Chilling at the Perhentian islands

After experiencing the noisy streets of Kuala Lumpur for a while, these islands feels like a daytime dream. Epic palm trees and crystal clear water frames a picture so perfect it looks like a computer rendering. Every direction I look reminds me of a desktop wallpaper.

Jetty at Besar island.

The Perhentian consists of two main islands. The smaller is called Kecil and this is where the backpacker scene is going strong. The larger island, Besar, is more quiet and there are plenty of dreamy beaches and dense jungle forests to explore.

I soon get restless and head off into the jungle. The walk is long and full of monkeys, but after encountering a green snake and sneaky monitor lizards, the seaside village Taluk Dalan appears like a mirage from nowhere. My sweaty appearance make the locals scan me with suspicion. It feels like discovering The Others in the TV series “Lost”.

“Even the jungle wanted him dead, and that’s who he really took his orders from anyway.”
— Willard, Apocalypse Now (1979)

Finding a shortcut through the jungle.

The islands used to be a crossroad for traders between Bangkok and Malaysia, but these days they are well off the tourist trail. As I walked across the white coral sand beaches and looked at the turquoise blue sea, the pristine touch is ever evident. I’m glad that The Beach wasn’t filmed here. Despite a growing number of tourists the islands still feels relatively untouched.

Hanging around.

A part of this is probably the hassle of getting here. In total it took four different flights with several cab rides and boat trips to arrive on these shores, so it will hopefully take a very long time before the onslaught of mass transit comes to claim these islands and turn them into a Gran Canaria 2.0.