Besar Island ("Big Island", ms, Pulau Besar, in

Jawi Script Jawi (; ace, Jawoë; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantan-Pattani: ''Yawi''; ) is a writing system used for writing several languages of Southeast Asia, such as Acehnese language, Acehnese, Banjar language, Banjarese, Kerinci language, Kerinci, ...

: ) is an island approximately 13 km off the coast of mainland

Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. It is served by private motorboats from the towns of Pernu and Umbai and scheduled ferries from the Anjung Batu Jetty in

Umbai Umbai is a mukim and town in Jasin District in the Malaysian state of Malacca. Tourist attractions * Sultan Ali of Johor Mausoleum ( ms, Makam Sultan Ali Johor) * Umbai Floating Ikan Bakar Village ( ms, Perkampungan Ikan Bakar Terapung Umbai) Tr ...

. There are a few attractions which spread across the island, including the tombs of Baghdad-born Islamic preacher Sultan Al Ariffin Syeikh Ismail and his relatives, who were part of an entourage responsible for the spread of Islam throughout the Malay Archipelago after arriving at the island in 1495. There are also tombs of local figures, unmarked graves and numerous mystical and legendary old wells and rock formations. According to local legends, one of the wells is believed to contain salt water at high tide and fresh water during low tide. The island is believed to be the home of elves known as

Orang bunian In Malaysian, Bruneian and Indonesian folklore, Bunian people or Orang bunian () are supernatural beings said to be invisible to most humans, except those with "spiritual sight". While the term is often translated as "elves", it literally transla ...

and there is a cave known as Yunos Cave ( ms, Gua Yunos), where warriors were said to practice mysticism and learn silat (a type of Malay martial arts) in the past. The Besar Island Museum ( ms, Muzium Pulau Besar), operated by the state's Museum Corporation displays various information related to the island's sights and legend.

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Central Melaka District Islands of Malacca Islands of the Strait of Malacca Tourist attractions in Malacca {{Malaysia-island-stub