Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 457

PERHENTIAN BESAR
Abdul's T 019 912 7303, W abdulchalet.com. Located on
one of the best strips of beach, these cute green-roofed
chalets range from basic A-frames to more sophisticated
a/c rooms with sea views. The restaurant is right on the
sand and open until 11pm , after which it's extremely
peaceful here. Double RM80
★

PERHENTIAN KECIL: LONG BEACH
Beach Bar This laidback bar seems to close shop more
often than not, but when it is open it attracts quite a
crowd for the cheap drinks and fire shows on the beach.
Opening hours vary.
★

Bubu It may be a tad pricy but it's well worth it: the
top-notch Western and Malay dishes here are the best
on the island and the beach setting is lovely. The menu
includes large salads (RM30), pastas (RM25), burgers
and sandwiches (both RM30). Daily 7.30-10.30am &
noon-10.30pm.
Moonlight On the northern end of the beach, things
here kick off at moonlight, when reggae and island music
bands take centre stage Thurs-Sun. Beers RM9. Daily
8am-10.30pm.

Coral View T 09 697 4943, W coralview.com.my. This
wonderful resort has attractive a/c chalets with private
terrace and sun loungers, mostly overlooking the sea. A
pathway leads to the slightly more economical chalets
(twin RM140) at the back, set around a cascading little
waterfall. The restaurant serves a good seafood barbecue,
there's wi-fi, and the nic est beac h on the island lies just a
2min walk away. Double RM190
Mama's Chalet T 013 984 0232 or T 019 985 3359,
W mamaschalet.com. Run by the friendly Aziz and Jimie,
a source of local knowledge, Mama's has well-kept chalets,
all spotless with wooden floorboards, set around a leafy
garden. The more upmarket chalets with a/c an d private
bath open up onto the beachfront. Double RM70
New Coco Huts & Cozy Chalet T 09 691 1810,
W perhentianislandcocohut.com. The spacious green-
roofed wooden chalets here with sea views are built on a
headland that separates the beach north and south,
while the cheaper rooms with garden views are set back
from th e beach . All rooms have a balcony, cable TV and a
fridge. RM220
Watercolours T 09 691 1850, W watercoloursworld
.com. Next door to Mama's and connected with the
Watercolours Dive Centre, this place offers welcoming
rooms set around a pleasant garden with a volleyball
court. The downside is that the cheaper rooms don't have
power sockets. Double RM120

6

PERHENTIAN BESAR
Tuna Bay The service here is disorganized, but it's a popular
hangout serving good Western and Asian dishes, as well as
fresh fish and seafood. There are also plenty of decadent
desserts, such as home-made apple pie and tiramisu (both
RM15). Daily 7.15-10am & 11.30am-9.45pm.

DIRECTORY
Clinic There's a very basic clinic at Village Pasir Hantu on
Perhentian Kecil; the dive centres can offer limited medical
care, but you're better off returning to the mainland.

KUALA TERENGGANU
he tiny Muslim metropolis of KUALA
TERENGGANU , 160km south of Kota
Bharu, is a traditional town set on an
estuary and a pleasant place for a quick
stopover.
At the western end of Kuala
Terengganu, Jalan Bandar forms the
centre of Chinatown , where you'll find
the excellent Teratai, at no. 151, selling
local arts and crafts. Kuala Terengganu's
Central Market (daily 7am-6pm), a little
further down on the right, close to the
junction with Jalan Kota, also deals in
batik, songkets and brassware. Located on
the same road, it's also worth taking a
peek inside the lavish Ho Ann Kong
Temple (daily 7.50am-7.45pm), which
was built by Taoist devotees in 1801.
he newly opened State Museum
(Sat-hurs 9am-5pm, Fri 9am-noon &
3-5pm; RM15) is the largest in Malaysia,
covering an area of 270,000 square
metres. he museum consists of a
number of galleries dedicated to textiles,

EATING AND DRINKING
Most of the guesthouses on both islands have a restaurant
attached, which are mentioned if they're noteworthy; on
Besar, there aren't any stand-alone restaurants, just those
at guesthouses. Several places serve alcohol, while others
don't mind if you bring your own. Though there aren't many
bars on the islands, Perhentian Kecil does have a couple
that stay open late and have a bit of a party atmosphere.

PERHENTIAN KECIL: CORAL BAY
Ewan's Café Just at the start of the trail from Coral Bay to
Long Beach, this laidback restaurant bustles with hungry
people dropping by for the inexpensive rice and noodle
dishes (RM9). There are also more substantial mains such as
fresh fish curry (RM13), and free wi-fi, too. Daily 8am-10pm.
Mama's The smell of grilled fish wafts down the beach
from this laidback place where the day's catch is barbecued
before your very eyes. You can feast away for just RM18.
Daily 8.30am-11pm.