Perhentian lies in the North East coast of Penisular Malaysia off the coast of Terengganu. It consists of two islands, Pulau Perhentian and Puala Perhentian Kecil.

To get there from Singapore, take your tickets from Kallang Basin Interchange, opposite the Singapore Casket. Book a one-way ticket to Kota Bahru at around $35. Be sure you book a day in advance. Bus leaves at the evening daily around 7.30pm, and you have to request to stop at Kuala Besut, some kilometers before the journey's final stop - Kota Bahru. You will reach Kuala Besut at 5.30am in the morning (If you bus left Singapore at 7.30pm).

From the small town, Kuala Besut, take a cab or walk to the pier, which is 15 km away. Don't be surprise to see 7 to 8 cab drivers waiting to serve you. As usual, they know where you are heading, so bargain!! Don't pay anything more than RM 10. Once you get to the pier, look for shops that sell tickets to Perhentian Islands. And there's plenty to choose from.

The journey from the pier to Perhentian Islands takes about 1 1/2 hours. You can drop off at the bigger island - Perhentian, or the smaller - Perhentian Kecil. Anyway, both have lots of corals next to the beach, so you can actually snorkel from the shore.

While I was there, I stayed at the smaller island on the West Coast at Coral Bay, which is practically unspolit, as you can see from my pictures, and its a short 15 minutes walk from the East to the West shores.

If you are looking for island hopping or day snorkelling trips, you can check with any chalets along the beach, as most of them is willing to organise one for you if you have say 3 to 4 guys. If you are alone, do not despair, cross over to the East side in the morning, go to Moonlight chalets and wait for the Old Man with a Boat. He will be there every morning without fail, to pick up tourists for snorkelling trips. You may just bump into him, coz he's always going around, chatting with travellors along the beach, and with his grey hair and wrinkled smile, you cannot miss him.

I stayed at the Dee Jay chalets at the West Coast. Pretty neat on top of a hill, and its a nice spot to watch the sunset over your dinner. Its a family business run by GiGi (If I din remember his name wrongly). They are really friendly people. Also, its a great place to meet other backpackers from all over the world.

You can do diving there too, with a few agencies to choose from at both the east or west coast of Perhentian Kecil.

Don't worry about chalet prices. It basically range from RM15 to RM30. Of course you are looking at a shared bathroom with lamps at the lower end, but most travellers are pretty happy with that. For me, I would go for the RM15. Its cheap, rustic, with great ambience. Fancy reading a book under the starlit sky, borrowing light from your oil lamp, while the whispering trees and waves ride the wind. Or just sitting there with your loved one, underneath the pale moon light!

Here's a great resource for the Island.. Click here at: Http://www.perhentianferry.com.my 

If you do have other questions about getting there, etc, I will be glad to entertain! Just drop me a mail.