Malaysia's premier international ocean adventure and marine conservation festival — four days of world-class diving, underwater photography, and reef restoration on one of Southeast Asia's last untouched island chains.
Surreal Perhentian exists because the reefs that made this coastline famous are under quiet, mounting pressure — from ghost nets, from crown-of-thorns outbreaks, from a tourism model that hasn't always paid the ocean back.
This festival brings international divers, underwater photographers, marine scientists, and local dive operators onto the same reef, for the same four days, with one shared brief: dive harder, document better, and leave the water in better shape than we found it.
Hosted in the Perhentian Islands and organised by Ocean Ranger Malaysia in partnership with Malaysia's dive and marine science community, Surreal Perhentian is positioned as a flagship event of Visit Malaysia 2026.
Untouched dive sites off Perhentian Besar and Kecil, mapped and briefed by local dive masters.
Guided reef dives, wreck runs, and night dives across four days, open to all certification levels.
The International Underwater Photography Marathon — open-water and macro categories, judged by international panel.
Talks and field labs with marine scientists on coral resilience, citizen science, and reef monitoring methods.
Hands-on ghost net removal and coral restoration dives — every diver contributes real reef time.
Dive operators, NGOs, and government agencies in one venue — real partnerships, not panel photo-ops.
Cool cards run the adventure below the surface. Warm cards run the celebration above it.
Every registered diver is briefed into at least one conservation dive during the festival. These are the numbers we're diving for.
Point your phone camera at the code to jump straight to the registration form — no need to scroll or type a link.
MIMPI PERHENTIAN RESORT · 3D2N
MIMPI PERHENTIAN RESORT · 3D2N
2 Nights luxury stay at Mimpi Perhentian Resort with full access to resort amenities.
2 Buffet Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, and 2 Dinners including the Official Closing Gala & Fire Show.
Roundtrip speedboat transfers between Kuala Besut Jetty and Mimpi Resort.
Includes 4 specialized dives:
Includes 1 Snorkeling Boat Trip plus choice of 1 Try-Out Session:
Official Event Tee, Goodie Bag, Participation Certificate & Sales & Service Tax (SST) included.
Optional transfer service from Kota Bharu Airport (KBR) to Kuala Besut Jetty.
Everything you need to know before you register. Can't find your answer here — reach out to the organising team directly.
No. Surreal Perhentian is open to divers and non-divers alike. Certified divers can join the four dive trips (check-out, celebrity, archaeology, and conservation dives), while non-divers get a snorkeling trip plus a choice of an SSI Scuba Try Out, Mermaid Try Out, or Freediving Try Out.
Every package covers 2 nights' accommodation, 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners (including the closing dinner), roundtrip boat transfers from Kuala Besut Jetty, entry to all general festival activities, a goodie bag, event t-shirt, participation certificate, and SST. Diver and non-diver activities are added on top depending on your registration type.
Fly into Kota Bharu Airport, then take land transport to Kuala Besut Jetty — shared or chartered cars are available, with fares listed in the transportation table above. From the jetty, your package includes the roundtrip boat transfer to Mimpi Resort.
Both room types include the same festival package and activities. Ocean Deluxe rooms sit closer to the water at a slightly higher rate, while Hillview Superior rooms offer a hillside outlook at a more affordable price. Choose whichever suits your budget and preferred view — pricing for single, twin-share, triple-share, and child rates is listed in the table above.
Yes, a dedicated child rate is available for both room types. Diving and try-out activities carry their own age and certification requirements, so families should check with the organising team on which in-water activities are suitable for younger participants.
Registered divers are briefed into at least one conservation dive during the festival, contributing to real reef-time efforts such as ghost net removal, coral fragment replanting, and crown-of-thorns starfish removal, alongside dive sites under active citizen-science survey.