Malaysia is well-known for its iconic Petronas Towers and glitzy capital metropolis, however there’s much more to the nation than business high-rise buildings.
A few of the greatest Malaysian islands are additionally dwelling to spectacular abandoned seashores and lazy vibes, rivaling these in close by Thailand, Indonesia and The Philippines.
A lot of Malaysia’s islands are nonetheless reasonably obscure, whereas others have grow to be staple honeymoon or getaway locations, well-known for offering a mix of luxurious, gastronomy, and tradition in a tropical setting.
Greatest Islands to Go to in Malaysia
With so many islands in Malaysia, you could really feel confused about discovering the proper paradise spot that most closely fits your wants and finances.
After spending many weeks exploring the gorgeous Malaysian islands, I’ve put collectively this record that will help you out.
1. Tioman Island
It’s simple to lose observe of area and time on Tioman, among the finest Malaysian islands, and one in every of my favourite spots in all of Malaysia.
This laid-back, idyllic island with beautiful sandy seashores is surrounded by a lush jungle and though I visited throughout peak season, there have been instances after I felt that I had the entire island to myself!
If abandoned seashores with turquoise waters, magnificent waterfalls surrounded by a jungle cover and easygoing village life is your factor, look no additional.
There’s all kinds of lodging obtainable on Tioman starting from luxurious resorts to backpacker seaside chalets which make this island appropriate for many budgets.
Tioman could be reached through a 2-hour ferry trip from Mersing Jetty. You could find extra detailed details about Tioman right here.
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2. Mabul Island
Pulau Mabul is legendary for snorkeling, and much more so for diving which is the principle exercise on the island. Positioned off the coast of Sabah in Borneo, the island is thought to be an amazing web site for muck diving and is very well-liked with macro photographers.
Mabul island could be very small and you may simply stroll round it in about an hour. Though there are higher seashores elsewhere, I’m together with it on this record of greatest Malaysian islands due to its excessive focus of marine life which makes it a unbelievable vacation spot for followers of the underwater world!
You may attain Mabul island by taking a ship from Semporna in Sabah.
3. Penang Island
Penang is one in every of Malaysia’s hottest locations, for expats, distant employees, and vacationers alike. It’s among the finest Malaysian islands to go to, particularly since George City, its capital, is Malaysia’s second-largest metropolis and a UNESCO World Heritage Website.
George City can be a highly regarded culinary vacation spot with numerous road meals choices. This, along with its distinctive structure and quirky road artwork, makes town worthy of its popularity as Malaysia’s hub for meals and artwork.
While George City itself lacks island vibes and seashores, these could be discovered only a bus trip away from the capital in Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah the place resorts and resorts line the seaside.
Additional afield, Monkey Seaside has an excellent stretch of white sand which nonetheless, can get fairly noisy with native vacationers on weekends, so greatest go to through the week for a quieter expertise!
You may get to Penang island utilizing Malaysia’s environment friendly bus system in addition to by prepare or by airplane from Kuala Lumpur. Ferry companies to Penang Port are additionally obtainable.
4. Perhentian Islands
The 2 essential Perhentian islands (Huge Island and Small Island) present various kinds of lodging choices.
The smaller island caters primarily to the backpacker crowd the place events on the seaside are well-liked. Tourism on the bigger island is targeted extra in the direction of households and people desirous to keep away from the social gathering scene.
The Perhentians’ spectacular seashores, blue-green waters and wealthy jungle make them among the greatest Malaysian islands for these wanting to take in the solar and loosen up on the white sands.
Sounds good proper? Even higher is the truth that the islands provide some nice snorkeling and diving alternatives, fairly often with glorious visibility.
The Perhentians have grow to be reasonably well-liked with Malaysian locals and backpackers alike, so remember to guide lodging upfront in case you’re pondering of going there throughout peak season (June – August).
To get to the Perhentians, take a ship from the jetty at Kuala Besut. Water taxis present transfers and journeys between the islands.
5. Pangkor Island
This sleepy little island has among the prettiest seashores in Malaysia and is taken into account to be among the finest Malaysian islands on the west coast.
A mix of fishing villages, resorts and dense jungle leads to a compelling vacation spot that’s quiet through the week, making it an amazing place to loosen up. One of the best ways to discover the island is by bike, stopping every now and then to admire the view or to take a dip within the pristine waters.
