Comparison No. 4 of 6
Comparison · Terengganu
Islands in Terengganu
Five marine-park islands off Terengganu, ranked on how many public boats a day reach them from the mainland in season.
Order is editorial, not paid. An editor ranked these islands. Nobody paid to be on this list.
| No. | Island | Boat from | Boats a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pulau Perhentian | Kuala Besut jetty, Besut | 9 a day |
| 2 | Pulau Redang | Merang jetty, Setiu | 5 a day |
| 3 | Pulau Kapas | Marang jetty, Marang | 5 a day |
| 4 | Pulau Lang Tengah | Merang jetty, Setiu | 1 a day |
| 5 | Pulau Tenggol | A'King jetty, Kuala Dungun | Resort boat only |
A dash means we have not yet checked that fact against an operator.
1. Pulau Perhentian
The most boats of the five: shared speedboats leave Kuala Besut about every hour in season.
Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil sit in a marine park about 20 km off Kuala Besut, about an hour by road from Kota Bharu airport. One operator's 2026 timetable has boats out from 8 am to 5 pm, 30–45 min across, at RM40 one way. The catch is the way back and the season: only three or four boats a day return to the mainland, and in 2026 most chalets shut from early October.
- Boats a day
- 9 a day
- Season
- Feb–Oct
- Boat
- 30–45 min
- Charge
- RM30
2. Pulau Redang
Five public boats a day from Merang, plus a ferry from Kuala Terengganu town and flights from Subang.
Redang has been a marine park since 1994 and sits about 45 km off Kuala Terengganu. Vigourmarine's speedboats take 45–60 min from Merang, about RM60 one way. Some resorts also run a slower ferry from Jeti Taman Tamadun Islam in Kuala Terengganu, and Berjaya Air flies from Subang. A dive operator's 2026 guide puts visibility at 25–30 m from May to August. The catch is the season: most resorts and the public boats run only from March to October.
- Boats a day
- 5 a day
- Season
- Mar–Oct
- Boat
- 45–60 min
- Charge
- RM30
3. Pulau Kapas
The shortest crossing of the five, 10–20 min from Marang, with boats about every two hours in season.
Kapas is a small marine-park island about 6 km off Marang, with no roads, only a footpath. Shared boats cost about RM40 return. Do not confuse Marang jetty with Merang, the Redang jetty north of Kuala Terengganu. It ties with Redang on boats a day but has no ferry or flight. The catch is the water: visibility is usually lower than at Redang or the Perhentians because the island is close to the mainland.
- Boats a day
- 5 a day
- Season
- Feb–Oct
- Boat
- 10–20 min
- Charge
- RM30
4. Pulau Lang Tengah
A small, roadless marine-park island between Redang and the Perhentians, with one public boat a day.
Lang Tengah covers about 1.3 km² and has no village and no ATM. The Vigourmarine boat leaves Merang at 10 am, 45–60 min, RM90 one way; Summer Bay Resort guests sail from the resort's own Mangkuk jetty. Vigourmarine also runs one boat a day between the island and Redang or the Perhentians. The catch is the single sailing: miss it and you charter, from RM550 a boat.
- Boats a day
- 1 a day
- Season
- Feb–Oct
- Boat
- 45–60 min
- Charge
- RM30
5. Pulau Tenggol
A dive island with no public ferry: you arrive on your resort's own boat.
Tenggol is a steep, jungle-covered island in a marine park about 26–28 km off Kuala Dungun, with little beach, two resorts and about 20 or more dive sites. Each resort runs one speedboat a day from A'King jetty for its package guests, about 45 min. Whale sharks are most often reported from August to October, but sightings are luck. The catch is access: the resort boats carry package guests, and otherwise you need a costly private charter.
- Boats a day
- Resort boat only
- Season
- Mar–Oct
- Boat
- 45 min
- Charge
- RM30
How we ranked
We ranked the five Terengganu islands with a full guide on pulau.my on one thing we can count: how easy they are to reach in season. First, the number of scheduled public boats a day from the mainland jetty, from the operators’ published 2026 timetables. Where two islands tie, the one with another way across, such as a ferry or a flight, ranks higher. We do not rank on commission.
The ranking holds from about March to October. On all five, most boats and resorts stop for the northeast monsoon from about November to February, so check your resort’s dates first. Water, stays and prices are covered in each island’s guide; this list does not score them. Facts come from boat operators, resorts, dive operators and 2026 news reports, checked on 11 November 2026.