A Long (Solo!) weekend of hiking and relaxation in the Perhentian Islands

The Perhentian Islands lie off the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia. They offer an idyllic island getaway during the East Coast’s dry season (approximately May through early October).

I was lucky to have a KID-FREE long weekend at the Perhentian Islands! Yep, I spent three days of solo bliss on Pulau Besar, the larger of the two islands.

Read on to find out where I went hiking on the islands and what else I got up to over the three days!

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Traveling to the Perhentian Islands from Kuala Lumpur

At first, I wrote off the idea of visiting these islands over a long weekend. I figured it would take a whole day to get there and a whole day to get back from Kuala Lumpur. But then I realized there’s an overnight bus, which, to me, was a no-brainer without the kids.

The alternative to the bus is to fly to Kota Bahru and then take a one-hour bus ride to the Kuala Besut jetty. When I checked, the flight prices were about five times more expensive than the bus. I only paid 40 RM each way for the bus journey.

I don’t really sleep on buses, but I figured that if I arrived on a tropical island without sleep and only had my own agenda to take care of, all would be well!

I departed from the TBS bus terminal in KL at 10 pm and arrived at the Kuala Besut bus terminal at 5:15 am, 2.25 hours earlier than scheduled!

From the Kuala Besut bus terminal, it’s 10 minutes or so walk to the jetty to catch a boat to the islands. I didn’t book a boat in advance, as it’s not necessary. The price is standard for everyone at 35 RM per person and they will normally fill them up with people before departing.

I actually ended up getting a boat ticket at the bus terminal, which included the short (and free) taxi ride to the jetty.

The boat ride across takes about 30-45 minutes, and they’ll take you directly to your accommodation or the closest jetty.

Day 1: Hiking and snorkeling on Pulau Besar

On the first day of my solo trip to the Perhentian Islands, I went straight to my accommodation at Suhaila Palace on Pulau Besar for breakfast.

Luckily, they let me check in early, so I went straight for a 90-minute nap after breakfast!

Then, it was time to explore. I like to hike everywhere I go, so trekking around a small portion of the big island was on today’s agenda.

The islands are pretty well-suited to hiking. There are a few jungle trails, nice stretches of coastline, and no roads or cars.

My focus was the southwest corner of Pulau Besar, where I intended to make a loop walk with snorkeling stops along the way.

I headed south from Suhaila, walking along the beach and some concrete pathways with rails built into the coastline.

Stop for snorkeling breaks as you hike

The water is stunning. It’s clear, with a beautiful turquoise hue and many tropical fish. You can snorkel from the shore pretty much anywhere around the islands. Unfortunately, much of the coral is dead, so it’s not an overly colorful underwater world. But it’s better when you get further out, and I suspect you’d have a better experience if you take a snorkeling trip.

Teluk Keke is one of the recommended snorkeling spots on Pulau Besar. When I got there, it was jam-packed with a large group of local tourists, but I found a quiet stretch of beach to snorkel just a few minutes’ walk away.

I couldn’t walk any further around the coastline from here as there were huge boulders and no path. My trail map told me there was a jungle path through to Flora Bay, but the scary-looking signs saying the area was private property put me off (and I couldn’t see the trail anyway).

So I turned around and walked back to Suhaila before continuing north. I found the jungle path up behind Cozy Chalets and followed that and the coast to get to Teluk Pauh, a beautiful beach.

From Teluk Pauh, I took a longer jungle trail to Flora Bay. I didn’t see anyone else on the jungle trails, which made me think it’s not a popular island activity! From Flora Bay, I took a boat back to Tuna Bay for the evening.

I suspect I walked about 2.5 hours altogether, but this was an all-afternoon activity with the snorkeling and relaxing.

Day 2: Hiking and snorkeling on Pulau Kecil

On my second day in the Perhentian Islands, I hiked again😆.

This time, I decided to explore Pulau Kecil, the smaller of the two islands.

Taxi boats are available at all the main beaches. The prices are reasonable, although solo travelers must pay double.

The prices are mostly 10-25 RM per person to most locations. And you can do snorkeling trips from about 40 RM for the short ones.

First, I took a taxi boat to the village at the south end of Kecil. It’s the only village between the two islands and has several little local-style eateries.

I first walked from the village to Long Beach, the most popular spot for young travelers/backpackers to stay.

There’s a path, partly paved and covered (although crumbling away in many places) between the village and Long Beach. This part of the walk took me about an hour, with a step section towards the end. I didn’t see anyone else – further confirmation that boats are the preferred method of travel here!

After a nice snorkel and lunch at Long Beach, I continued my hike to the island’s north end. I could see there is a bit more development in place on Kecil, with construction work going on above Long Beach.

Stop and enjoy the incredible hilltop viewpoint

At the hilltop, you arrive at the power plant, which has solar panels and a couple of windmills. Shortly after, there is a stunning vista across the turquoise sea. This was the only real viewpoint I encountered, and it was spectacular!

You can either walk down a long set of steps to get close to the water or enjoy the views from the top a little further along. I stayed at the top because I was tired!

Afterward, I continued to Adam and Eve beach at the island’s northwest end. It was an idyllic little spot for snorkeling and swimming. When I first arrived, I found two Adam and Eves there, and then I got the beach to myself.

I was going to continue to Turtle Beach at the top of the island, but I’d had enough by that point. So I walked about 15 minutes to D’Lagoon, a rustic resort where I knew I could catch a taxi boat back to Pulau Besar (and they have hammocks!)

The total walking time for the day was just under 2.5 hours.

Day 3: Full-body massage, relaxation and departure

On my final day in the Perhentian Islands, I rested 🙂.

In the morning, I had a two-hour full-body massage at Cozy Chalets. Highly recommended!

Then I had lunch and read my book all afternoon before catching the boat back at 4 pm. That was it!

Additional tips and reflections for visiting the Perhentian Islands

Here are a few extra info snippets if you’re thinking of visiting the Perhentian Islands:

☀️ I considered staying at Redang, which is a neighboring island. However, when I looked at accommodation I realised it’s more of a mid-range island. I couldn’t find accommodation in my desired budget there. Overall, the Perhentian Islands offer a broader range of price points, including good options for budget travelers. You can also take a very affordable snorkeling trip to Pulau Redang from the Perhentian Islands for the day if you wish.

☀️ In general, Pulau Kecil attracts more of a backpacker crowd, with many opting to stay at Long Beach. Of course, there are exceptions, but Pulau Besar is nice for families, and I enjoyed it as a solo traveler.

☀️ Don’t go to these islands expecting a boozy time or lots of cheap alcohol like you get on Langkawi. You can get alcohol, but most of the restaurants don’t serve it. I got a beer from a tiny beach bar at Flora Bay on my first night and had a glass of wine with my dinner at Beach Box (Tuna Bay) on the second night. There are probably more places to buy alcohol at Long Beach.

☀️ There are no ATMs on the islands, so bring cash. The resorts and larger restaurants will generally take credit cards. They usually also have G Pay if you use it. But it’s ideal to have cash as you will need it in many food places, for boats, and for small purchases (as there may be a minimum spend to use a credit card).

I hope you’ve found this article about the Perhentian Islands helpful. And if you plan to visit soon, I hope you have an excellent, relaxing time!

If you’re visiting Malaysia, check out these top things to do in Penang with kids, these family-friendly attractions in Johor Bahru, and our top picks for things to do in the Cameron Highlands. Plus, find out what we got up to during a long weekend at Desaru Beach.

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