Hidden Gems - Island Hopping in Malaysia

If you are planning your next trip to Malaysia and still figuring out which islands to visit or if should you visit them at all in the first place, you have just hit the jackpot. I visited Malaysia in 2024 and covered 10 islands within a week. Sounds unbelievable? I have listed some of the hidden gems of Malaysia, that makes the island hopping exciting. I have also covered some tips that may be helpful in making the right decisions.

What makes island hopping fun in Malaysia?

But before you jump onto the list of islands, you may wanna spend some time understanding what makes this island hopping so much exciting! Island hopping in Malaysia is just the right way to hop onto the bandwagon and experience true Malaysian beauty. You will be amazed to see different varieties of trees and animals on the tour itself. And while it is convenient to book an island hopping tour, walking onto the trails defined by nature and discovering everything on your own has its own flavor.

Hidden Gems of Malaysia that makes your trip complete

Malaysia is surrounded by waters on both Eastern and Western coasts and also has numerous small islands that Malaysia. Now, that you are convinced, let’s dive into the list of islands

1. Langkawi - The first one on the list is Langkawi, An extremely beautiful and small island with gorgeous sunsets. This is a developed and appropriately commercialized island, with well-developed roads and cozy stays. This place offers the right mix of pristine coastline with freshwater for swimming, sunset cruises with wild parties, peaceful stays, and even street shopping. Other than island hopping, there is a bunch of other stuff that you can do in Langkawi, that makes even 3 days lesser.

   
   

   But coming back to the island hopping, this island is one of the archipelago of the 99 islands of Malaysia. Thus, the perfect place to embark on island hopping. You can check out the island hopping tour on Klook, we booked a day tour that covered most of the pretty island, but depending on the time and budget, you can choose to extend further.

2. Tanjung Rhu - The second island that you will touch is the Tanjung Rhu, located in the North of Langkawi. The beach has blue waters that will just set you in the swimming mood.  

Tip: Pack your quick-dry swimwear, and a friend to apply sunscreen on your back ;)

3. Pulau Dangli - While reaching this island, you will witness the world’s densest Mangrove forests. It came as a shock to see, how deep and entangled these forests look.

Photo hack: Pack some bananas, as you will encounter lots of Malay monkeys and they only click pictures with you, if you have something to offer. I mean Damn!!

4. Palau Anak Kilim - This excursion is an exciting one! Kilim Geoforest Park - This Geoforest park is an old geological heritage, with things that you might have only heard about. Geocaves, sprawling mangroves, bird-watching, and millions of old fossils. If you have time, I would suggest you visit this forest separately and feel a bit closer to nature.

   
   

5. Palau Laggun - Bat and Crocodile caves - Since Kilim Park is a Krust formation, it has huge limestone caves, each inhabited by different species. Both bat caves and crocodile caves, are such that you can get down and take a tour by yourself

Tip: Not the right day to wear shoes. Would suggest go with Crocs or sliders as no one likes wet shoes

6. Palau Jong - This island is surrounded by reefs and hence, your can just enjoy this from the distance. But the interesting thing about the island is that its quite inaccessible and requires govt. permit to visit. Your tour guide will narrate a fun legend about the island’s etymology, there was a Chinese invader on a small boat, planning to enter Malaysia. During the night, Malay pirates tried to declare territories and sneaked on his boat, which startled the invader. The invader yelled so loudly that it awoke the sea spirits, and the spirits turned the entire boat and the pirates into this island (Palau - island, Jong - junk or small cargo)

   
   

7. Dayang Bunting Island  - The famous pregnant woman island, derived from its shape. The island is known for its scenic beauty and its rainforests.

   
   

8. Pulau Beras Basah - No island hopping is complete without walking on sand. This island is covered with white and fine sand, at its coastline, hence the name. Take a walk along the beachline, and enjoy some refreshing juices in the sun.

   
   

9. Penang - Penang is a mini island on the north-western coast of Malaysia. While Kuala Lumpur is a full-on city vibe, Penang will be where you can stretch your feet and be relaxed. The roads are quite narrow but the ease of commute in this small island will amaze you. There are a lot of places to explore in Penang, but we planned it for a single day only. However, the beauty of this island certainly will force me to visit this place separately and immerse much more in its culture.

10. Borneo - Okay!! Drumroll….here comes the highlight of the entire trip. Borneo. 

    Before I start using a lot of adjectives to describe this place, you may only visit this place if you are into biodiversity, if you love animals or find them amusing, or if sharing tents with crawling pedes doesn’t scare you (jk). But honestly, I am someone who can travel miles just to see a proboscis monkey, and get too excited to see an Orangutan. 

    Borneo is one of the oldest rainforests in the world, and the third largest island. While you are traveling to Malaysia, I would strongly recommend you give a visit to Sabah and Sarawak.

    
    
    
    

I am sure, you will thoroughly cherish this island hopping, and it would be nothing like you have done before. And while. you plan to add these to your itinerary, you should also look at the travel guide that I curated for Malaysia, it details what to expect from this country and the quickest way to reach there.