This east coast island is a favourite with divers — which means that by day, while they're all off being Jacques Cousteau, you can often have the beaches to yourself. Backpackers flock to
Salang Beach for its bars and restaurants. For a little privacy try
Juara Beach or
Air Batang which are far less commercial.
A buttock-numbing hour in a speed boat from
Sabah's Sandakan gets you to
Lankayan Island. Everyone has their own interpretation of the perfect tropical island, but I'd contend that this is the most sensational offering in Malaysia. There's one (very basic) resort with 16 rooms, so overcrowding is never an issue. You'll have to find ways to entertain yourself, but if you want that shipwrecked feeling, the sight of nothing but water on the horizon should suffice.
While people with money stay at the
Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, people on a budget tend to choose
Laguna Redang. Both are perfectly pleasant. But to escape the crowds — such as they are — take a couple of nights at the
Redang Mutiara Resort. To call it basic is an understatement, but you can't argue about the scenery.
This is as exclusive as it gets, a private island home to a five-star hotel and a spa described as one of the world's best by
Condé Naste Traveller. You can reach the island by boat or
Berjaya Air plane. I tend to avoid the plane as it delivers you there in the late afternoon and takes you back in the early morning; it's great for the hotel cleaners, but you tend to feel they've stolen a day off your holiday.
Off Sandakan in Sabah this is one of the few places in Asia where turtles come ashore every night to lay eggs. Nature wardens make sure the animals aren't disturbed, before moving the eggs to incubators to increase the odds of survival. You can even help release baby turtles back into the sea. That's all evening though, during the day you'll need a good book.
With 99 islands to play with, there are dozens of undiscovered treats. Hire a boat (either through the hotel or by approaching a fisherman) and ask to be dropped off somewhere away from the main island. Take a picnic — and lots of water — and you'll be able to enjoy the solitude all day.
Pulau Beras Basah (Wet Rice Island) is a well-known option, but many of the best beaches don't even have names; just boat out until you see one you like and decamp there.
The two main islands are
Perhentian Besar ("Big Perhentian") and
Perhentian Kecil ("Small Perhentian"). 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. This travel guide is particularly fond of the
Perhentians. You can choose between a host of nice resorts and not-too-shabby backpacker chalets.
Know any other beaches in Malaysia? Have your say using the comments form below.
Next: From dawn to dusk in Malaysia
