PULAU PAYAR
Pulau Payar and its adjacent islands are some of the few locations for good diving off the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Divers flock here during the monsoon season in the East Coast, making Pulau Payar one of Malaysia’s year round diving destinations. Large numbers of coral species lie embedded here, both hard and soft. Their colour and variety provide good opportunities for photography, comparable to some East Coast destinations.
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A large, permanent pontoon offshore is a great stopover for its many amenities and the panoramic view. From here, travelling to the dive sites is a matter of minutes. At Coral Garden, you will be enthralled by the colourful soft corals and many reef fish varieties. Next to it is Grouper Farm, a site renowned for its many groupers, snappers and even barracudas.
Further out to the west, limited wall-diving opportunities also exist around the tiny Pulau Segantang. Reef life here range from the many anemones at Anemone Garden to the snappers, jacks and barracudas at Tyre Reef.
Day trips are the only way of discovering Payar. However, nearby Langkawi, the main island, makes an ideal launch pad. Journeys take from 45 minutes to an hour, depending on sea conditions. With Langkawi’s duty-free status and multitude of activities, there will be plenty to see and do to spice up your holiday.
