Activities on the Perhentians are basically limited to scuba diving, snorkeling and sunbathing. Those with excess energy may attempt the jungle trails crisscrossing both islands.
Scuba diving
The Perhentians offer excellent diving and draw divers from far and wide. In addition to coral and fish, the Perhentians are home to sea turtles and many species of shark -- none of them dangerous unless provoked though. Visibility is often in the 20 meter range (although it will temporarily go down after storms) and no wet suit is required, although you may wish to use a dive skin for protection from coral and the occasional jellyfish. Popular dive sites include the Pinnacle (aka Tokong Laut, "Temple of the Sea"), a pinnacle jutting out from the sea bed, and the Sugar Wreck, an easily accessible 3500-ton sugar hauler. The (more expensive) single-day trip to Redang Island, where the water visibility is considerably better, offers diving a notch above the local options, well worth every dime - but be prepared for a rough ride in a small speedboat.
On the edge of the Pulau Redang's Marine Park, Perhentian's coral fringed waters provide excellent underwater scenery. For divers, the group of small rocky islets to the northwest of Pulau Perhentian Kecil is a location not to be missed. Common to the area are harp and black corals, while large hard corals are also present. The waters at Perhentian are crystal clear and within the turquoise waters of the islands dwell an amazing variety of marine life. Don't be surprise if you see dolphins and pilot whales in July and August, which is during the peak of the dry season. There are abundant of corals in Perhentian, especially the colorful soft corals and gorgonian sea fans.
Dive Sites:
Tokong Laut is a rocky outcrop islet situated on the northwest of P. Perhentian Kecil and is accessible by a 30 minute speedboat ride. The boulder-like terrain gradually sloped down to about 30 metres. Soft corals in all colors and sizes carpet the seascape offering refuge for numerous small reef fish and mollusks. Jacks, barracudas, kingfish, black tip sharks and nurse sharks are usually sighted.
North of Pulau Susu. Diving is interesting with good water clarity and abundant reef fish. Expect to see damselfishes, wrasses, triggerfishes and a moray eel peeping out of its lair.
Terumbu Tiga. Rated to be one of the top dive sites around Perhentian together with Tokong Laut. Slopes down to about 20 meters at the sandy bottom and visibility fluctuate between 5 to 15 meters. The granite boulders support various corals, sea fans and coral whips. Schools of fusiliers, rainbow runners, jacks and batfishes swim about searching for a feed. Black tip sharks can occasionally be observed at the outer reaches of the reef.
Competition for divers is fierce and consequently diving is quite cheap, averaging out to RM60-80 per dive depending on how many dives you do and whether you bring your own gear. All dive shops also arrange introductory dives (no training required) and PADI training.
There are 5 dive centers on Kecil's Long Beach: Spice Divers, Coral Sky Divers, Quiver Dive Team, Seadragon Divers, Turtle Bay Divers and Sunlight Divers.
- Sunlight Divers - A dive centre which has earned its reputation from having friendly,professional members of staff, well maintained equipment and its frequent eco work. One of the smaller shops on the beach. Has shops on Long Beach and Coral Bay, Kecil.
- Coral Sky Divers - Located on Kecil's Long Beach, this is one of the longer-running scuba (not actual sky diving) outfits with a good reputation. RM150 for an intro dive, RM850 for a 3-day PADI Open Water course.
- Quiver Dive Team. Located on Kecil's Long Beach, adjacent to the Bubu Long Beach resort.
- Turtle Bay Divers - Another long-running outfit which has shops on both Kecil's Long Beach and the main beach of Besar.
- Alu Alu Divers - A small, friendly dive center on beautiful island of Besar which offers a personalised and unique diving experience.
Snorkeling
All resorts rent out snorkeling gear (typically RM30 a day for mask, snorkel and fins) and arrange snorkeling tours around the islands. You can get some cheaper equipment from some local restaurant. Popular snorkeling spots on Besar include Teluk Pauh (to the left of the beach in front of the PI Resort), Shark Point and Tanjung Basi. The best place to see sharks (black tip) is in front of an extremely small "beach", only accessible by boat, between Shark Point and the Teluk Dalam large beach. They are usually seen cruising the bottom of the reef. For turtles, best place is the middle of the beach in front of Perhentian Island Resort, where the sandy bottom is covered with algae.
On Pulau Besar, if you are planning to do snorkeling just in front of your chalet, then stay on the northern and east side of the island where the water is clearer then the south side. Of course, the chalet and food is more expensive.
The best spot for family snorkeling would be the south-west of the island. The water is shallow and it is not fronting any chalet so the corals are more abundant and colorful. Between Pulau Besar and Redang, the corals are much better in Pulau Besar.
Jungle trekking
The islands are crisscrossed by small paths connecting one beach to another, but be prepared to sweat and swat off bugs if you tackle any of these. There is a big chance to see big monitor lizards and large spiders between Long Beach and Coral Bay, and if you are walking off the main trails, you are likely to spot some wild monkeys if you are lucky.