as being on the beach, this seaside destination serves a wide range of seafood dishes done in BBQ style or ala carte aside from the normal array of food from its menu card offering a variety of Western, Chinese and Malay style dishes such as chicken chop, fried rice, noodles and typical mixed rice.
Getting There
The departure point for all ferry rides to the islands is Kuala Besut, a tiny fishing village about 2 hour’s drive from Kuala Terengganu or 30 minutes from Kota Bharu in Kelantan. If you’re from Kuala Lumpur, it’s best that you take a flight to Kota Bharu and take a bus or charter a taxi to Kuala Besut. Alternatively, you may take a bus from Kuala Lumpur (the journey takes about 9 hours) to Kuala Besut and ask the driver to drop you at the jetty. There are a few companies providing ferry services to the islands. You may choose to take the fast boat (30 minutes) or the slow boat (45 minutes – 1 hour), and let the boatman know which island you intend to stop at. Generally, the fast boat makes three journeys to/ from Kuala Besut per day and the slow boat, two.
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