PERHENTIANS - PERFECTION

Perhentian lslands are the perfect paradise in NE Malaysia. Arriving after a sleepless over-night bus into Kuala Besut, it was a relief to see the sun rise over the South East China Sea. lt's a typical bustling murky port that quickly gives way to a beautiful royal blue on the 30min speed boat trip to the islands. Travelling with 2 Dutch back-packers, our grumpy moods soon transform & our smiles return. Long Beach on Kecil (small) island is the more popular spot for back-packers. Palm-fringed, powder white sand, azure blue water & the usual superlatives for a tropical paradise, are inadequate in describing the Perhentian lslands. The diving being the main draw-card, with easy access to snorkelling & scuba, & guaranteed sightings of turtles, reef sharks, fish of every tropical colour & variety. But more than anything it's the perfect crystal clarity & temperature that make this place special. Among so many well-travelled back-packers, we all agree, we have never experienced anything like it elsewhere. We can only guess at the temperature, but it's perfect. The kind of water you can swim in all day & never feel it. And the visibility is endless with just a slight turquoise tinge in the far distance.



lt's been 5 yrs since l'd been there & not much had changed. Very basic accommodation in beach chalets cost about 50RM ($15). And the scenery is priceless. lt's not always as easy to find as it used to be  & one of the reasons we'd decided to arrive as early as possible. Late arrivers can be forced to sleep on the beach. Not the worst place in the world to sleep. l met a 70yr old German-Australian quite happily sleeping on the beach. Food is of course a bit more expensive than the mainland. At night the tiki-torches are lit & every sea-side reataurant is offering the same seafood barbeque for 25RM ($8). Alcohol is expensive also compared to other Malaysian islands like Langkawi & Tioman which are duty-free. But it doesnt seem to deter anyone from partying & the beach bars are full with everyone sharing their photos of the day's dive. Snorkelling costs about 50RM ($15) for about 5hrs, including lunch & 5 differently incredible dive points. It's also one of the cheapesst places in the world to obtain a PADI open water dive ticket. Packages include accommodation.

Cost of bus from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Besut is 40 RM ($13) & takes 7 hrs. Boat trip to islands is 35 RM ($12).

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