Getting There and Around in Perhentian Islands
Part of the Perhentian Islands travel guide — see every topic in All Perhentian Islands Guides.
The Perhentians are reached from Kuala Besut, a small port town on the Terengganu coast, by speedboat across twenty kilometres of open water in thirty to forty-five minutes. Getting to Kuala Besut is the longer part: it is around forty-five minutes from Kota Bharu, the nearest airport with regular flights, or a long drive or overnight bus from Kuala Lumpur. Once on the islands there are no roads, so everything moves by water taxi.
Reaching Kuala Besut
Fly to Kota Bharu (Sultan Ismail Petra Airport) from Kuala Lumpur in about an hour, then take a taxi or shared van forty-five minutes south to Kuala Besut jetty for 60–100 ringgit. Kuala Terengganu airport is a similar distance to the south. Overnight buses run from Kuala Lumpur to Jerteh or Kuala Besut in eight to nine hours. There is also a train on the interior jungle railway to Tanah Merah, then a taxi. Most people fly; the flight plus taxi is the fastest and cheapest combination.
The boat
Speedboats leave Kuala Besut from around eight in the morning to around four in the afternoon, running when full rather than to a strict timetable, and take thirty to forty-five minutes to whichever beach you name. A return ticket is 70–100 ringgit and the marine park conservation fee is collected separately at the jetty. Confirm your return time and date with the operator when you buy, and reconfirm on the island. The crossing is in an open speedboat over swell — it gets wet, and it is genuinely bouncy.
On the islands
No cars, no roads, no scheduled transport. Water taxis run between beaches and between the two islands from early morning until late, hailed at the beach or arranged through your accommodation, at 15–40 ringgit per person and roughly double after dark. Jungle paths cross both islands and connect several beaches, but they are steep, rooty, unlit and take longer than they look — the Long Beach to Coral Bay crossing on Kecil is the one most people walk, and it takes fifteen to twenty minutes.
Money and supplies
This deserves its own paragraph. ATMs on the islands are scarce, frequently out of order and out of cash, and card acceptance is limited and often carries a surcharge. Bring all the money you expect to need from the mainland, plus a margin for a dive course, a boat trip or an unplanned extra night. There is no pharmacy worth the name and only a small clinic, so bring any medication. And buy sunscreen, insect repellent and anything else you need before you get on the boat.
Getting There and Around at a glance
| Nearest airport | Kota Bharu — ~1 h from KL, then 45 min to the jetty |
|---|---|
| The crossing | Kuala Besut, 30–45 min, RM 70–100 return |
| Also | Marine park conservation fee, collected at the jetty |
| On the islands | Water taxi only — RM 15–40, double after dark |
| Walking | Long Beach to Coral Bay, 15–20 min over the hill |
| Critical | Bring all your cash — ATMs are unreliable or absent |