Tips for budget traveler

Before you go for a holiday on Perhentian Island, it is better if you find as many information as you can about Perhentian Island. In fact, this is a good practice before you go for a holiday. The below are some tips that migt be helpful if you are palnning to go to Perhentian Island. Here is what I’ve read from an article.

"We can take boats to Perhentian Island at Kuala Besut jetty. How to get to Kuala Besut. If by air, take flight to Kota Bharu. From Kota Bharu, take taxi to Kuala Besut. Usually it’s around 1 hour and cost from RM50-RM60. By bus, you have two options. There’s a bus company called Mahligai that take you direct to Kuala Besut. It’s usually departs from Putra Bus Station, Kuala Lumpur at 9-9.30 pm and arrives at 5.30am. There are many other bus company but they only take you to Jerteh. From Jerteh to Kuala Besut takes about 20-30 minutes. You can take taxi (cost around Rm12-15 per cab in daytime. Not sure if it’s different on the wee hours) or bus (cost you only RM1.50 per person but the schedule is very unreliable).

Use backpack as your luggage. This is because between the jetty to your resort in Perhentian Island, you need to change to smaller boat. May resort doesn’t have jetty and you are force to cross over the boats in the middle on the ocean. It is wise to bring backpack as it is easier. Imagine you bring the rectangular plastic luggage that have wheels, it’s heavy and you need to balance yourself with your beg at one hand to cross over the boats. Hmmm… dangerous. But don’t worry, the boatmen are very nice people, they will help you.

The first boat departs from Kuala Besut usually at 9am and the last one at 5pm. But there’s one travel agency, Kuala Besut Travel Agency, their boats depart at 7.30 am. And their people will wait for you when you arrive at Kuala Besut at the bus stop even at 5.30am. Other travel agency only open at 8am. Including mine. Sigh.

Don’t be afraid if you arrive at 5am coz there’s few restaurants that already open and you can hang out there. And there’s surau nearby. And there’s also parking lot that charged you on day-to-day basis. Suitable for those for drive to Kuala Besut.

For snorkeling trip, there are many prices on what I observed. My travel agency (Anjung Holidays Travel Agency) charged RM 35 per person per trip but at Flora Bay Resort, they charged RM45 per person per trip. However, I already checked area of the trip cover and both showed the same place, which is marine park, turtle area, shark area and spring water. I think 1 trip would be not enough especially if you go in the evening coz the turtle couldn’t be seen. I went twice and both trips were at different place and time except the shark area. The evening trip usually at 2pm and the morning trip at 10am.

To make your snorkeling fun, bring a loaf of bread. Fishes will surround you to eat the bread. The second trip we were lucky to bring the bread coz then only I felt like a part of nature. Even bigger size of fish (a size of 2 palm hands) came to enjoy your bread. They are very gentle creature. Except 1 fish, the others never bite you. Ok, maybe they might confuse your hand with the bread once a while but it was not painful."
Source of Article: purplymoon.blogspot.com

So now, you have the tips on traveling to Perhentian Islands. For more info about Perhentian Island and the accommodation there, feel free to visit www.tunabay.com.my. Have a nice trip to Perhentian Island.