Tenggol Island

Tenggol is the outlier of the Terengganu islands: further out, steeper, and dropping into deeper water than the rest, which is why divers rate it above the Perhentians and Redang and why most people who go are there specifically to dive. The island itself is small and almost entirely forested with cliffs on the exposed side and a couple of sheltered coves holding the resorts; there is no village and no independent access. The sites are boulder fields, drop-offs and pinnacles with soft coral, and the water regularly gives twenty metres of visibility or more in the good months, with reef sharks, turtles and larger pelagics passing. It has the shortest season of the east-coast islands, opening late and closing early, and the crossing is exposed and often rough.

What you actually see

• Deep clear water - the best visibility on the peninsula's east coast.
• Boulder and pinnacle dives - drop-offs and soft coral around the island.
• Turtles and reef sharks - regular sightings on the outer sites.
• A forested island with no village - cliffs, two coves, resorts only.

When to go

April to September; a short season. Three days.

Honest expectations

It is a divers' island - non-divers will find little to do. Resort packages are the only way to stay. The crossing is exposed and rough trips are common. The season is short at both ends.

Nearby

Kuala Dungun is the mainland port; Kapas is north.