Beaches of Malaysia, the Untouched Charm of Malaysian Borneo

Malaysia isn't mainly known for its beaches, perhaps because of the competition from its neighbours Thailand and Indonesia. Yet since it boasts the same beautiful seas as Thailand on both its east and west coasts, Malaysia has beaches of absolute beauty. From splendid tropical islands complete with coral and white sand, to the long beaches of the mainland - as well as the incredible settings of Malaysian Borneo, this Southeast Asian country enchants when it comes to the meeting of sand and sea.

10Sipadan Island

A splendid turquoise jewel in the deep Celebes Sea, off eastern Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, Sipadan Island is a wonderful destination, both above water and below. With an incredibly picturesque lagoon and tropical reef, the island is a well-known dive spot that sees visitors flock for its thriving marine life. In fact, it was voted "Top Dive Destination In The World" on the Gold List of Scuba Diving Magazine, and for good reason: sea turtles, manta rays, hammerhead sharks and whale sharks are frequent visitors to this almost fairy-tale location. Even the famous underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau called it "an untouched work of art" in 1989, and fortunately - for both conservationists and divers - not much has changed since then. Although there are beautiful beaches here, not diving into the waters of Sipadan would be a wasted opportunity.

9Coral Beach, Pangkor

One of the main attractions of Perak - a state on the west coast of Malaysia - is the beautiful island of Pangkor. Packed with historic sites ranging from a centuries-old Dutch fort to traces of earlier Chinese settlers in the Fu Lin Kong Taoist temple, it's a well-trodden tourist destination in the area. Yet it isn't only the cultural heritage of this small legendary island - which saw one of the first treaties that led to British domination of Malaysia - that brings visitors to its shores. Pangkor is known for its beautiful beaches, the best of which is the splendid Coral Beach. With an extreme desert-island feel, the white sand sweeps over the turquoise sea in a picturesque curve, while tall palms spread out over the luminous sand in what is practically a postcard of paradise.

8Mataking Island, Sabah

Another fantastic tropical island located just off the east coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, Mataking Island is a sort of bonus when it comes to a beach destination - it's connected to another much smaller island called Pulau Mataking Kecil by a sandbar, which means that most of this beautiful island is basically a collection of beaches. This eastern island is also known for its incredible scuba diving opportunities; the marine life here is wonderfully varied and vibrant.

7Long Beach, Perhentian Kecil

The Perhentian Islands off the northeastern coast of mainland Malaysia are already renowned for their beauty and are probably the country's most famous destination for a tropical island holiday. The smaller of the two main islands, Perhentian Kecil, caters more to backpackers, while the nearby Perhentian Besar is full of expensive resorts. Perhentian Kecil offers a number of beautiful beaches, but none quite as beautiful as the beach called Long Beach.

6Juara Beach, Tioman

This relatively large tropical island lies off the east coast of the Malaysian state of Pahang. Its beauty helped it earn the title of one of the most beautiful islands in the world according to TIME magazine in the 1970s - and one beach stands out above the others - Juara. Yes, the incredible Juara Beach is a true jewel in the crown of Malaysia's best beaches, helped by its relatively remote location - ferries don't reach the beach, it can only be reached by jeep on a paved road that crosses Tioman's central mountain range. The beach is also known for sea turtle conservation.

5Manukan Island, Sabah

Yet another island located in Sabah - this time off the west coast of the state - Manukan Island is very popular among residents of the nearby state capital, Kota Kinabalu. It lies within the boundaries of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Malaysia's first marine national park - dating back to 1974. For this reason, the small island is famous for its fantastic diving and snorkelling opportunities right off the coast. Naturally, it's just as well known for its splendid beaches; the perfect meeting point of blue sea and pure white sand in a slice of coral paradise. Away from the coast, however, there are ample opportunities to explore the island's dense vegetation, thanks to a series of trails that run the whole way across.

4Kapas Island, Terengganu

Kapas Island is another of Malaysia's paradise islands, with beaches here that look exactly like the ones you'd see on a postcard from days gone by. Nowadays, it looks more like the beaches on your Instagram feed; palms nod over the fine white sand, lapped by a clear sea that opens onto a beautiful turquoise view. Just off the coast from the town of Marang in Terengganu, Kapas is truly one of the most beautiful islands in Malaysia. It's a paradise for snorkelling and diving, with a wide range of marine life - the coral here is bright and vivid - always an incredible sight. Besides the great beaches, this tropical island in the South China Sea is also known as the main place to look for Amphidromus, an enigmatic species of snail with a colourful shell.

3Rawa Island, Mersing

Located off the northeastern coast of the mainland from Malaysia's southernmost state, Johor, and easily reached from the coastal town of Mersing, Rawa Island is truly a beach jewel. Named for the white doves (known locally as rawa) that populate the island in great numbers, this tiny island is a wildlife refuge. Since there are no proper roads on the island, only trails can take you from one destination to another. With high, steep rock walls on one side of the island, the other side is almost entirely made up of white-sand beaches that meet the splendid blue sea in perfect harmony of colours.

2Pantai Cenang, Langkawi

Langkawi, Malaysia's leading destination, has everything it needs to be counted among the best beaches: facilities, services, restaurants. So it's no wonder that its best beach is a combination of all these things. Pantai Cenang is popular among domestic and international tourists. The nearby amenities and relatively calm waters make the beach very suitable for families.

1Pasir Panjang, Redang

One of the largest islands off Malaysia, Redang Island lies in the seas off the northeastern state of Terengganu and is famous for its incredibly white sand and sparkling, crystal-clear water. It's well known as a tropical island thanks to its widespread reputation among travellers, and many travel accounts are written about it here on viaggiscoop.it too.