If you are a visitor who looking for a relaxing and comfortable “tropical paradise”, then with more than 800 islands located along both sides of the Malay Peninsula along with the entire Borneo region will be an ideal choice for you. So, are you looking for a most beautiful island in Malaysia, most famous island in Malaysia and best islands in Malaysia to visit (best islands to visit in Malaysia)? Let’s check out our top rated 10+ must visit islands in Malaysia, top islands in Malaysia including best islands in Malaysia for honeymoon as follows!
- Top islands in Malaysia — Top 10 best beaches & best islands in Malaysia
- Top Beaches in Langkawi — 9 best beaches in Langkawi, Malaysia
- What to do in Langkawi? +14 must & best things to do in Langkawi on a budget
- Penang itinerary 1 day — How to spend one day in Penang & what to do in Penang in a day?
- Penang travel tips — Some best tips for traveling and dining in Penang Island, Malaysia
You can go to islands that attract a large number of international tourists, such as Penang, or heading to wild, deserted places without much human impact on nature like the Perhentian archipelago (Pereaverian Islands). In this article, let’s explore with us the 10 most beautiful islands in Malaysia that you should visit if you have the opportunity.
Perhentian Islands (Pereaverian) (# best islands in malaysia)
Although it is not easy for tourists to get here, the islands in the Perhentian island cluster off the northeast coast of peninsular Malaysia have won the hearts of tourists with its clear blue water. So you can just step out into shallow water and still see aquatic creatures. If you come here, you will meet fishermen, who are also tour guides, bring you new experiences, such as using small boats to take you out to sea, so you can comfortably wave in the middle of cool, clear blue water with sea turtles and even sharks.
And in the evening, the bars along the beach will place cushions on the sand, so you can sit down, breathe in the fresh, feeling cool ocean breeze while chilling with the artists who help create the atmosphere more excitement, vibrant, especially the circus performers with fire.
In the Perhentian archipelago, there are two main islands: Perhentian Kecil and Perhentian Besar. So if you come here, you should not miss Long Beach in the Perhentian Kecil area and Turtle Beach located in the Perhentian Besar island.
How to get to the Perhentian Islands?
If you want to go to the Perhentian Islands and the major islands here, you can use the bus to pick you up at Hentian Putra station in Kuala Lumpur for a journey of up to 9 hours.
Or if you want to save time, you can choose a faster travel distance by plane from LCCT airport in Kuala Lumpur, then go to Kota Bharu and continue taking a taxi to the port town of Kuala Besut.
Where in the Perhentian Islands? (# best islands in malaysia to visit)
If you want to have relaxing moments with excellent, luxurious service, then you can choose Tuna Bay Island Resort – one of the resorts with the most modern and convenient amenities in Perhentian.
Or if you are someone who wants to save on accommodation costs, then the Abdul Chalets cluster will be the ideal choice for you.
Tioman – an island for nature-loving photographers (# best islands to visit in malaysia)
Although it is part of Pahang state in Malaysia, Tioman Island originated from Mersing town, Johor. Alternatively, you can also reach Tioman from Singapore by ferry.
Tioman is a famous resort island in Malaysia and has two assertions that are constantly being hyped by the media and marketing experts.
First is the impressive terrain of this teardrop-shaped island in the East Sea. It was this special thing that helped Tioman be chosen as the setting for the movie South Pacific, shot and premiered in 1958. Next, Time magazine honored Tioman as one of the islands The most beautiful in the world in the 1970s.
Although Tioman has now become a famous tourist destination, losing its wild and mysterious natural features, fortunately the natural environment, ecosystem and wild animals Wildlife here can still exist and live, not much affected by human impact.
One of the most well-known giant land reptiles in Tioman is the giant lizard. The image of giant lizards wandering among kampungs (the Malay word for villages) in search of food is a very familiar image here. However, don’t worry that they will attack tourists because this species is very afraid of humans and will immediately avoid it if seen.
How to get to Tioman Island? (# most beautiful island in malaysia)
In Malaysia, there are many buses from different stations to Mersing. Next, from Mersing you can travel by ferry within two hours to reach the first pier on the island.
In addition, if you want to shorten your travel time, you can also choose flights from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to reach the relatively small domestic airport on the island.
Where to stay in Tioman Island? (# most famous island in malaysia)
If you want to have unique and memorable experiences on a beautiful island with clear blue water, don’t miss JapaMala Hotel (Agoda, Booking) – one of the best and most modern resort services in Tioman.
Langkawi Island (# must visit islands in malaysia)
As an island located between the border of Malaysia and Thailand, Langkawi is considered part of the state of Kedah, Malaysia, not Perlis.
Langkawi island is not only famous for its beautiful scenery but also for something quite weird and mysterious. This place is said to have been cursed in 1819, when a woman named Mahsuri was sentenced to death for adultery. Before she died, she said that “there will be no peace and prosperity on this island for a period of seven generations.”
And just two years later, Langkawi fell to the invading Thais, leading to most of the island’s population subsequently dying of starvation. The island truly became a “dead island” for a long time, before Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad – Malaysia’s political “giant” and also the person who signed the decision to build the famous Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the F1 Sepang circuit, decided to turn Langkawi into an island to serve tourism and resort needs in 1986.
He declared Langkawi to be a tax-free island, which led to the spectacular development of what was once considered a “dead island” with many high-end resorts along the coast and turn Langkawi has become a new star among island clusters used to serve tourism needs in Malaysia.
How to get to Langkawi island? (# must visit islands in malaysia)
You can get to Langkawi by cable car with a length of 2,200 meters and about 710 meters above sea level. In addition, Langkawi is an island with direct flights, making it easier to get you here than other islands in Malaysia, with dozens of flights every day from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore.
Where to stay in Langkawi Island? (# top islands in malaysia)
If you want to enjoy comfortable moments of relaxation in a place with luxurious services and many amenities, then don’t miss Bon Ton Antique Wooden Villas (Agoda, Booking) – a resort complex consisting of a system of 8 wooden villas built in the traditional style of Malaysia on the area that was formerly a coconut plantation on the island. Or you can also choose Four Seasons Resort Langkawi (Agoda, Booking) – one of the places with the most luxurious and comfortable rooms and amenities here.
Penang Island (# top islands in malaysia)
Penang Island is considered the “pearl of the East” with a long and illustrious history in Malaysia. Penang was discovered by Captain Francis Light in 1785, was known as Prince of Wales Island for a long time, and was considered one of the “precious gems” owned by the British Empire.
Besides the Melaka and Singapore, this place is considered one of the settlements in the Straits region, which is considered a maritime intersection area connecting India and the rest of Asia.
However, Penang’s importance gradually waned over the centuries, before being rediscovered and transformed into one of the potential destinations for tourism development as well as an IT center.