Southeast Asia · Malaysia
Redang & Perhentian Islands
Turtle-nesting beaches and a shallow wreck on Malaysia's calm northeast coast
Photo: Ditch Townsend · CC BY-SA 4.0
Twin island groups off Malaysia's northeast coast sit inside a marine park protecting shallow, calm coral reefs well suited to beginners and snorkelers. Redang is best known for its green and hawksbill turtle nesting beaches and gentle house reefs, while Perhentian adds the popular Sugar Wreck and a scattering of granite boulder sites. Warm, clear water and minimal current make both islands a relaxed entry point into Southeast Asian diving for newly certified divers.
About diving in Redang & Perhentian Islands
Both island groups run on small boats and short hops. Nothing is far offshore, so centres work single-tank rotations through the day instead of long two-tank runs, and at most beaches you wade out to a boat pulled up on the sand. Sites are shared with snorkelling trips and day-trippers off the mainland, which makes timing matter more than distance: a mooring crowded at midday is often clear by mid-afternoon, and centres that plan around the snorkel boats get the quieter dives.
Relief is gentle nearly everywhere. Fringing hard coral runs out from the beaches and slopes into sand well inside recreational depths, and the offshore interest is a scatter of granite outcrops whose boulders pile into swim-throughs and shaded gaps. The sand and rubble between the rocks does more for the diving than it looks like it should, because that is where the small animals live. The Sugar Wreck supplies most of what passes for vertical structure, though how much of the hull is still standing changes over the years, so it is worth asking before booking a dive on it.
Two things shape a trip. The first is the calendar: the marine park closes for the northeast monsoon and reopens in spring, so the diving year is compressed and the best conditions overlap with the busiest weeks, school holidays included. The second is reef health, since Malaysia's east coast has been through repeated bleaching and sites have been closed to recover in the past, which is worth checking locally rather than assuming a published site list is current. What the area does not offer is depth, current or long odds on big animals.
Best time to dive Redang & Perhentian Islands
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
| Sea surface | 28°C82°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F |
| Daytime high | 28°C82°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F |
| Rain | 250 mm9.8 in | 105 mm4.1 in | 87 mm3.4 in | 114 mm4.5 in | 169 mm6.7 in | 188 mm7.4 in | 173 mm6.8 in | 208 mm8.2 in | 211 mm8.3 in | 222 mm8.7 in | 590 mm23.2 in | 569 mm22.4 in |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 28°C82°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 30°C86°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 28°C82°F | 28°C82°F | 29°C84°F | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 250 mm9.8 in | 105 mm4.1 in | 87 mm3.4 in | 114 mm4.5 in | 169 mm6.7 in | 188 mm7.4 in |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F | 28°C82°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 173 mm6.8 in | 208 mm8.2 in | 211 mm8.3 in | 222 mm8.7 in | 590 mm23.2 in | 569 mm22.4 in |
2011–2025 averages. Sea surface: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, measured at the surface, so deeper water can run colder. Daytime high and rain: NASA POWER.
The marine park is officially closed November 1-February 28 for the northeast monsoon; conditions are calmest and clearest April-September.
Best months: April, May, June, July
Redang & Perhentian water temperature and weather by month
The sea surface runs from 28 °C (82 °F) in January to 31 °C (88 °F) in May. Most rain falls from November to January, peaking at about 590 mm (23 in) in November; February to April are the driest. Daytime highs sit around 29 °C (84 °F) all year. The coldest water here is about 27 °C (81 °F), so pack a 3 mm, or even a 2 mm, suit.
Dive types & marine life
Green and hawksbill turtles are the dependable sighting, usually over shallow coral rather than out in the blue, and easiest to find through the calm April-to-September stretch. Blacktip reef sharks work the sand shallows, barracuda, trevally and groupers gather around the offshore rocks alongside dense shoals of smaller reef fish, and nudibranchs, cuttlefish and octopus hold in the rubble.
- Reef
- Wreck
- Coral garden
- Muck & macro
- Sea turtles
- Reef sharks
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Reef fish swarms
Best dive sites in Redang & Perhentian Islands
Reef
A shallow shark nursery reached straight from the beach
Reef
Stacked boulders and swim-throughs on Besar's east face
Reef
Staghorn and table coral to 18 m, with reliably clear water
Pinnacle
Submerged pinnacle from 14 m down a wall to 32 m of sand
Wreck
A 32 m patrol vessel scuttled as a reef, top at 16 m
Reef
Coral slope two minutes off Long Beach, ending on rock
Wreck
Three police boats sunk in 2012 between 14 and 19 m
Wreck
Six impounded fishing boats sunk together at 23 m
Wreck
A 90 m sugar carrier the coral has not finished claiming
Reef
The northern tip's deep site: boulders and swim-throughs at 20 m
Reef
Redang's Long Beach house reef, 3 to 15 m off the sand
Pinnacle
Exposed northern pinnacle sloping from 5 m to 30 m
Swimthroughs between three offshore rocks in 30 m visibility
Pinnacle
Tunnels through a pinnacle in 20 m-plus visibility
Wreck
A troop transport at 24 m, with penetration for overhead divers
Pulau Lang Tengah
Neighboring island reef with healthy coral cover and turtles
How to get to Redang & Perhentian Islands
The Perhentians are reached by speedboat from Kuala Besut, Redang by boat from Merang or Kuala Terengganu. Kuala Terengganu is the usual airport for Redang; Kota Bharu is often closer for the Perhentians, where Besar is the quieter island and Kecil the cheaper one, linked by water taxi. Boats stop during the monsoon closure. Diving is day-boat plus shore entries on the house reefs.
Photos from Redang & Perhentian Islands
rafaelutza · CC0
Shaun@KL · CC BY-SA 2.0
Phalinn Ooi · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
SCUBA Diving at Redang Island. Filmed by IP13ProMax + Divevolk Seatouch 4 & OrcaTorch D950V. · Henglai Lim on YouTube
Sugar Wreck - Perhentian Islands Scuba diving · MaPadventuresASIA on YouTube
Photo credits
- A dense school of bigeye trevally swirls over the reef off Malaysia's Perhentian and Redang islands. by Ditch Townsend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Aerial view of a resort beach lagoon on Redang Island with turquoise water and white sand. by rafaelutza, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Granite boulders frame a turquoise cove on Perhentian Island, Malaysia. by Shaun@KL, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A traditional wooden boat rests on the shore of Perhentian Besar Island, Malaysia. by Phalinn Ooi, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
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