Kapas Island one of Malaysia’s top destinations (Pulau Kapas Package & Pulau Kapas Resort)

Kapas island, aka. Pulau Kapas, or Cotton Island, just off the coast of Marang in the Terengganu state, on the eastern side of Malaysia’s peninsula, is perhaps one of the country’s best-kept secrets. Or rather, that’s what it felt like when we arrived on Kapas island during the Hari Raya period, a major holiday in the country and a very popular time for local tourism in Malaysia.

We had expected the little Kapas island to be packed with locals since we were aware that Malaysian people enjoyed travelling to the beaches during this time of year, just after Ramadan, when the kids were off school. If you’re looking for a slightly more developed island in Malaysia compared to Pulau Kapas, check out our blog post about Redang Island.

 Living the Slow Life on Kapas Island (Pulau Kapas)

What we found on Kapas island was empty, soft, white-sand beaches, pristine blue water and a delightful tiny compact island ready to be explored, as we will show you in this Pulau Kapas blog!

 Sure, there were a few local families around, as well as a handful of backpackers camping on Pulau Kapas, but they all seemed to settle into their own secluded spot or hammock where they would spend much of the day.

 Chilling out and relaxing appears to be the order of the day around here. Indeed, there isn’t much to do except lounge in the shade of the coconut trees, occasionally taking a dip in the shallow, blue, crystal-clear water when the heat is too much to bear.

The few tourists seemed to be primarily spread out on the bay, in the stretch of sand between the jetty and the Lokoloko campsite, and in the bay near Kapas Coral Beach Resort & Ombak Kapas Resort. Some of the other beaches slightly further away (like 500m away) were deserted entirely and even more beautiful. The beaches on Pulau Kapas are connected via a white walkway, providing access over the rocks and making the west side completely accessible. 

How to get to Kapas island (Pulau Kapas)

Pulau Kapas Jetty @ Marang Jetty is the jumping-off point to Kapas island.

 We took boat transfer & other activities services from the primary service provider, Kapas Marine Boat Services, which has an office just by the jetty.

Penang to Marang Jetty

We took an overnight bus to Kuala Terengganu from Koptar Bus Station in Penang at 10 pm for RM35 (about €7) each. Buses in Malaysia are extremely comfortable with reclining seats and air-con. It gets really cold at night. So be sure to have a jacket or warm clothes handy on your journey! Buses on this route are scheduled throughout the day and can be booked directly at the offices near Komtar Tower.

 The trip was about 8 hours long, so we arrived around 6 am and took a taxi to Marang Jetty from Kuala Terengganu for RM30 (€6). We might have been overcharged for the 30-minute ride, but we were too tired to wait for a bus, especially knowing we needed to catch an early boat from the jetty to Kapas Island.

 Kuala Lumpur to Marang Jetty

Kuala Terengganu is also served by direct buses from Kuala Lumpur with a journey time of around 6-7 hours. The tickets cost around Rm44 (about  €9).

 Marang Jetty to Kapas Island: 

The ticket for the ferry to Kapas Island, which we had already booked online from Kapas Marine Boat Services, cost  Rm39 (about €8) each, both ways. Various tour packages, including ferry and accommodation, can be arranged with different tour operators, but of course, we suggest dealing with Kapas Marine Boat Services . 

 The ferry stopped us in front of Kapas Coral Beach Resort, so we walked across the beaches to Kapas Island Resort, which took about 10 minutes. The resorts are all really close to each other, so getting from one to the other is really not a problem.

We did manage to take the boat back from the jetty near Kapas Island Resort (where we were staying) though, after having informed Kapas Marine Boat Services of our intention to leave – a day’s notice was sufficient. 

Pulau Kapas accommodation

There are few Pulau Kapas accommodation options, mostly located on the west side of the island where the beaches are. Every beach seems to house its “own” resort although the beaches on Kapas island in no way belong to these resorts and are completely accessible to all.

Tourists rarely seemed to venture much further afield than the beach on which their resort is located – the beaches are all beautiful, and staying close to the resort where you can keep your stuff is convenient.

