Pulau Perhentian Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Both speedboats (adult/child RM60/30 return, 30 to 40 minutes) and slow boats (adult/child RM40/20 return, 1½ hours) run several times a day between Kuala Besut and the Perhentians from 8.30am to 5.30pm although you can expect delays or cancellations if the weather is bad, or if there aren’t enough passengers. The boats will drop you off at any of the beaches. In the other direction, speedboats depart from the islands daily at around 8am, noon and 4pm; slow boats leave hourly from 8am to noon. It’s a good idea to let the owner of your guesthouse know a day before you leave so they can arrange a pick-up. Tickets are sold by several travel agents around Kuala Besut.

You can board a speedboat in either direction with a slow-boat ticket, if you pay the difference between the fares.

Waves on Long Beach can be hazardous, and when the sea is particularly rough, boats drop off and pick up on the other side of the island at Coral Bay. Guesthouse operators on Kecil charge RM2 for ferry pick-ups and drop-offs.

Note that boats also run to and from the Perhentians from the tiny port of Tok Bali in Kelantan. There is only one operator (Symphony) plying this route and prices are the same as from Kuala Besut, though the journey takes slightly longer. Several readers have complained about the reliability and condition of these boats and we recommend that travellers only use ferries out of Kuala Besut.