Kapas Island, a peninsular Malaysian east coast island, is rarely mentioned in the tour books. Known as Pulau Kapas in Malay. If you enjoy beaches and snorkeling, this hidden gem might just be the answer to your family’s next beach vacation. It is an island that our family fell in love with after trying other beaches around Malaysia. The laid-back charm with superb sea life makes Kapas Island a true bucket-list family treat!
Location
The tiny Kapas Island (called Pulau Kapas in Malay) is just a 10 minute speedboat ride away from the coastal town of Marang.
It lies south of the more famous Perhentian Islands and Redang Island. While these all take a long (and more expensive) boat ride to get to, Kapas Island is close to the coast.
The size of the Kapas island is just 1.5km by 2.5km in size, so it is a very small little island. It has one beach after another along the coast, and many places to stay along those pristine beaches. You have the range from nice to budget places to stay, all with superb beach access.
How to Get to Kapas Island
To get to Kapas Island, you need to first get to Marang Jetty in the town of Marang. Keep reading to learn more on the town of Marang later. There are things to check out in Marang as it has more to offer than just a launching point to Kapas Island!
By car. The town of Marang is 5.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur or 7.5 hours from Penang.
By air. The closest airport is Kuala Terrenganu. From there, you should take a bus south to Marang. Kuala Terrenganu is about a 30 minute drive north of Marang.
By bus. You should be able to get to Marang from all over peninsular Malaysia using buses. You may first have to go to the towns of Kuantan or Terrenganu (two closest big towns) before catching a smaller bus to Marang.
If you are driving to Kapas Island we recommend you stop at the amazing town of Sungai Lembing. It makes a great pit stop and has a bunch of fun things to offer for families and solo travelers alike.
Best Time to Go to Kapas Island (Seasonality)
The island closes down during the monsoon season. This is normal as all the islands off the east coast close down during this time. The reason is that the water gets choppy and the weather can be stormy and not good for chilling at the beach. Monsoon season falls between November to March. If you are hoping to visit near those times, check with your preferred accommodation regarding their opening dates. They vary yearly based on the predicted weather patterns.
Even though the island is open the rest of the year, do remember that this is peninsular Malaysia and daily downpours are normal throughout the year.
The rest of the time is beautiful, sunny, and HOT! Remember the sunscreen, because sunburns can happen quickly!
Marang Jetty / The Entryway to Kapas Island
The market is down the road from the jetty where you will take your boat to Kapas Island. The jetty has a parking lot where cars can be parked for RM 10 a day. The parking attendant will come to you as you are getting out of your car. Tell him how many days you are staying on the island and pay accordingly. If you end up staying longer on the island it is no problem as you can settle the balance upon your return if they check up on you. No one checked our vehicle when we left to make sure we had actually paid for the full number of days.
The jetty is made up of different stalls for different boat companies and resorts. Even without a reservation, you can ask around at the stalls for a ride to the island. If you booked an accommodation already, they will tell you which stall number to head to get your ride.
Boat transfer round trip in 2025 should be at most RM 40 per person. Children are the same price as adults. We had arranged a ride with our accommodations boat connection already, but when we exited our vehicle we were approached by different boat operators. Arranging the ride ahead may settle your anxiety, but know that there will be plenty of options upon arrival also!
Before getting on your boat, you need to pay a marine park fee. There is a ticket booth right next to the water with big signs so you can’t miss it! The cost is to enter the marine park. It is the same cost whether you do a day trip or stay multiple days.
Kapas Island is part of a protected marine park, so by staying on the island, you are entering the marine park. The price for the marine park was RM 30 for non-Malaysian adults and RM 15 for non-Malaysian kids and seniors. Kids are aged 6 to 12. Seniors are 60 years old and above.
Marine Park Cost
Non-Malaysian
Adult - RM 30
Child - RM 15 (age 6-12)
Senior - RM 15 (age 60 and older)
Disabled - Free
Malaysian
Adult - RM 5
Child - RM 2 (age 6-12)
Senior - RM 2 (age 60 and older)
Disabled - Free
You will be handed tickets and bracelets to prove you’ve paid. Then you can go ahead and get on your speedboat.
The speedboat will take you directly to the beach where your accommodation is located. (From my understanding, there is no longer a public ferry boat in 2025. Every boat is privately owned that goes to and from Kapas Island)
Things in the Town of Marang Besides the Jetty
The town of Marang is a small, walkable coastal town that our family LOVED exploring. Its main attraction is its morning market. It seems the whole town comes out for the morning market as the stalls spill out into the street.
Along with stalls of fruits and veggies, there are all sorts of seafood stalls. The kids loved seeing all the sea creatures for sale. Anyone up for buying and grilling a stingray or a shark?
On the perimeter of the market were many little eateries with local dishes. A great option to get a cheap meal and feel the vibe of the town. There are also toilets available next to the eateries for public use for RM 0.50.
Kapas Island Activities
Beaches
The beaches are spread out across Kapas Island on the southern and western coasts. The eastern coast is rocky and does not have sandy beaches.
