It's been close to two years since the travel industry came to a halt. Now that more countries are slowly and safely reopening their borders to vaccinated tourists, we're seeing the same efforts being made for several popular island destinations in Malaysia!

Can Malaysians travel overseas now?

As of August 2021, Malaysians are not allowed to travel overseas for non-essential or leisure travel purposes. This temporary travel ban also applies to Malaysians who have been fully vaccinated. However, domestic travel may return sooner than we think given that selected island destinations in Malaysia have been gearing up to open in early September onwards for fully-vaccinated individuals.

P.S. You can also check out HHWT's breakdown on when Singaporeans may be able to travel again.

Top islands reopening in Malaysia

1. Langkawi

Langkawi reopens to leisure travel in September 2021

On 17 July 2021, the Ministry Of Tourism, Arts & Culture announced that they're working on launching Langkawi as the first pilot destination for Malaysia's COVID-19 Free Destination Program. Set to kick off in three phases, the first phase will see the reopening of Langkawi to leisure travelers due to its secluded location, international and domestic flight networks, and small population.

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2. Pulau Pangkor

The Ministry Of Tourism, Arts & Culture has begun the second phase of the Tourism Recovery Plan in Pangkor Island, Perak. With plans of speeding up the COVID-19 vaccine rollout by doubling Pangkor’s inoculation rate to at least 500 people daily, they are expected to reach the target of 80% of the group's immunity level in September.

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3. Pulau Tioman

According to Edge Prop, the Pahang state government has plans to move forward with a proposal to reopen Tioman Island after 80% of the 3,500 people on the island have been fully vaccinated. As of early July 2021, 83% of the residents have received their first dose of vaccination.

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4. Pulau Redang

Credit: Project NADA on Flickr

According to The Sun Daily, a total of 517 people comprising of hotel operators, employees and boat drivers have received the first dose of vaccination on 31 July. Under the Pulau Redang Outreach Vaccination programme, Terengganu Tourism Department shared that this move is a step towards preparing the island to reopen to travellers.

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This sends a glimmer of hope that travel will be back really soon and we're hoping that with all the proper safety measures in place, it's here to stay. While you're preparing for your island getaway, check out these reads to stay inspired for bigger adventures: