How to get from Kuala Lumpur to Pulau Perhentian Islands Besar, the big island and Kecil, the small island including costs. A step by step guide.

We arrived in Kuala Lumpur with a 3 hour flight from Bali.
After overnighting in an airport hotel, we flew to Kuala Terengganu where our pre-arranged driver picked us up. Our hotel, Suhaila Palace on Pulau Perhentian made the arrangement on our request.

The drive to Kuala Besut takes a little more than 1.5 hours.
We booked IZ Budget Hotel to give us the opportunity to grocery shop (Island food supplies cost double of mainland price) for one night.
Next morning transfer to the Jetty and Ferry across to the Island.

Prices:
– Air Asia Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu €10 / US$12 pp
– Transfer Airport to Kuala Besut 130 MYR / €28.50 / US$32 Hint: Grab would have been a better deal at 95 MYR
– IZ Budget Hotel overnight 70 MYR / €15 / US$17
– Transfer to Besut Jetty FREE (from our pre-booked hotel, Suhaila Palace)
– Ferry to Perhentian Islands (return): 70 MYR pp / €15 / US$17; be ready for some chaos and waiting .

Total cost for 2 persons: €68.50 / US$78

For interest: our flight from Denpasar, Bali to Kuala Lumpur with Malindo Air cost US$50 pp.
In Kuala Lumpur we stayed in an airport hotel called the Bary Inn for 93 MYR / €20.50 / US$20 including airport transfers both ways! Excellent deal.

Also of Interest:
– Supermarket Pasaraya Pantai Timur – for water, noodles, snacks, mosquito repellent, sun cream and anything else you may want or need on the islands
Address: Lot 2812, Jai An Semiramis, Mukim Kuala Besut, 22300 Terengganu, Malaysia
+60 17-953 3620
https://goo.gl/maps/yckU368UYiF2

– Best SIM for the Besar & Kecil Islands is CELCOM purchased at X PAX (across from the Chinese in the side street), 65 MYR for 20 GB + 10 GB. Although it does not work perfect all of the time, it worked most of the time and was 4G. Some other people used Maxis’s Hotlink and said it was also good.
We also saw strong advertising for Mspot, a pay as you use for MYR 1 per hour, but nobody we met was using it.

Tips:

– buy alcohol at Chinese restaurant, B.Sakura Seafood Restaurant,131, Jalan Besar Kuala Besut, 22300, Besut, Terengganu

– Take cash, there are no ATM machines on the islands.

Ferry Departure times start at 8 am and go until 4 pm. Private transfers can be arranged for other times.

Of possible interest, but we did not do it: VIP Bus from Jetty to Kuala Lumpur 45 MYR, 7 hours.