Introduction:
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| Perhentian Kecil Island, Coral Bay side |
Cost summary:
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Review (out of 5)
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Kuala Lumpur TBS Bus Station - Kuala Besut each way
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44 MYR
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2.5
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Kuala Besut Jetty to/from Perhentian Kecil (per head)
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35 MYR
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3.5
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Camp for 2 per night
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51 MYR
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4.8
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Marine park entrance fees (compulsory, per head for Foreigners)
| 30 MYR
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Snorkelling mask rental (per mask per day)
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10 MYR
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4.5
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Fin rental (per fin per day)
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5 MYR
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4.5
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Islands snorkel tour full day (per head)
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50 MYR
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4.5
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Food in Rainforest beach
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$$
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Good to know:
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Mosquito repellent cream is a must have
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You must bring enough cash (there is no ATM on the island, cash withdrawal available at the Coral Bay but with additional charges)
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Keep some snacks and water bottle in your backpack (for something to munch when the reception is not open, there are no nearby shops: this is a secluded beach)
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Bring sunblock and / or hat
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The electricity is available at the campsite from 6 pm to 11 pm. So, if you need to charge your phone, this would be the time.
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Water taxi prices become double than the normal ones after 6pm and triple after 12 midnight. The normal rate when we went (2016) was RM 5 for Coral Bay and RM 20 for Long Beach.
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Getting there:
Regular buses depart from Kuala Lumpur for Kuala Besut. From the bus terminus, the jetty is 10-15 minute's walk. The ticketing counter opens 9 am onwards. From Kuala Besut jetty,
the ferry takes about 30 minutes to reach Perhentian Kecil island.
Rainforest beach:
You need to get down from the ferry at the Coral Bay beach as the boats do not dock at the rainforest beach. For the return, let the campsite reception know yout date of return and they will arrange with the boat for your pickup from the rainforest beach itself.
From the Coral Bay, you needed to trek to the rain forest. Alternately, you can take the water taxi to go there; we preferred the trek, though.
From the Coral Bay, you needed to trek to the rain forest. Alternately, you can take the water taxi to go there; we preferred the trek, though.
From the pier, you walk towards the beach, then continue walking towards the forest area (or ask the shops about the rainforest beach). A very simple way is to follow a big black water pipe that runs through the Coral bay beaches, all the way to the rainforest beach and further.
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| Morning at the rainforest beach |
The route is more of
a jungle trail. You might encounter some logs fallen here and there, blocking
your path, or some big lizards as well, but you need to walk past all those
until you reach the camping ground. The total trail takes around 15-20 minutes.
The rainforest beach is a small secluded beach with minimum crowd. The tent area is further up (less than a
min’s trek) from the reception.
The Campsite:
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| Trekking to the rainforest |
The facilities are very basic here. Within the tent, there are mattresses, pillows, bed sheet and extra sheets. The opening for the tent has a mosquito net and a covered sheet that can be used together or alternately. There is no fan or light within the tent, it’s all natural resources based. The shared toilet and bathing area outside is also very basic. Although the toilet has a fully covered door, the bathing area doors are not high enough (a bit inconvenient for bathing I felt, considering the slope: it would be open view for anyone walking from uphill). There is a wash basin outside. The dining area, the reception and the bar is near the beach.
Things to do:
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| Campsite |
- Snorkeling: The water around the rainforest beach and around provide nice snorkeling option. You can even spot baby shark, just like we did!
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| Water near the rainforest beach |
- Climb up to the viewing deck near the reception to catch the sunset view, which is undoubtedly one of the best in the island (just as they rightly claim it to be). The deck overlooks the beach with the forest backdrop on one side; the clear water view just below it; and the ocean stretch in front glittering under the golden rays.
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| Sunset view from the viewpoint |
- In the evening, sit back and relax at the open snacking facing the beach, may be with some drinks while soft jazz and reggae plays in the background. Alternately, if you are looking for some louder options, you might consider going to the Long Beach. Long Beach is a bit too far to walk, but is doable if you are comfortable. Alternately, you can ask the reception to arrange for water taxi. The nigh sea is rough, hence the ride is a very bumpy one.
