Perhentian Islands Water Sports & Adventure Walk
Explore the water sports activities available on the Perhentian Islands — beyond the snorkeling and diving that define the Perhentians' international reputation, the islands offer kayaking, swimming, beach volleyball, and the boat-based activities that allow visitors to explore the islands' coastline from the sea.
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Sea Kayaking Perhentian Kecil
Sea kayaking around Perhentian Kecil allows visitors to access the small bays, rocky headlands, and sea caves that are inaccessible from the beach — the stable sit-on-top kayaks available for rental from the Long Beach and Coral Bay operators are appropriate for beginners, and the calm conditions on the sheltered western side of the island make the kayak exploration of the bay and headland areas the most independently accessible water activity on the island. The kayak route from Long Beach around the northern tip of Kecil to the secluded northern beaches rewards the paddling effort with the discovery of completely undeveloped coastal landscapes within 30 minutes of the busy Long Beach resort area.
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Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) in the sheltered waters of Coral Bay provides a contemplative alternative to the more active water sports — the elevated standing position on the wide SUP board allows paddlers to see directly into the clear water below, revealing the coral formations, the feeding fish, and the turtles that graze on the seagrass beds in the bay. The morning paddle before the boat traffic increases is the most peaceful SUP experience at the Perhentians, when the sea surface is glassiest and the light most conducive to seeing through the water.
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Beach Volleyball Long Beach
The beach volleyball courts at Long Beach are the social hub of the backpacker community in the late afternoon — the informal pickup games that form when the beach fills with snorkelers and divers returning from the day's activities provide the most participatory land-based activity on the island and the best opportunity to meet other travellers from the resort's international mix of nationalities. The courts are free to use and the games attract a mix of local staff and international visitors in the daily social ritual that fills the gap between the afternoon dive and the evening meal.
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Long Swim Between Islands
The channel between Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil is approximately 1km wide and is swum regularly by experienced open-water swimmers as the most direct inter-island route — the crossing, which takes 20-30 minutes for a competent swimmer, should be undertaken with awareness of boat traffic (the speedboats crossing between islands do not always maintain a wide berth around swimmers) and with a spotter in a kayak or the confirmation that conditions are appropriate. The swim provides the most athletic and independent engagement with the island environment available in the Perhentians.
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Freediving Perhentian Reef
Freediving (breath-hold diving) is increasingly popular at the Perhentians as a way to interact with the coral reef and marine life without the equipment barrier of scuba — the clear, calm water and the shallow reefs (many sites in 5-15 metres) of the marine park are ideal for recreational freediving, and the freediving courses offered by several Perhentian operators provide the breath-hold and equalisation techniques that allow deeper, longer dives. The freediving approach to turtle watching (gliding quietly underwater without the bubbles and noise of scuba equipment) is considered by marine life observers to produce less disturbance and more natural animal behaviour than scuba encounters.
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Sunset Boat Tour
The sunset boat tour from the Perhentian resort beaches takes visitors to the western side of the islands for the optimal sunset viewing position over the open South China Sea — the boat tours are typically combined with an evening snorkel at a site with bioluminescent plankton potential, creating a two-part evening activity that moves from the visual spectacle of the sunset to the tactile wonder of glowing water after dark. The sunset tour boat, with the silhouette of the Perhentian Islands against the coloured western sky, provides the most scenic water experience available at the Perhentians outside the reef itself.