Perhentian (pronounced Perhen-TEE-AHN, not Perhen-SHEN) means “place to stop” in Malay, and the islands got their name as a staging point used by traders traveling from Malaysia to Bangkok.
The two main islands are Perhentian Besar (”Big Perhentian”) and Perhentian Kecil (”Small Perhentian”). Kecil attracts more travellers as it has cheaper accommodation, while Besar is a little more expensive and caters more to families and those who want to avoid the backpacker party scene.
The small, uninhabited islands of Susu Dara, Seringgi and Rawa lie off Kecil. All the islands belong to a protected marine park, which means that fishing, collecting coral and littering are strictly prohibited.
This being the case, the islands are currently suffering which is soon to result in an environmental catastrophe due to the non-removal of waste, such as bottles, bags and much more.
Garbage barges in the coves/bays are NOT being collected by the marine park and as such the garbage is falling off the barge, washing up on the shores of the beautiful beaches. Not only is the pristine beauty of these islands being ruined, but the wonderful dive site are being ruined as well by the garbage.
When you first arrive at the jetty in Kuala Besut they make you pay a marine park fee, therefore encourage them to use this money to clean up this mess!
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Below are some interesting photo taken:
