Malaysia is one of the best choice to travel to if you love spending your time on beautiful tropical islands. The different islands will cater many types of desired holiday that people will look forward. Whether you love beautiful sandy beaches, bright clear waters, the wonders of marine life, romantic getaway with your partner, island hopping, a quiet village life or even a city within the island, Malaysia’s got it all.
With some of the islands even rated as best in the world, simply browse through some of these popular island spots in Malaysia, and see which one fit your travel goals.
Layang-layang Island – Sabah, Borneo
Also known as the Swallow Reef, it is an oceanic atoll of the Spratly Islands, which is situated approximately 300 kilometres northwest of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The atoll is about 7 km long and 2 km wide with a central lagoon.
The island has gained recognition as a destination for scuba divers. Layang Layang is especially known for the hammerhead sharks during the May mating season.
Things to do: Scuba diving, shark spotting
How to get there: Charter a flight from Kota Kinabalu Airport which takes approximately 2 hours.
Redang Island – Terengganu
Redang Island is an island in Kuala Nerus District, Terengganu and one of the largest islands off the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia. It is famous for its crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches. It is one of nine islands, which form a marine sanctuary park offering snorkeling and diving opportunities for tourists.
Things to do: Snorkelling, diving, witness turtle laying eggs, relax at a resort.
How to get there: Take a ferry ride from Marang or Shahbandar jetty.
Penang Island – Pulau Pinang
Penang island is the most populated and fourth largest island in Malaysia as it was developed since 1786 when Captain Francis Light landed there. George Town, which is the capital city of the state of Penang is also located in the island. Famous for many different things, includes the UNESCO World Heritage Status, visiting Penang island will have your itinerary full.
Things to do: Penang island is one of the most developed island in Malaysia and the town has been granted a city status. Therefore, there are numerous things to do when you travel to Penang.
How to get there: You can travel to Penang island through all major types of transportation. There is an international airport on the island, or you can travel by car through the Penang bridge or by the train to Butterworth on the mainland and take a ferry to the island.
Lankayan Island – Sabah
Lankayan Island is a small tropical coral resort island in Beluran, Sabah, in the Sulu Sea. There is only one resort on the island which is the Lankayan Island Dive Resort. Divers are attracted by myriad macro marine life, coral and sunken wrecks. Lankayan Island is known for its whale shark sightings.
Things to do: Snorkelling, diving
How to get there: Speedboat from Sandakan Yacht Club which takes appoximately 2 hours
Sipadan Island – Sabah
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising 600 metres from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah. It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop. Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world.
Things to do: Snorkelling, diving,
How to get there: Speedboat from the town of Semporna.
Tioman Island – Pahang
Tioman Island is an island in Rompin District of Pahang and was selected by the TIME Magazine as one of the world’s beautiful islands in the 1970s. It has seven villages, the largest and most populous being Kampung Tekek on the central western coast. The densely forested island is sparsely inhabited, and is surrounded by numerous coral reefs, making it a popular scuba diving, snorkelling, and surfing spot. There are many resorts and chalets for tourists around the island, which has duty-free status.
Things to do: Snorkelling, diving, visit a turtle farm, explore the waterfalls.
How to get there: Ferry ride from Mersing, Johor or Tanjung Gemok, Pahang.
Mataking Island – Sabah
Mataking Island is an island located in the Celebes Sea on the state of Sabah. Mataking Island is home to the first ‘Underwater Post Office’ in Malaysia and is connected to Pulau Mataking Kecil via a narrow sand bank. Mataking Island is a private island belonging to the Reef Dive Resort featuring luxury chalets and a dive center serving divers visiting Sipadan.
Things to do: Diving
How to get there: 45-minute speedboat ride from Semporna
Tenggol Island – Terengganu
Tenggol Island is an island off the coast of Terengganu. It is the last island in a string of islands that include Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Redang.
Things to do: Diving, shark spotting
How to get there: 50-minute boat ride from Kuala Dungun.
Payar Island – Kedah
Located in the state of Kedah, Payar Island status as a marine park offers protection for its diverse marine life. It is situated in the northern part of the Straits of Melaka, 19 nautical miles south of Langkawi and encompasses the islands of Payar, Lembu, Segantang and Kaca which are surrounded by coral reefs.
Many endangered species of fishes and marine organisms live within the sanctuary. Measuring 2 km long and 1/4 km wide, Payar Island is the most popular of the islands as its sheltered waters are ideal are for snorkelling, diving and swimming. Among the dive spots is the “Coral Garden”, an area covered with bright, multi-hued soft corals.
Things to do: Watersports activities, hiking, visiting the marine park
How to get there: Catamaran or speedboat services from Kuah Jetty in Langkawi which takes approximately 45 – 60 minutes.
Pangkor Island – Perak
An island in Manjung District of Perak, it has a population of approximately 25,000. Nearby islands include Pangkor Laut Island, Giam Island, Mentagor Island, Simpan Island, and Tukun Terindak Island. The major industries of the island are tourism and fishing.
