Pulau Kapas: the perfect Malaysian island you have to visit

When one think  about islands in Malaysia, just about every other tourist ends up in Perhentian Islands, Langkawi or Sipadan in East Malaysia. As a local, I knew better but despite that fact, and having escaped to many islands on the east of Malaysia (not just the ones mentioned), Pulau Kapas was strangely never on my radar. 

I was tasked with the planning of our holiday with my parents-in-laws. Wanting to ensure that they get an authentic Malaysian island experience, I had a list of criteria to check off: it has to be affordable, convenient, pristine, beautiful and yet not too touristy. Booming party music till dawn is a huge no-no. Also preferably, it should be a destination that Chris and I have never been to so that it’ll be much of a new territory to us as it is to them. 

Surprisingly, there isn’t much information on Pulau Kapas available. There were a few blog posts written up by travellers, with photos of azure waters and swaying palms, enough to convince us that this quiet island could be an ideal addition to our trip, but information about accommodation, bus or boat timings, were scarce. There was nothing much we could book in advance.

ARRIVAL AT KAPAS ISLAND JETTY , MARANG

We took an overnight bus from Penang to Kuala Terengganu. As it was the beginning of March and barely the start of the season, bus tickets were hard to procure in Georgetown. We had to go to Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal, the main bus terminal in Penang, to get our tickets the day before.

We left at 8.30 pm and arrived at 5 am at Kuala Terengganu bus terminal. Stepping off the bus, I almost kissed the ground, giving thanks to the divine that we arrived in one piece. It was one of those rides where you never know if you’ll survive.

A cab driver drove us to Marang Jetty, where we were to take the speed boat across to Pulau Kapas, but he warned us that since it was barely 6am, nothing’s going to be opened. Most of the villagers were still doing their morning prayers in the mosque nearby.

He was right. When we pulled up to Marang Jetty, nothing stirred except for a fellow backpacker there–a young Spanish guy, whose figure lay curled up in a ball with his backpack serving as a pillow. He took the bus from Kuala Lumpur and got dropped off at near the jetty area. He was glad that he now had some company.

Eventually, someone came to pull up the steel awnings of the shop that we were sitting in front of. A young affable man sold us return speed boat tickets for RM39 each via Kapas Marine Boat Services. The prices are probably the best i believe. The earliest departure was at 8.00am, we were told.

The medium Kapas Marine Boat Services speedboat sped across the clear turquoise waters as we hung on tight on the sides of the boat. The boat heaved and dipped each time we crossed a swell, causing the just-eaten roti canai to swirl in our tummies. I looked over at my in-laws but they looked like they were having the time of their lives.  Salty water grazed my hair and skin. The morning sun was slowly warming the atmosphere up. I have craved for this feeling for a long time.

Pulau Kapas took our breath away even from the distance. Barely bigger than 5 km, this little drop of tropical paradise in the South China Sea is as idyllic as it gets. A few beach chalets scatter against the backdrop of a jungle.

We enquired at three different places, namely KBC, Ombak Kapas and Kapas Coral Beach Resort but in the end settled for the last one. The wooden A-frame huts of KBC came highly recommended by backpackers on the Internet but it was extremely basic and not very cheap (from RM80). It room was dark and it smelt a bit dank. I got the rustic charm of it but I didn’t think my in-laws would enjoy their stay here.

Then we moved on to Qimi Private Bay. It looked promising in the beginning. It was spartan as well but at least when you open the shutters, you get a lot of light and fresh air (mosquitoes too unfortunately) into the room. But there was no mosquito net. It was at least clean. RM150-RM180 for a fan room.

In the end we settled on Ombak Kapas Resort because the garden chalets faced the sea. You could easily hang on in the balcony and chill. We paid RM250 for an air-conditioned room . It was too expensive for a rather basic room. The bathroom’s tiles were covered in some chalky residue, probably built-up left by hard water. Still, the toilet looked a little better than the ones in the previous accommodations that we checked out.

