Malaysia- Weather in October
 

Hi!
I'm planning my visit in SE in October. I would really like to go to Perhentian, but the only possible date for me to go there is 16-22 of October. I know this is the date, when the raining season begins. Can you tell me if I may have problems to get on islands (I mean if the boats will be still operating)? Also, how does the monsoon look on the east coast of Malaysia? Is it raining all day, or just for 2-3 hours in the afternoon?
I would be really gratefull for help!
Thanx in advance!

Hi

I hope that you can get some feedback from locals here. But in general you should visit http://www.weatherbase.com for weather stats. I went to Perhentian in March last year and this was at the very beginning of the season. You can check out my trip reports with pictures on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/Malaysia_Perhentian_Island.htm . Maybe you can get in touch with some of the resorts to see if they have any weather info.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Thanks a lot for help! If checked the web site you recommended and also I think a really good idea will be to get in touch with some of the resorts!

Oct is pretty close to the monsoon season. Even if you have lots of "anything goes" attitude, not many boatmen will share your sentiment. Locals stop fishing, stay at home and supplement their income making and selling batik fabrics, crafts .. etc, the main reason why the east coast is best for authentic Malay crafts.

It doesn't rain all day. More than that, there are times you won't see the sun for weeks. The sea is rough, murky and flash floods may occur in certain spots. The sky is grey and windy. All resorts are closed, except some desperate ones - so watch out for cheap deals.

Thanks a lot for a good advise!
Would you recommend any other destination at this time? I've been on Perhentian on May 2005, and I totally felt in love in that place. I would like to visit it again, bit I cannot go there in any other time but October. But I didn't visit the West Coast. Is it better at this time? And also- which place is worth seeing? I've heard that Langkawi is very touristic and a little dirty. And the reef is not so good as well. Is it true?

There are only two places I could think of - Pulau Payar and Pulau Pangkor in the west coast.

Payar is a marine park and there is no hotel. Just blue sea and corals. It is accessible via Penang or Langkawi; your hotel can help with bookings. People usually make day trips, about 2hrs boat ride from Penang. As for Pangkor, you can go for upscale Pangkor Laut Resort (RM900 !!) or Pangkor Island Beach Resort (RM380) .. down to little chalets (RM50-80) dotting the shorelines. Bear in mind, Pangkor's main income isn't tourism - it's seafood. So, don't expect touristy amenities. In Pangkor, you can ask locals to arrange for excursion to nearby Pulau Jarak for coral watching.

Langkawi isn't all bad - if you know where to go. The sorry thing is most hotels would like to insulate you from the real thing so you spend more time and money feeding their facilities and tour agents. Some people find Langkawi over-touristed because hotel tour vans/guides took them to "popular places" (read: businesses that offer cuts to agents). Stuffs worth doing in Langkawi ...

- trek the mangrove forest
- kayaking around limestone islands
- a history tour; this you gotta get a good educated guide. You can see weird things all over the island that depicts the legend. The island is cursed by a royal blood princess, Mahsuri, who was falsely accused for adultery. It's a long long story but a great one if you can find the right guide.