There is a relative walkableness between the beaches. Concrete walkways have been built to connect most of them together.
However, the tides have washed out some of the stairs. So, it can be quite an adventure to cross each point to the next beach.
In low tide, you can walk on sand or shallow water. At high tide, you will need to swim. Or your kids can feel like rock climbers and climb along the rough volcanic rock to get to the next beach!
All beaches have beautiful fine golden sand. Any beach is worth plopping down to make sand castles and sunbathing for an afternoon.
However, if you came to Kapas Island for the snorkeling like our family did, then you are going to want to walk along the coast to the farthest beaches on the northwest part of the island. The snorkeling off any of the beaches is great, but the northern most ones are superb!
These beaches are empty of resorts and also have beautiful sand to sit and enjoy sunbathing. With the incredible sea life right next to the beach, they make the perfect combination!
The other factor in deciding which beach to hang out at is the busyness created by the resorts.
We specifically noticed the beach that shared both Coral Beach Resort and Kapas Boutique Chalets (KBC) was a lot more busy. There were lots of visitors coming in and out on boats.
In the end, no matter which beach you choose to relax at, you’ll have lovely sand and clear water.
Snorkeling
A big plus to staying on Kapas Island is the convenience of snorkeling right off its shores. Many people hire a boat to take them snorkeling around the island.
However, we found that as a family we enjoyed walking to the beaches. Everyone could choose to play in the sand or to go snorkeling, so walking was a much better option. And as we ended up snorkeling right next to the boats anyway, there was no reason to take a boat out.
There are blue floating platforms that have been set up near the best snorkeling spots. The boats stop near the floating platforms for people to jump off of or have a place to hold onto. You can also swim out to them from the shore and rest out on the water!
The floating platforms were not too far out into the ocean. It took about 10 minutes of snorkeling for our 10 year old to make it out to the floating platform. Dad could make it out in just a few minutes by himself!
We found as we explored the different snorkeling locations that the ocean life around the blue floating platforms really were the best. They are there as a marker of where the best places are, but there was so much to see getting out to them also.
Not to dismiss a boat trip, as it is fun for the kids. We just found for snorkeling purposes that having a beach launching point is more worth it. When you have multiple kids, our experience is that they never all want to be doing the same thing at the same time (snorkeling), and someone is going to want to be playing in the sand and not be stuck on a boat.
What Can You See Snorkeling?
The water around Kapas Island is teeming with life.
Despite the island being near the mainland, the coral reefs hold the same type of marine life to the other islands that are further away.
Black tipped reef sharks were a favorite of our preteen. The teen saw a bright blue stingray. The littles loved the clown anemonefish “Nemos” hiding among the anemones.
Along with the unique fish, the quantity of different types of fish all around you is really what makes the snorkeling so fantastic. We have snorkeled in Thailand, the Philippines, and Hawaii, and it’s the first time we were amongst so many fish at the surface with us. A really amazing experience!
When you snorkel around the floating platforms, you find the most variety and quantity of ocean life. But honestly, we recommend putting your snorkel on the second you hit the water, because even the most shallow water is full of fish. Our 8 year old likes to stay in water he can stand up in, and even he had a blast watching the fish circling around him there.
Renting Gear
If you don’t bring your own snorkeling gear, you can rent from the resorts. Even a place you aren’t staying at will be willing to rent to you for the day.
However! Do not assume they will have kids’ snorkel gear. Bring your own for your kids unless they have an adult-sized face.
Diving
Another reason to visit Kapas Island is to learn how to dive. There are two diving schools on the island.
The most popular diving school is Aqua Sports Divers, conveniently located next to Kapas Boutique Chalets and other beach resorts along that beach. Contact them on their Facebook page.
Hiking
Another activity we took advantage of was hiking on the inside of Kapas Island. The island is small enough that no hike is too long. But the island has enough elevation change to make hiking a lot more challenging than you would expect.
The main route from south to north will start from the lighthouse on the southern tip (or from the stairs on the beach either of Captain Longhouse or Kapas Turtle Resort up to the lighthouse).
The walk is well marked by following the well worn path. There is also a guide rope strung along the trees for you to follow. There are also signs every few hundred meters. The path is the only way to get to the rocky beach on the northwest side of the island.
This beach is very different from the others. My boys loved looking at all the different kinds of rocks found on the beach. There was really no sand there, it was full of smooth pebbles.
The path to this beach is about a kilometer and goes up most of the way. Then it is a steep downhill climb right at the end. Thankfully there are ropes to help with the climb down. It took us about 45 minutes from the lighthouse to the rocky beach. We only had our 10 and 13 year olds with us.
There are other paths made throughout the inner part of Kapas Island. These will take you to other beaches around the island, though they are not as well marked as the rocky beach path is.
So if you want to explore and don’t mind ending up in an unknown spot, there is a lot to explore. Remember the island is small and it never takes too long to get back to a beach where you can then walk back to your resort along the beach front.
