Interesting Island in Terengganu..Perhentian Island..

"Being far away from the mainland, Pulau Perhentian is rich in coral and marine life which includes stingrays, nudibranchs, black corals, moray eels, turtles and colourful fishes."

The Pulau Perhentian (Perhentian Island) group of islands are the northernmost islands off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. There are two main islands -- Pulau Perhentian Besar (Perhentian Besar Island) and Pulau Perhentian Kecil (Perhentian Kecil Island) -- plus several large rocky outcrops to the northeast namely Pulau Tokong Kemudi Barat (Tokong Kemudi Barat Island), Pulau Dara Kecil (Dara Kecil Island), Pulau Tokong Kemudi (Tokong Kemudi Island), Pulau Rawa (Rawa Island), Pulau Burung (Burong Island) and Pulau Serenggeh (Serenggeh Island).

Typical of most tropical islands, the two main islands are heavily forested and ringed with white sandy beaches. Being far away from the mainland, Pulau Perhentian, which literally means 'Stopover Island', is rich in coral and marine life which includes stingrays, nudibranchs, black corals, moray eels and colourful fishes. Turtles come up to lay eggs between April and September.

The main village is situated on the southeast coast of Pulau Perhentian Kecil and the locals are a friendly and hospitable lot. Accommodation is mainly aimed at budget travellers and is available on both the main islands as well as some of the smaller islands. New resorts with better facilities are currently being constructed.

Perhentian is one of the best diving spots in Malaysia, and is also excellent for snorkelling and jungle trekking. Its laid-back atmosphere makes it the perfect getaway.

Getting there

The departure point for all ferry rides to the islands is Kuala Besut, a tiny fishing village about 1 - 2 hour's drive from Kuala Terengganu or 30 minutes from Kota Bharu in Kelantan. If you're from Kuala Lumpur, it's best that you take a flight to Kota Bharu and take a bus or charter a taxi to Kuala Besut. Alternatively, you may take a bus from Kuala Lumpur (the journey takes about 9 hours) to Kuala Besut and ask the driver to drop you at the jetty.
There are a few companies providing ferry services to the islands. You may choose to take the fast boat (30 minutes) or the slow boat (45 minutes - 1 hour), and let the boatman know which island you intend to stop at. Generally, the fast boat makes three journeys to/from Kuala Besut per day and the slow boat, two.

Terengganu Darul Iman

Terengganu's location by the South China Sea ensured that it was on trad. e routes since ancient timesThe earliest written reports on the area that is now Terengganu were by Chinese merchants and seafarers in the early 6th century A.D. Like other Malay states, Terengganu practiced a Hindu–Buddhist culture combined with animist traditional beliefs for hundreds of years before the arrival of Islam. Under the influence of Srivijaya, Terengganu traded extensively with the Majapahit Empire, the Khmer Empire

and especially the Chinese. Terengganu was the first Malay state to receive Islam, as attested to by a stone monument dated 1303 with Arabic inscriptions found in Kuala Berang, the capital of the district of Hulu Terengganu. Terengganu became a vassal state of Melaka, but retained considerable autonomy with the emergence of Riau-Johor.

Terengganu emerged as an independent sultanate in 1724. The first Sultan was Tun Zainal Abidin, the younger brother of a former sultan of Johor, and Johor strongly influenced Terengganu politics through the 18th century. However, in the book Tuhfat al-Nafis written by Raja Ali Haji, in the year 1708, Tun Zainal Abidin was installed as the Sultan of Terengganu by Daeng Menampuk also known as Raja Tua under the rule of Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah. In the 19th century, Terengganu became a vassal state of Siam, and sent tribute every year to the King of Siam in the form of bunga mas (a tree with flowers and leaves made of gold). Under Siamese rule, Terengganu prospered, and was largely left alone by the authorities in Bangkok. The terms of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 saw power over Terengganu transferred from Siam to Great Britain. A British advisor was appointed to the sultan in 1919, and Terengganu become one of the Unfederated Malay States. The move was highly unpopular locally, and in 1928 the British used military force to suppress a popular uprising. During World War II, Japan occupied Terengganu and transferred sovereignty over the state back to Siam, along with Kelantan, Kedah, and Perlis. After the defeat of Japan, British control over these Malay states was reestablished. Terengganu became a member of the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and a
state of independent Malaya in 1957.

Following decades of rule by the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition, the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) came to power in the 1999 General Elections, making Terengganu the second state in Malaysia to be ruled by the Islamist party (the first being neighboring Kelantan). However, in the 2004 General Elections, Terengganu was recaptured by the Barisan Nasional.

From: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terengganu - 80k