Riding Malaysia’s famous Jungle Train to end up in 5-star luxury getaway at Bubu Villas on Perhentian Island is one of the most adventurous and unique long weekend trips I’ve ever taken here in Malaysia. This is the first domestic trip I'm doing for my weekly radio show WHAT A TRIP! on Lite FM, Fridays during the 6pm drive time hour with my buddy Phat Fabes, and it was truly a trip!
I have a fun 4-day itinerary to share that starts with the scenic KTMB route officially known as the East Coast Railway Line that travels from Johor Bahru, all the way up north to Tumpat near the Thailand border on the east coast but we’ll be hopping off at Tanah Merah for our island holiday:
- No matter where you’re based, you’ll need to start in Gemas at 1am, which is easier for those of us starting in KL or JB for sure! Don’t plan to sleep as usual, take catnaps when you can because there are so many small children on board, it was not possible to sleep in my case.
- From there, the team at Bubu Villas collected me at Tanah Merah Station and we drove just over an hour to the Kuala Besut Jetty- Next is a 30 minute ferry ride to the main jetty on Perhentian Island and a short walk along Long Beach to Bubu Villas
- There is every budget of accommodation available on Perhentian Island but I opted for the #1 luxury property on the island, Bubu Villas -- and they took care of me from the train station pickup to the airport drop! It’s perfect for solo travellers and romantic getaways more than kid-friendly families in my opinion. I stayed on a quiet stretch of white sandy beach, had my own private garden and outdoor shower, just like in villas in Bali. And it had nightly happy hour with a free cocktail and canapés for guests.
The Perhentian Islands (pronounced Perhen-TEE-AHN) lie approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km) off the coast of northeastern Malaysia in the state of Terengganu, approximately 40 miles (64 km) south of the Thai border.
MY TOP 3 TIPS:
1) Don’t miss the hidden gem local bar called Joe’s Perhentian. It’s super local and tucked into the jungle a bit so ask someone at the hotel how to get there. We were the only foreigners the first night and ended up dancing and laughing til 2am. [ Ссылка ]
2) Sleep when you can and take plenty of snacks and drinks for the train journey. There is nothing available at Gemas station or on the train until morning!
3) Depart for home on a short flight from Kota Bahru airport and plan your departure from Perhentian Island around the ferry. I had to wait 4.5 hours in the airport for my flight home because I didn’t consult anyone before buying my flight and I regretted not buying a changeable ticket.
MALAYSIA JUNGLE TRAIN DETAILS FROM KL
- 9:40pm train from KL Sentral to Gemas
- Arrive 12:10am, 1 hour at station (no facilities open)
- 1:18am Gemas ERT26 Sleeper Train to Tumpat
- Exit at Tanah Merah station around noon
CONTACT BUBU VILLAS
- To make a reservation or for more details, visit their website [ Ссылка ]
- Be sure to follow them on Instagram for a steady stream of travel inspiration and island vibes [ Ссылка ]
- info@buburesort.com or +60 16-260 3548
BUY YOUR KTMB TICKET ONLINE
[ Ссылка ]
XOXO ~ Angela
// LINKS
- INSTAGRAM [ Ссылка ]
- LITE FM Weekly Travel Segment [ Ссылка ]
- FACEBOOK [ Ссылка ]
#perhentianisland #malaysia #jungletrain