Availability of Food and Drink on Kapas Island
All food and drink must be brought over on the speedboats to Kapas Island. This means while the sun is plentiful, the sand is plentiful, and the sea is plentiful, the food is not!
Food prices are higher than the mainland. But it’s not impossible to find good food. Most resorts have restaurants. We loved that Kapas Boutique Chalets had kid-friendly options like pizza for our picky eater.
There is a shop to buy a few supplies in front of the Kapas Boutique Chalets. Mostly it sells small snacks and drinks. You can pick up a few basic supplies such as shampoo, feminine hygiene items, and 3 or 4 different simple medications. There is also a small restaurant serving Malaysian dishes for the cheapest prices on the island.
All in all, we recommend at least bringing over bottled water and lots of snacks as munchies, so you are prepared. Especially if you have a picky eater, we would not recommend taking chances with what you can get on the island.
Depending on the accommodation you choose, you may need to bring over meals as well, although you can always eat at another resort’s restaurant.
We found that many resorts have a package price per person for a certain number of nights. In this case all meals are provided for. With our big family, this was not cost effective at all.
Daytrips to Kapas Island
Yes! If you are in the area and just want to check out the fabulous snorkeling, you can take a day trip. Ask at the Marang Jetty and decide on a pick up time from the island in the afternoon. They can take you from Marang over to Kapas Island just to go snorkeling.
Remember, you still need to pay the marine park fee to enter the island for the day even if you don’t even go onto the island. The marine park fee is to enter the water area and you will need to pay it to go.
The Downside of Kapas Island / The Bugs
Honestly, our number one downside was the bugs. At dusk, the mosquitoes are out in droves. Bring mosquito repellent and be aware! We are used to mosquitoes in the tropics but Kapas Island takes it to another level!
The benefit of all the mosquitoes coming out at night is the volume of bats that you get to see. Along with the many bug eating bats, Kapas Island is also home to giant fruit bats. If you are on the island once the sun sets you can witness quite a show.
The sandflies also bothered one person in our family. He is prone to sandfly bites and always attracts them everywhere we go. The rest of us weren’t bothered. So that was not as concerning to us personally as the mosquitos.
Best Ages to Enjoy Kapas Island
We definitely felt that this was an island fit for kids older than preschool. As the island is small you really want to have the ability to walk from beach to beach. It would be difficult to get to the northern beaches if you were carrying a baby, and a toddler would not be able to walk the path if the tide is high.
The sand is perfect sandcastle sand and there is a fair amount of shallow ocean to splash in which is perfect for preschool children. So if you don’t mind not being able to take the kids to all the beaches any age would be perfect for Kapas Island. However, the main draw to this specific island is the snorkeling. The best part of the island is really underwater.
Kapas Island Accommodations
There are several resorts I would recommend on different beaches. I would not consider any accommodations on Kapas Island as ritzy. The whole vibe of the island is low-key and relaxed. If you want ritzy then you can explore options near Marang, but even in Marang don’t expect too much.
Starting from the south side of the island and moving up the coast northwest, these are the accommodations we can recommend:
This resort is on its own private beach along the southern edge. The bungalows look out towards the mainland. But because you are alone on a small beach, it feels very isolated and cozy. There are fish to see snorkeling there, but the coral isn’t great. The beach is mostly sandy, but you see the beginning of the rocky beaches of the eastern side as there are pebbles all over the beach. From the resort it is just a few dozen stairs up the hill to the lighthouse. The lighthouse is the start of the hikes.
As its name suggests, it is a place to see turtles. The island turtle sanctuary releases on this beach. If turtles have hatched that day, they release them at 6 pm. Visitors can watch as the baby turtles scurry straight into the ocean from the beach! There is a fee to watch the turtle release. As there were no baby turtles when we were there you do not know the price.
This backpacking-vibe of a resort is right on the other side of the lighthouse point. It shares a longer stretch of white sand beach with several other accommodations. Being in the corner gives it a more private feel.
You have a choice of bungalow with a shared bathroom or of bringing your own tent. They have a bar and restaurant, so you don’t need to provide your own meals.
The best way book with them you need to contact them directly via WhatsApp at +60 12-807 1993.
If you are looking for the most cost effective option on Kapas Island, this is it. It is located right next to Captain’s Longhouse. At Longsha Campsite you can either rent their tents or bring your own.
There is no restaurant or food for sale, but they do have a kitchen with all the supplies to cook the food you brought over from the mainland.
If you bring your own tent, the cost is RM 15 per person to stay. To rent one of their tents costs RM 20 per person per night.
The best way book with them you need to contact them directly via WhatsApp at +60 17-965-2968.
This resort is the next beach over. We loved the vibe of this resort. It is on a more crowded beach, so not as much privacy. But the resort is very family-friendly.
There is a toy area for the kids to play. There is also a book area for borrowing a book for a beach read.
Kapas Boutique Chalets are right next to Aqua Sport Divers if your family is wanting to take a dive course while on the island.