How to read as-of dates on this site

The date beside each source on a page is the day we checked that source. It tells you how old our check is, not whether the figure is still true today. Use it as a prompt: the older the date, the more you should confirm before you rely on the figure.

This guide explains the habit behind it. See also why some figures are marked unverified and how IslandQuest decides what to recommend.

Where do you find the date?

Every page that states a figure, a fee, a duration or a rule lists its sources at the foot. Each source shows its name, a link and the date marked “accessed”. Inside the text, a small marker next to a claim points to that source.

A page without sources at the foot should not be stating figures. If you see a figure with no source, tell us using how readers can send corrections.

How fast do different facts go out of date?

Not all facts age at the same speed. Use this table as a rough guide:

Kind of fact	How fast it can change	What to do
Location of a jetty or island	Slowly	A recent check is usually enough
Boat schedules and operators	Can change by season	Confirm for your date
Fees and charges	Can change at any time	Confirm in the quote
Closures and season dates	Change each year	Ask the resort for this year’s dates
Weather and sea warnings	Hour by hour	Check the official source before travel

The speeds are our judgement, not a rule. When a figure matters to your budget or your dates, confirm it.

What do real examples look like?

A fee can change after a report. One 2022 news report says the Besut district council began charging an extra RM5 per visitor on top of the fisheries fee, and that the current status is unknown ^[1]. A reader who sees that date knows to ask whether it still applies.

Some facts move very fast. Travellers check sea warnings at the MetMalaysia website and in the myCuaca app, which are updated about every three hours ^[2]. A figure like that is only as good as the hour you read it.

Sources can also disagree. For the 2026 second school term break, one report gives 28 August to 5 September for some states ^[3].

It gives 29 August to 6 September for others, and notes that sources differ on some groups ^[3]. That is a prompt to check the official schedule for your state.

How do you decide when to confirm?

Ask three questions about any figure:

1. Will I pay or plan around it?
2. Is the date beside the source older than a few months?
3. Does the seller’s written quote say something different?

If the answer to the first is yes, confirm it with the seller in writing, whatever the date. If the second or third is yes, confirm it before you decide. Use reading an island quotation line by line as your method.

A better fit if…

Reading dates carefully suits you if:

• you are comparing figures from more than one page.
• you are close to paying a deposit.
• a figure on our page differs from what a seller told you.

If you are only browsing to choose an island, the dates matter less than the ideas.

What should you do next?

Treat every date as the start of a question. Before you pay, confirm the fees, schedule and season dates in the seller’s written quote. If something on our page looks wrong, tell us, and read our editorial policy to see how we handle updates.