 Resorts at the main Pulau Kapas are:

• ▪️ Kapas Island Resort

• ▪️ Ombak Kapas

• ▪️ Qimi Private Bay

• ▪️ Captain’s Longhouse

• ▪️ Pak Ya Sea view cafe and chalet

• ▪️ Kapas Coral Beach Resort

• ▪️ Longsha Campsite 

• ▪️ Lokoloko Campsite

The only reason we didn’t sleep outside on the beach was because we knew that we would fall prey to the many mosquitos eagerly waiting to feed on every inch of our Mediterranean skin. Mosquito repellent is essential!

If you afford some luxury, the secluded Gem Island Resort and Spa found on Gemla, an even smaller island just off Kapas, is the preferred accommodation option.

What to do on Kapas island (Pulau Kapas)

1.Chill on the beaches in Kapas island

The best activity on Kapas island is to practice being a beach bum! Lie on the beach, get a tan, swing from a hammock in the shade of the coconut trees and enjoy the ultra-slow life on the island.

2.Snorkel around Kapas island

If you want to get moving, snorkelling in the crystal-clear water around the rocks near Captain Longhouse is fun! There is also a lovely coral garden around the rocks on the northern side of Qimi Beach Resort.

There have been many turtle sightings in the area and, if you’re lucky, you can get to see some reef sharks like we did.

3.Diving around Kapas island

Diving is also possible at the only diving facility called Aquasport Divers, who organise diving trips to a nearby Japanese war wreck.

4.Trekking across Kapas island jungle

What was supposed to be a short easy jungle trek turned out to be much more than we had bargained for! Somehow, given the easy and slow-paced life on the tiny island, we had assumed that the trek would be a short comfortable walk.

What we didn’t know though was that the internal part of Kapas island is hilly and covered in jungle with lots of protruding roots and thick foliage.

As we sweated our way along the path, we chided ourselves for not having brought repellent along with us. I was covered in itchy bites by the end of the trek and Nick (who claims that his blood is too sweet for the mozzy palate) had also fallen way down the food chain! The path starts off behind Captain Longhouse through a steep flight of steps which fork off into the jungle. You need to take the left path.

The route is pretty straightforward, as a rope and some rudimentary markers conveniently line the path throughout most of the trek. The last part of the trek includes a very steep descent until you come across a dirty rocky beach which, quite frankly, is not worth the effort it takes to reach it.

A second path takes you back to the west part of Kapas island. Although our intention was to trek back through this route, we could not find the elusive second path, (and neither did the only other rambler we met on this side of the island), so we had to backtrack along the same route.

Be sure to take mosquito repellent and to carry plenty of water on the trek. Don’t be fooled by the fact that Kapas island is so small. The trek can be challenging and there’s no phone reception in case of an accident. Unless you’re really craving exercise, there’s no real reason to go on this trek and you would be much better off keeping cool by the water. 

Where to eat on Kapas island

Most of the resorts prepare some food, but be prepared for basic meals without much variety.

Our favourite place to eat was actually the same resort we were staying at, Kapas Island Resort because we found that it offered the best dining option in terms of quality and price. Be prepared for very slow service during busy periods though! The coconut chicken curry, which cost about 10 RM (about €2) is exceptionally tasty.

Kapas Island Café (located a few metres away from the jetty) is also a great dining option although it closes really early, so forget late night dining under the stars here.

The buffet-barbeque at Kapas Coral Beach Resort was quite a let-down. The food was pre-cooked and very bland, but for RM20 (€4) each, we shouldn’t have expected better really!

There are only two convenience shops around the island offering little variety, and which can be rather pricey too. Stock up on some of your favourite snacks from the mainland.

Tips for visiting Kapas island

1. Bring cash to Kapas island. There are no ATM’s!

2. As already mentioned earlier, bring mosquito repellent.

3. Bring all the snacks you might need with you. There are very few places to purchase ‘extras’.

4. As with other Malaysian islands off the mainland’s east coast, the best time to visit is during the months of March to October. The island is closed from November to early February.

Initially we had wondered whether four nights on Kapas island would be an overkill given its size, but had we not had transport and accommodation already booked on Redang Island (our next stop), we would have been happy to spend more time in one of our favourite destinations in Malaysia. We hope that our Pulau Kapas blog will convince you that Kapas Island is one of Malaysia’s top destinations!