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Pulau Perhentian in Malay lie approximately
10 nautical miles (19 km) off the northeastern coast of West Malaysia in the
state of Terengganu, approximately 40 miles (64 km) south of the Thai border.The
two main islands are Perhentian Besar "Big Perhentian"and Perhentian
Kecil "Small Perhentian". The small, uninhabited islands of Susu Dara
(Virgin Milk), Serenggeh and Rawa lie off Kecil. The Perhentians belong to
Pulau Redang National Marine Park, which means that fishing, collecting coral
and littering are strictly prohibited. Like Besut, people here generally speak
Kelantanese Malay..jpg)
The name "Perhentian"
means "stopping point" in Malay, referring to the islands'
traditional role as a waypoint for traders between Bangkok and Malaysia. The
islands were sparsely inhabited by fishermen for centuries, although tourism
now accounts for most economic activity.The Perhentian Islands appear on many
maps of the nineteenth and twentieth century as 'The Station Islands'. This
arises from the British colonial period, as an English translation of
"stopping point".
Pulau Perhentian was one of the
islands where Vietnamese refugees or boat people landed during the 1970s.Both
islands are fringed by white sand beach, and the reefs and crystalline water
are host to a wide variety of coral, sea-turtles, jellyfish, small sharks and
reef-fish. The islands' maximum elevation is approximately 100 m (328 ft) and
they are uniformly covered in coastal tropical jungle, with few interior
foot-trails and no roads.
Other than the owners and staff
of the numerous cabin-style resorts that dot the islands (many of whom depart
for the monsoon season), the islands' only permanent inhabitants live in a
small fishing village on Kecil. With the exception of a single
mainland-communications tower on each island, there are no structures taller
than two storeys.
Tourism
Nature tourism provides the economic base for the islands. Both the
islands have palm-fringed white coral sand beaches (that can be tough on the
feet) and turquoise blue sea. Popular tourist activities include scuba-diving,
snorkeling, and swimming. On most beaches, the water is shallow with many rays,
cuttlefish and parrotfish. For diving, there are dozens of divesites around
both main islands, as well as several off-shore sites. Apart from these,
activities like camping, canoeing, fishing, jungle trekking, and banana boat
riding are also available. As for accommodation, most of it can be found on
Perhentian Besar, the larger island. Hotels are usually aimed at budget
travelers.Boats at Perhentian Kecil jetty The only access to the Islands is by
boat from the fishing villages of Kuala Besut and Tok Bali. Local tourist
operators run fishing boats and speed boats several times a day. Most
travellers get into region by AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur (flight to Kota Bharu)
or from Bangkok (flight to Narathiwat)