In the event you’re a lover of seafood, the native produce is at all times recent and engaging! Pangkor is a 40-minute ferry trip away from Lumut Jetty with departures each half hour.
6. Langkawi
This tropical gem is definitely an archipelago of about 100 islands within the northwest of Malaysia with Pulau Langkawi being the biggest and most densely inhabited.
The island is split into a number of districts and caters to vacationers of all budgets, being dwelling to backpacker hostels in addition to luxurious all-inclusive seaside resorts.
It’s also among the finest Malaysian islands for a honeymoon retreat with unique resorts in Datai Bay catering for romantic getaways. In the event you’re in search of an excellent nightlife scene and numerous eating places, your greatest wager is to base your self within the picturesque Pantai Cenang with its beachfront bars and lounges.
There are many actions on the island starting from bathing in waterfall swimming pools, jungle trekking, cable automotive rides, lovely rice fields and gardens, and naturally a lot of seashores with water-based actions.
Langkawi has its personal worldwide airport. You too can get there by ferry from a number of different locations in Malaysia.
7. Kapas Island
Laid-back, little Kapas is my favourite on the record of one of the best Malaysian islands, being dwelling to a number of pristine seashores and a really relaxed vibe.
Kapas truly means cotton and it’s not obscure how the island’s identify got here to be. The smooth sand seashores are as white as could be, and likewise idyllically empty more often than not!
There’s not a lot to do on Kapas besides lounge on the white sand and swim within the crystal-clear waters, however why would you wish to do anything right here?
In the event you’re feeling adventurous, you’ll be able to trek as much as the opposite aspect of the island by means of a dense jungle, however the seashores are much better on the resort aspect.
Kapas is actually a paradise island that appears to have remained undiscovered by mass tourism. The small variety of resorts cater extra to the backpacker crowd and it’s even doable to camp or sleep in a dorm. The luxurious right here is having your individual personal pristine glowing white-sand seaside.
Kapas island is accessible through ferry from Marang Jetty.
8. Redang Island
In distinction to Kapas island, Redang doesn’t cater to the backpacker crowd however is dwelling to some reasonably effective resorts that are extra up-market.
There’s no public transport on the island so that you’re usually restricted to staying round your resort until you are feeling like climbing by means of scorching and humid jungle paths otherwise you constitution a ship. That’s probably not an issue although. The coastal areas across the island are high snorkeling websites because the coral reefs are really beautiful.
Diving can be a preferred exercise right here and you may lease kayaks in case you want to enterprise additional afield. If you wish to expertise a pristine underwater world, that is the place to be!
Redang Island is accessible through speedboats and ferry boats from Merang Jetty.
9. Sipadan Island
Sipadan is well among the finest Malaysian islands to go to in case you’re a scuba diver. The diving right here is high class and it’s reputed to be the world’s greatest diving web site. That is because of the island being surrounded by a really wealthy coral reef the place all types of reef fish could be noticed.
Snorkeling across the island’s reef can be a wonderful exercise for non-divers who can usually be part of dive boats and snorkel within the shallow waters across the dive websites.
You might be not allowed to remain on Sipadan island since it’s now a protected space, so lodging choices could be discovered on close by Mabul island (see level no. 2), Kapalai island, or mainland Semporna.
The variety of day by day divers to the island is capped and you might be solely permitted to remain on land throughout a sure timeframe, so it’s actually necessary to plan your dive journey fastidiously.
10. Tenggol Island
Pulau Tenggol is one other pristine high diving vacation spot with about 20 dive websites throughout it. The snorkeling right here is great and the white sand seashores, lovely.
The island is tiny and there are few resorts on it, all of which absolutely cater to the wants of their company since there are not any different amenities. Usually company select to take all-inclusive diving and snorkeling packages supplied by the resorts.
The island could be very quiet and secluded when in comparison with the opposite greatest Malaysian islands so don’t anticipate crowds! What you’ll be able to anticipate as an alternative is a scenic panorama and a tremendous underwater world with well-preserved corals and fascinating marine life.
You may get to Pulau Tenggol by arranging a switch from the mainland together with your resort.
In Conclusion
With so many islands in Malaysia, it’s typically troublesome to find out which one to decide on. I hope that you simply discover this record of greatest Malaysian islands helpful in serving to you make the correct alternative for an ideal trip!
