PERHENTIAN ISLAND (NO 7)

Perhentian Islands is located in the South China Sea 25 km from the coast of Kuala Besut. It consists of two islands, Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil. Both islands are surrounded by beautiful palm-fringed sandy beaches andcrystal-clear turquoise-blue sea. A trip to this lush and exotic tropical island is a must for all nature lovers and those who enjoy scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, swimming, wind surfing, sailing, boating and canoeing.

All manner of aquatic life is visible both near and far from the beach such as turtles, sharks, coral and thousands of tropical fish. The interior is covered by jungle with a wide variety of species. You can watch monitor lizards, monkeys, geckos, flying squirrels, butterflies and many other types - sometimes right in front of your chalet. There are no roads and not many paths, so the islands are mainly peaceful and untouched - so far.

PERFECT PLACE TO GET DIVING LICENSE

Perhentian is an ideal place to get your scuba diving license. There are various diving schools on the island and the sea conditions (visibility and currents) are usually perfect for beginners. In Malaysia, you will pay around RM1100 for your PADI license, considerably cheaper than in many other parts of the world. If you plan on getting your PADI, you will have to stay on the island for at least 5 days. On the island Perhentian Kecil there are a couple of great diving schools along the famous Long Beach and Coral Bay; Sunlight Divers, Quiver Dive Team, Turtle Bay Divers, Seadragon Divers, Matahari (formerly Coral Sky) Divers, Spice Divers and Angel Divers.

On Perhentian Besar the diving schools Flora Bay Divers, Watercolours and Sea Horse Divers are also of high standards (among others). Flora Bay is a 5 Star Gold Palm Instructor Development Centre. Sea Horse Divers is just about the most luxurious resort on the island. Watercolours is a diving school with excellent instructors and a friendly atmosphere.

BEST PLACE FOR SNORKELING

Within walking distance of Watercolours Dive School there is an amazing snorkeling site with barracudas, black reef tip sharks, humphead parrotfish, cuttlefish, blue spotted rays and green turtles. This great location, Teluk Pauh, is right in front of the PIR (Perhentian Island Resort ). Right in front of the beach of PIR there is a small strip with underwater sea grass where green turtles go to for food. The chance of spotting a turtle over here is very big. We have been there many times and there wasn't a time where we did not see a turtle. Sometimes you do have to be patient and do not get to close to the small jetty. The area where the turtles can be seen is marked by white floaters.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Best time to the year to visit the island is during the months of August and September; during these months the conditions under water are usually perfect (great visibility). During those months it is usually also very crowded on the island; you clearly notice that it is peak season. If you want to enjoy secluded beaches then you should visit the island from April to June.

SEMBILAN ISLAND (NO 8)

Sembilan consists of nine islands; Rumbia, Pulau Lalang, Pulau Saga, Pulau Buluh, Pulau Samak, Pulau Nipis, Pulau Agas, Pulau Miskin and Pulau Nyamuk. All of them are inhabited, so you will find an oasis of peace. The islands are located nearby the town of Lumut, and also nearby Pangkor Island. The boat takes you to the islands in an hour and a half. Most people visit the island during a day trip. Usually a group of friends or a family rents a boat at the small harbor and they visit the island for a nice picnic. Some leave very early in the morning to catch fish in the area and then prepare and eat the fish during lunch at one of the nice secluded beaches at one of the islands. 

There are several dive sites around these islands, which range from about 5m – 40m in depth, and have a prolific marine life. Besides the rich and beautiful coral reefs, it consists of a wide variety of saltwater habitants including Turtles, Barracudas, Moray Eels, Scorpionfish and a whole lot more.

The main disadvantage of this area is poor visibility, which is rarely above 15m and often as low as 3m. Many types of Nudibranch as well as other macro critters like Shrimps, Gobies, Blennies, etc. are hard to be spotted except by the eagle-eyed diver.

One of the most popular dive sites is at White Rock – with its lighthouse and steep walls that drop to 40m in depth, and are covered in coral and seafans. Large schools of fishes such as Snapper, Trevally, Parrotfish, Angelfish, Morish Idols, etc can also be seen.

White rock

The best time to dive here is November to March – the opposite season to the east coast of Malaysia, which makes it a popular destination for divers.

FESTIVAL

Sembilan Islands is the setting for an annual fishing safari, a competitive event held in conjunction with the lavishly celebrated Lumut Pesta Laut – a popular festival that takes place in Lumut every August.

All 9 islands are uninhabited and accommodation is unavailable, while only Pulau Lalang has fresh water supply and accessible beaches.