Things to do: Enjoy the delicious seafood, shopping in the duty-free island
How to get there: Ferry-ride from Lumut Jetty or Marina Bay
Mantanani Island – Sabah
The Mantanani Islands form a small group of three islands off the north-west coast of the state of Sabah, opposite the town of Kota Belud, in northern Borneo. The largest island is Mantanani Besar; the other two are Mantanani Kecil and Lungisan. It is a popular site for recreational diving and also birdwatching because of the relative lack of terrestrial predators.
Things to do: Birdwatching, nature trails
How to get there: One-hour speedboat ride from Kuala Abai Jetty, Kota Belud.
Pom Pom Island – Sabah
A small coral reef island in the Celebes Sea approximately 30 kilometres north east of Semporna town, Sabah, the island is 2.3 kilometres in circumference at the high tide line with a fringing coral reef 4 kilometres long.
The island has a white sand coral beach and is a significant nesting location site for green and hawksbill turtles. Relatively undeveloped, the island is one of the most popular dive destinations in the Semporna district.
Things to do: Watching turtle lay eggs, checking out the marine biodiversity, diving
How to get there: Boat ride arranged by resorts to transport their own guests that takes about 35-60 minutes
Selingan Turtle Island – Sabah
Of the three Turtle Islands National Park in Malaysia, only on Selingan are there chalets for overnight visitors, and those who wish to see the turtles laying eggs must stay overnight. A curious fact of the three islands is that turtles come ashore nightly, not only during certain seasons and thus one is virtually guaranteed to see them. During the peak season (October) up to 50 turtles come ashore to lay eggs.
It is located about 40 kilometers away from Sandakan, Sabah.
Things to do: Watching turtle lay eggs, snorkelling, scuba diving
How to get there: Take a 60-minute boat ride from Sandakan.
Mabul Island – Sabah
Mabul is a small island off the southeastern coast of Sabah. The island has been a fishing village since the 1970s. After the 1990s, it gained popularity with scuba divers due to with its proximity to Sipadan island.
Located 15 kilometres from Sipadan, the island is roughly 0.2 square kilometers in size and rises around 2-3 meters above sea level. It is located on the northwest corner of a large reef nearly two kilometers long.
Things to do: Explore the island in a transparent kayak, visit the Bajau Laut and Suluk Muslims village.
How to get there: 30-minute speedboat ride from Semporna.
Sibu Island – Johor
The Sibu Island is a group of small islands located in Mersing district of Johor, which includes Sibu Besar Island, Sibu Tengah Island, Sibu Kukus Island and Sibu Hujung Island. On the southern end of Sibu Besar Island, there is a small fishing village called Kampong Duku with a population of fewer than a hundred people.
Things to do: Snorkelling, diving
How to get there: Ferry ride from Tanjong Leman Jetty in Mersing Town.
Perhentian Island – Terengganu
The Perhentian Islands are islands in Besut District, Terengganu with the two main islands Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil. The small, uninhabited islands of Susu Dara, Serengeh and Rawa.
Things to do: Scuba diving, snorkelling
How to get there: Speedboat ride from Kuala Besut
Langkawi Island – Kedah
Langkawi is a duty-free island and an archipelago of 99 islands (plus five small islands visible only at low tide in the Strait of Malacca) located some 30 km off the coast of northwestern Malaysia and a few kilometres south of Ko Tarutao, adjacent to the Thai border.
Things to do: Shop in the duty-free island, snorkelling, relaxing in a resort, island hopping
How to get there: Ferry ride from either Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis or Penang island. There are also flights that connects the island from major cities in Malaysia.
Kapas Island – Terengganu
Kapas Island is an island in Marang District, Terengganu and measures roughly 1.5 by 2.5 km. Its name, Pulau Kapas refers to the island’s white beaches. The island has tropical jungle, clear seawater, white sand beaches and coral reefs in the surrounding waters. It is promoted as a “diving and snorkeling paradise”.
Things to do: Turtle spotting, snorkelling, diving.
How to get there: 15-minutes ferry ride from Marang jetty.
Rawa Island – Johor
Rawa Island is a coral island in Mersing District of the state of Johor. It is a relatively small island with one side of the island is a beach covered with white sand, while the other side has a rocky vertical cliff.
Things to do: snorkelling, fishing
How to get there: 30-minutes boat ride from Mersing town.
Lang Tengah Island – Terengganu
Lang Tengah Island is located about 40 km north east of Kuala Terengganu (22.5 km from Tanjung Merang) on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia.
The tropical waters around Lang Tengah are clear with turquoise hues. The designated marine park in the island has corals and fish life is quite excellent. During peak season, the waters are calm which is excellent for learning to dive with one of the dive centres on the island.
Things to do: Visiting the marine park, relaxing at the resorts.
How to get there: 40-minutes speedboat ride from Tanjung Merang.