KBC’s restaurant was probably the most popular, especially among western tourists. It was always full during meal times: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dining there was comfortable affair. Western and Asian meals were offered at prices that were pocket friendly, mostly between RM 8-RM15. It was probably the only ala-carte restaurant that opens consistently from 8am till 10pm. Waiters were friendly and attentive. The German girl, probably the manager of the establishment, turned out to be an ex-resident of Leipzig, a city which is 45 minutes away from our place! She told us that she discovered Pulau Kapas seven years ago and has never left the place since!

It was when we were having dinner there that we discovered the other KBC (which I shall call KBC 2). How could we have missed it? Tucked right behind the restaurant was a newly built 2-storey building with both air-conditioning and fan rooms. The fan rooms on the first level were from RM160 while the air-conditioned ones were RM185.

KBC’s restaurant was probably the most popular, especially among western tourists. It was always full during meal times: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dining there was comfortable affair. Western and Asian meals were offered at prices that were pocket friendly, mostly between RM 8-RM15. It was probably the only ala-carte restaurant that opens consistently from 8am till 10pm. Waiters were friendly and attentive. The German girl, probably the manager of the establishment, turned out to be an ex-resident of Leipzig, a city which is 45 minutes away from our place! She told us that she discovered Pulau Kapas seven years ago and has never left the place since!

It was when we were having dinner there that we discovered the other KBC (which I shall call KBC 2). How could we have missed it? Tucked right behind the restaurant was a newly built 2-storey building with both air-conditioning and fan rooms. The fan rooms on the first level were from RM160 while the air-conditioned ones were RM185.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE GOING TO PULAU KAPAS

• Go off-season. The official season starts from February to October but it doesn’t really get busy till May. Avoid weekends (Thursday evenings to Sunday mornings) and local school holidays because you’ll get the local crowds. We went in the beginning of March and it was perfect, including the weather.

• There are no ATMs on the island so it’s best if you have some cash with you. Especially if you’re planning to stay long.

• Bring mosquito repellent as you’ll need it between 5pm to 8pm. After that, locals say, the mosquitoes disappear. Interestingly, they’re right. That’s why dinner at Qimi’s always starts after 8pm.

• If you’re crave for chips or cookies at random hours of the day, you might need to stock up from mainland. There a little sundry shop that sells water and sunscreen. 

• Pulau Kapas is not an island where you’d party and have bonfires. 

 GETTING THERE

• There are at least five boat departures and arrivals a day but the timings change according to season. To be safe, first departure to Pulau Kapas from Marang Jetty starts from 7.00-.800 am while the first boat from Pulau Kapas to mainland is 8.30 am. The boat ride between mainland and Pulau Kapas is 10 minutes. The main service provider is Kapas Marine  which has an office just by the jetty. 

• There are overnight busses from Kuala Lumpur and Penang to Kuala Terengganu or maybe even to Marang Jetty. They all take about eight hours and while comfortable, there’s a chance your driver is an aspiring F1 driver. Take busses at your own risk. Busses that take you to the Kuala Terengganu bus station will arrive at 5 am in the morning.

• If you’re planning to take a taxi from the bus station to the jetty, do note that early mornings are the worst time to negotiate with taxi drivers. A taxi for two may cost RM30 while a taxi for four, RM45-60.

• Flying could be a better option as you’ll be able get one-way tickets from AirAsia for as low as RM 42 (from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu). If you take a taxi between airport and Marang Jetty, you should factor in at least 45 minutes of travel time.

WHERE TO STAY

• There aren’t any Airbnbs or 5-star beach resorts on Pulau Kapas.  You’ll mostly find very basic rooms, like a small room with a bed. We’d initially wanted to stay at KBC A-Frames (there are also dorms available) because we’ve read good things about it but after seeing it, it wasn’t what we’d expected. So we chose Ombak Kapas Resort instead (we couldn’t check out the other places at the other end). It still wasn’t the best (RM250 for a double air-conditioned room) but it was okay. They also have fan rooms. Most people who stay here are local tourists on a package.

• The newer KBC rooms would be our recommendation. You’ll find them tucked away behind the KBC Restaurant (RM160-RM185).

• Kapas Turtle Valley offers better rooms but at a steeper price (RM200 and above) but if you stay there, it’ll be a bit cut-off from the rest of Pulau Kapas.

• There are three camping sites, Lokoloko campsite Longsha Longhouse and Ombak Campsite.