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The 5 Best Cafés and Coffee Shops in the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

Coffee by the beach
Coffee by the beach | © elkep / Pixabay

This tropical paradise in northeast Malaysia attracts beach lovers and diving enthusiasts. Check out these cafés in the Perhentian Islands to chill out with a morning coffee or to reconnect with the world.

Ewan's Café & Restaurant

Cafe, Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Asian, Malaysian, Thai

best cafes coffee shops perhentian
© strecosa / Pixabay

Ewan’s locally-owned café and restaurant acts as a magnet for younger backpackers. Apart from high-quality coffee, customers claim it has the island’s strongest Wi-Fi. If you want to reconnect with the world and meet other travellers, check out this café on Perhentian Kecil. Drinks include Malaysian-style iced coffee, mouth-watering milkshakes and their famous mango ice blends. Expect more budget-friendly prices, compared to some of the other cafés in the Perhentian Islands.

Awatif Café

Restaurant, Cafe, Coffee Shop, Asian, Malaysian

While Awatif Café mostly caters to those on Long Beach, it offers a convenient spot for a coffee or light lunch. Compared to some of the other cafés in the Perhentian Islands, the longer opening hours make it a more convenient place to relax at any time of the day. Order one of their many fried rice dishes or grab a light roti to enjoy with your drink. Head down in the evening and find other travellers looking to chat.

Ombak Café

Cafe, Coffee Shop, Asian, European

best cafes coffee shops perhentian islands
© Club Soda Guide / Flickr

Ombak Resort’s café sits near a handful of dive schools along Perhentian Kecil’s western coast. The attractive seating area overlooking the beach makes it a favourite place for sunset drinks. Expect a mix of resort guests and scuba-trainees enjoying the views with a drink (alcoholic or not). But the other appeal is their movie nights which start at 7:00 pm. Ombak Café is among our favourite cafés in the Perhentian Islands to unwind for a few hours and hang out with others.

Belinda Café

Restaurant, Cafe, Coffee Shop, Asian, Malaysian, Thai

best cafes coffee shops perhentian islands
© ZhengZhou / WikiCommons

Belinda Café combines a fusion restaurant with a coffee shop and bar on Perhentian Besar. Customers can order a selection of drinks, including iced coffee and tea as well as beer and cocktails. Expect a healthy blend of local tourists and backpackers enjoying the relatively low prices. The welcoming and relaxed environment makes it easy to strike up a conversation with staff or your neighbours. If you’re feeling peckish, order roti canai and a slice of their chocolate cake.

Nia Café

Cafe, Coffee Shop, Asian, Malaysian

Nia Café sits on Perhentian Besar’s western coast, overlooking its smaller sister island. Travellers rate this spot as one of the best cafés in the Perhentian Islands for location and ambience. With tables spread over the sand under colourful umbrellas, customers can enjoy a drink with a view. We recommend visiting in the cooler morning for their set breakfast with iced coffee. Alternatively, order roti canai with a smoothie or milkshake for a light brunch.

About the author

Sam is a self-confessed travel addict who loves exploring the places most tourists don’t covering just over a third of the world's countries to date. When he’s not travelling, he’s writing. When he’s not writing, Sam follows his other passions in life: long distance running and reading.

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