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| Rainforest beach during sunset |
- Swim with the bioluminescent phytoplanktons. Ideally, a no moon night is the best time to spot them. However, a cloudy night can also do the trick. We kept waiting at the beach for the moon to hide behind the clouds for some time. Then, we went into the water (a bit inside the sea, far from the beach and the lights, make sure it’s not too deep because the sea is very rough at night). Once inside, we waved our hands to see the sparkles in the water. It is really exciting. However, do not set your expectation by the images available on the internet, else you might be a bit disappointed as it does not look anything like those here.
- Enjoy the serene environment of the rainforest in the darkness of the night, with nothing but the moon and stars for the company, peeking through the forest trees. It is pin drop silence except for the night insects, the sound of sea waves and the rustling of the trees.
- Go snorkeling. Perhentians (big and small) and the surrounding islands offer very good snorkeling option, probably one of the best in Malaysia. A typical itinerary would include the Turtle point, the Fish point, the Shark point, the Turtle bay and the Blue lagoon.
- Take a tour of the island. The Perhentian Kecil (small) island can be covered by walking. Alternately, if you don't want to tire yourself too much, you can opt for beach hopping trip, or, select which beaches you want to explore and arrange with the water taxis accordingly.
Food:
The campsite organizes buffet dinner and there are open food menu for the rest of the day. If you are going to join for the buffet dinner, you need to give your confirmation by 4 pm on that day. The food is good, although a bit expensive. But, if you want to opt out from the buffet dinner, you need to travel to the other beaches for food because once the kitchen closes down, there are no other meal options available in the beach. The nearest option is the Coral Bay, accessible from the Rainforest Beach via the jungle trail, but it is very dark at night so you need to carry a torch. Alternately, you might want to try seafood and barbecue at the Long Beach.
Suggested itinerary (3D / 2N):
Day 1: Arrive at the island / campsite. Go for round trip of the island and visit the various beaches like the Coral Bay, the Paradise beach, Long beach, etc. Enjoy the dinner at the Long beach with some fire shows. At the night, after 11 pm, when all the lights go off at the rainforest beach, swim with the phytoplanktons. But beware of the rough sea and do NOT go very deep into the water.
Day 2: Take up the snorkeling trip. You will be back by 4:30 - 5:00 pm, so book the buffet dinner before you leave for the trip. Snorkel some more if you want after you come back to the rainforest beach, or just relax at the beach. Climb up to the sunset view point to catch the sunset view. Take up some drinks and enjoy the soft music with the sea view sitting on the open deck. After dinner, which is server at 8 pm, go to the beach and enjoy the night sea view or do start gazing or swim with the phytoplantons.
Day 3: Snorkel around the beach and the surrounding. Enjoy some sunbathing and swimming until you depart by you 4 pm boat to the Kuala Besut pier.
The campsite organizes buffet dinner and there are open food menu for the rest of the day. If you are going to join for the buffet dinner, you need to give your confirmation by 4 pm on that day. The food is good, although a bit expensive. But, if you want to opt out from the buffet dinner, you need to travel to the other beaches for food because once the kitchen closes down, there are no other meal options available in the beach. The nearest option is the Coral Bay, accessible from the Rainforest Beach via the jungle trail, but it is very dark at night so you need to carry a torch. Alternately, you might want to try seafood and barbecue at the Long Beach.
Suggested itinerary (3D / 2N):
Day 1: Arrive at the island / campsite. Go for round trip of the island and visit the various beaches like the Coral Bay, the Paradise beach, Long beach, etc. Enjoy the dinner at the Long beach with some fire shows. At the night, after 11 pm, when all the lights go off at the rainforest beach, swim with the phytoplanktons. But beware of the rough sea and do NOT go very deep into the water.
Day 2: Take up the snorkeling trip. You will be back by 4:30 - 5:00 pm, so book the buffet dinner before you leave for the trip. Snorkel some more if you want after you come back to the rainforest beach, or just relax at the beach. Climb up to the sunset view point to catch the sunset view. Take up some drinks and enjoy the soft music with the sea view sitting on the open deck. After dinner, which is server at 8 pm, go to the beach and enjoy the night sea view or do start gazing or swim with the phytoplantons.
Day 3: Snorkel around the beach and the surrounding. Enjoy some sunbathing and swimming until you depart by you 4 pm boat to the Kuala Besut pier.
