Beach & Island

Malaysia's islands and beaches stretch across both coasts of the peninsula and into the waters off Borneo, offering honeymoon couples everything from luxury private-island resorts to rustic beach huts on uninhabited coral atolls. The east coast islands tend to close during monsoon season (November to February), so timing matters — but when they're open, these are some of Southeast Asia's most beautiful and uncrowded beach destinations.

Langkawi is Malaysia's most established island resort destination, a duty-free archipelago off the northwest coast with dramatic jungle-clad peaks, mangrove-lined waterways and a handful of world-class beach resorts. The cable car ride to the Langkawi Sky Bridge and a sunset cruise through the mangroves are honeymoon highlights, and the island's restaurants have improved enormously in recent years.

On the east coast, the Perhentian Islands are a pair of jungle-covered islands surrounded by some of the clearest water in Malaysia — ideal for snorkelling and diving, with turtles, reef sharks and colourful coral easily accessible from the beach. Nearby, Redang offers a slightly more polished resort experience with equally impressive marine life and powder-white beaches that regularly feature in "best beaches" lists.

Further south, Tioman is a larger island with a wilder, more adventurous feel — dense rainforest, waterfalls you can hike to, and offshore coral gardens that are among the best dive sites on the peninsula. The island's relative remoteness keeps visitor numbers low, and the handful of boutique resorts here offer genuine seclusion.