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Getting here

Landing in Kuala Lumpur

There is no airport tax on arrival or departure that needs to be paid when you arrive. These taxes would be included in the flight ticket.

  • All tourists are asked to fill out an embarkation card upon landing or at the immigration counter upon arrival;
  • You must declare the duration of stay with a maximum of 3 months and tick off purpose of visit being for social or holiday purposes;
  • Tourists with valid European passports will be given at most 3 months social/holiday visa on arrival – free. Extensions can be applied for at Immigration in Malaysia for an extra month stay;
  • You should avoid mentioning “volunteering”. The definition of volunteer to Malaysian Immigration and the volunteer/Gap Year industry is very different;
  • By law tourists should always have their passports on them or in hand.

Getting to Kuala Besut

The programme starts from Kuala Besut. Malaysia has an excellent transport infrastructure which services the Perhentian Islands very well. Most tourists visiting the northeast coast of Malaysia go to the Perhentian Islands and if you ask directions you will get help! Volunteers are met at the start of the programme at the Jetty in Kuala Besut which is the main gateway to the Perhentian Islands and is easy to get to from any city in Malaysia or Thailand.

By Plane

The nearest airport is Kota Bharu International Airport (KBR).  There are daily flights to and from Kuala Lumpur through carriers such as Malaysian Airlines and Air Asia. When you arrive at Kota Bharu Airport, you can take a taxi to Kuala Besut. The taxi fare is estimated at about RM50 for a car which can accommodate up to 4 passengers and the journey takes roughly 1 hour.

By bus

There are two bus companies that stop at Kuala Besut from Kuala Lumpur – they are Mahligai Ekspress and Mutiara Ekspress. Both providers cost just below RM45 one way.  Buses normally travel overnight and takes between 8 to 10 hours (depending on the road and traffic conditions) to arrive from Kuala Lumpur.  Both providers leave from Kuala Lumpur, departing from Putra Station, which is opposite the PWTC LRT stop.  Both companies have services at the same times departing – 2000, 2100, 2130 and 2200 daily.

You will need to buy the bus tickets by visiting the bus terminal and we recommend you buy them at least 2 days in advance and at least 1 month in advance during the holiday season.

By train

The nearest train station to Kuala Besut is Tanah Merah and it is easily accessible from Thailand or Kuala Lumpur.  From Tanah Merah, you will need to take a taxi to Kuala Besut costing RM50.