Looking for the best Langkawi snorkeling options? About 35-kilometers from Langkawi’s main island is Pulau Payar Marine Park. Established in 1989, the cluster of four islands was the first official marine park in all of Malaysia, with Pulau Payar Island being the largest of the archipelago. The old, offshore dive platform is gone, but snorkeling the Pulau Payar Island shorelines remains an amazing experience and the best snorkeling in Langkawi.
My first visit to Pulau Payar was in 2020 just after covid, and several things have now changed since then. In addition to the park’s offshore ferry dock and dive platform being removed, the marine park is now limited to just 100 visitors a week with at least 3 (if not more) dive shops vying for those slots.
However, in my quest to find a way to get back to this beautiful island, I found out that signing up for a snorkel trip is the easiest (and least expensive) way to get there. But not all dive/snorkel trips are the same. Some dive companies include snorkeling with their dive trips, so the majority of the day is spent on a boat in deeper offshore waters. Exciting for some, but a bit tedious for others.
I was super excited to discover Ninety Nine Islands Diver, whose seasonal snorkel trips offer getting dropped at Pulau Payar Island for the day. A plan that suits me perfectly.
Once on the island, guests are free to explore at their own pace. Inclusive of a full day to enjoy near shore snorkeling, swimming, a beautiful white sand beach (tide dependent), a basic lunch, and independence. All for less than RM400 (90USD). Of course, that also includes the roundtrip boat ride from Langkawi (the petrol cost is part of the price tag, btw).
A Little Pulau Payar Marine Park History
The Pulau Payar Marine Park includes four islands; Pulau Kaca, Pulau Lembu, Pulau Segatang and Pulau Payar (the largest of the four). With Pulau Payar being the oldest marine park in Malaysia, it’s safe to say they have been through a few learning curves since opening in 1989. They’ve likely made some mistakes along the way, as well as taken a few hits of harsh criticisms about how the park was operated. But knowing what I know now about Pulau Payar, I can appreciate the efforts of the Department of Marine Park Malaysia even more.
Back in 2010, the Department of Marine Park Malaysia decided to close numerous islands in three states due to coral bleaching, including Kedah’s Pulau Payar. The brief closure was only from Early July to the end of October 2010, but at least gave them the opportunity to evaluate the condition of the park’s marine environment.
Since that very brief closure and reopen, other areas of Pulau Payar Marine Park have become access limited or temporarily closed in an effort to protect the park. Unfortunately, numbers of daily visitors were not limited. Daily tour groups from both Penang and Langkawi had still been consistently visiting the marine park until the 2020 pandemic hit.
Another reassessment of Pulau Payar happened after the pandemic. However, in addition to keeping certain areas periodically closed, other plans are in the works for Pulau Payar, including more aggressive coral restoration efforts and limiting the total number of weekly visitors to 100.
The Payar Island Langkawi Snorkeling Trip
Booking a Pulau Payar Langkawi Snorkeling (or diving) trip with Ninety Nine Islands Diver is fairly easy, however paying online via an international bank transfer might be problematic for some. It was for me and I had to have a friend use his local bank. Alternatively, you can go in person to their office and pay. But once you’ve secured your spot, you just show up at the Penarak Jetty in Kuah on your trip date.
With a 9:30am departure, it takes about 45-minutes to an hour-plus to get from Kuah to Pulau Payar by speed boat. On arrival, guests disembark at Pantai Pusat Taman Laut (Marine Park Center Beach) docks on Pulau Payar and are given about four hours to snorkel the shoreline to their hearts desire. Safety briefings will be given before departure and upon arrival, so pay attention. If you have any questions, be sure to speak up.
Do note that proper non-skid footwear is advisable. Certain areas of the dock steps may (or may not) be slippery. And if you have any back issues, the roundtrip boat ride will be fast and bumpy…
Good quality masks and snorkels are provided but not fins. Life jackets are, of course, mandatory during the boat ride, but thankfully are not mandatory for snorkeling. At least one staff will be on hand for a support system and is in radio contact with other boats in the area. But if you are unsure of the waters or your own snorkeling expertise, please stay visible to the staff and communicate your whereabouts.
Visibility in the water close to shore is good, but it can get a bit cloudy here and there with the sand stirred up by incoming waves. If you’re a purist you can kick your way on out to deeper waters closer to the boundary ropes. The coral is essentially dead but there are still plenty of fish to see. Some are especially interested in feet, so don’t be surprised if a school of fish start nibbling at your toes.
Even without a lifejacket, the salinity of the water keeps the average weight person floating close to the top of the water. It took me some effort to dive to the bottom to get a closer look at the Sea Cucumbers and Parrot Fish. If you do wear a lifejacket while snorkeling, you’ll have to be content with what aquatic wonders are swimming near the top. ‘Some’ people bring bread to attract fish to the surface. I personally prefer to have a more natural experience by not feeding fish (or other wildlife). Ever.
Additionally, Pulau Payar’s cement walkways are still intact, so guests can easily walk along the jungle’s shoreline edge and explore other nearby beaches and sandy alcoves regardless of the tide. However, venturing into the jungle itself is not advisable. If you happen to be the type to wander off, it’s best to at least give the staff the heads up.
Are There Still Shops on Pulau Payar Island?
Food vendors are no longer operating at Pulau Payar but there are still plenty of covered shady areas, and picnic tables for guests to commandeer for their day at the marine park. Be sure to bring your own sunscreen, towel, or anything else you may need to be comfortable for a day on a remote island. Anything you bring with you will absolutely be safe from theft or monkeys.
Lunch and water is provided, but I have to warn you, it’s very basic. If you are expecting a fancy catered lunch and seaside massage, it’s not happening on this Langkawi snorkeling trip.
The trip’s included chicken and rice lunch packs are tasty, but the limited culinary selection takes some of the fun day-at-the-beach vibe away. Do yourself a favor and bring some extra snacks and non-alcoholic beverages for yourself. Especially if you have kids with you.
Chillin’ Out at Pulau Payar Island
If you think a couple of hours in a speed boat and four hours at the beach isn’t enough fun in the sun, trust me it is. A Langkawi snorkeling excursion to Pulau Payar makes for an excellent Langkawi day trip. Especially for those who love sun, sand and sea.
For anyone who has not visited Pulau Payar, or wants to see pretty fish without being in a pack of floating orange life jackets, a snorkel trip to Pulau Payar with Ninety Nine Islands Diver is the way to go. Maybe you simply want to lie on the beach, relax and catch some rays? No problem. It’s your day at Pulau Payar to pretty much do whatever you want.
Do note that weather conditions can change on the day of a booked trip. If you’re lucky you will have a full day of gorgeous sunny skies. If, however you end up getting some rain, it’s just the chance you take. It’s still worth going even if the skies are grey.
Contact Ninety Nine Islands Diver for more info on their seasonal dive and snorkel trips: 011-3724 6899/ 011-1984 4332
*Photos in this post are from two separate trips with Ninety Nine Islands Diver. All of the underwater shots were taken relatively close to shore and without ‘fish food’. The Pulau Payar roped off (designated) snorkeling area extends to deeper waters.
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