Tioman Island (Pulau Tioman) lies in the South China Sea as an attractive vacation paradise, one of the best tropical island getaways in the world. This island, the largest and most impressive on the east coast of Malaysia, is a fascinating holiday destination for those seeking peace, tranquility, sea-sand-sun trio.
Lovely villages among palm trees and friendly people, clear waters, white sandy beaches seductive with colorful coral reefs, rich marine life. It is a suitable address for those who want to experience a tropical vacation escape from the character of the crowded and noisy overly touristic islands.
ⓘ Show Content List Tioman Island Travel Guide Tioman Island Things To Do Where to stay in Tioman Island How to get to Tioman Island
Tioman Island Travel Guide
Tioman Island, Malaysia resorts quite famous in. Chosen as one of the most beautiful islands in the world by Time Magazine in the 1970s, Tioman Island became famous after hosting the Hollywood musical South Pacific in 1959. receives around 200,000 visitors per year. For the last millennium, the island has hosted Chinese, Arab and European merchant ships due to its location on an important navigational route and rich source of fresh drinking water and timber.. It was used by both the British and the Japanese during World War II.
Tioman Island, 56 km off the coast of Pahang Province, one of the largest states of Malaysia, is 20 km long and 11 km wide in a north-south direction, in the shape of a turtle. reminiscent of. Most of the settlements and resort hotels are scattered along the west coast of the island.. On the island, where residential areas resemble villages rather than towns, buildings are allowed to be built on a maximum of 3 floors.
The main settlement of the island, Tekek Town, has a population of 2,000.. Most of the island’s people work for the tourism industry.. The airport, which has a small runway where planes can land, is located in the center of the town.. There is a smooth road between Berjaya Tioman Beach, Golf & Spa Resort and Tekek, which is 5 minutes away from H
Aliport.. Between Tekek and Juara on the other side of the island, there is a very steep and winding road through the rainforest.. Other than that, most of the roads consist of paths.
Like mainland Malaysia, Tioman Island has a hot and humid tropical climate.. The sun is hotter in the afternoon. Best times to visit the island between May and August. The monsoon season, with heavy rains and storms, starts in October and lasts until January.
Ferries can be canceled during this period, sometimes sometimes trips can be reduced. However, let us remind you that this season, hotels offer incredible discounts.
I set off from Malaysia’s UNESCO World Heritage city of Maleka to Tioman Island.. To reach the island by ferry, you must first go to the pier in Mersing.. There are direct bus services between Melaka-Mersing 3 times a day.. I took a 2-hour bus ride from Melaka to Kampung town, and then another public bus to Mersing.
Each bus journey took 2 hours.. The buses did not have air conditioning, but the air from the windows was enough to cool you off while you were on the move.. I got off at Mersing bus terminal and bought my tickets from the office of the agency selling tickets to Tioman Island.. All expeditions today have been canceled due to the lack of water at the pier due to the withdrawal of sea water.
I found a hotel in Mersin city center where I could stay.. The general condition of the hotels is terrible. I rented an air conditioned room for RM45. Mersing is a small city, not much to see.. After having dinner at a Chinese restaurant, I spent my time writing at a bar next to the ferry port.
The next morning I went to the ferry port and got my Boarding Pass.. The important point here is that even if your ticket was issued the previous day, if the ferry is full, you will not be given a boarding pass.. That’s why you have to be there early and wait at the counter with which ferry you will go to the island.
As a matter of fact, when the ferry was full, a Chinese couple left behind were discussing this with the authorities.. They had to wait until the next ferry, the 11 ferry.
The ferry docks at Tekek Pier, the central town of Tioman.. There is an ATM near the pier, but it is still recommended for those who come to the island to come with Malaysian Ringgit.. Currency exchange is possible on the island, but exchange rates are not good. There is a small duty-free shop at the airport.. It is also possible to find internet connection in hotels and some cafes on the island.
After landing in the area called Air Batang on Tioman Island, I settled in ABC Hotel, which I had previously booked by phone (RM50). Wooden huts also have a toilet and shower.. There is also a fan in the room, which is no different from a sauna.
The view of the bungalows set in the forest surrounding the bay is magnificent.. ABC hotel, built around a small cove, has a beautiful sandy beach.. It is not possible to swim on the beaches in some parts of the island as there are volcanic rocks.. In addition to Malay cuisine, the shabby restaurants around the settlement can also serve western dishes such as spaghetti, pizza or hamburgers from time to time.. It cannot offer advanced shopping, accommodation and restaurant services like Langkawi, another tax-free island.
Tioman Island Things To Do
Beach fun, diving are the top things to do on the island. , activities like snorkeling and hiking in the woods are coming. Coves such as Paya, Tekek, Genting Ayer, Batang, Mukut, Juara Beach, Monkey Bay, Monkey Beach are worth seeing.
Tioman Island boat tour
Nadide Tioman Island, which is covered with rainforest and home to natural life, offers breathtaking views, especially on a clear and sunny day.
A boat tour (80 MYR) is available to see the beautiful bays around the island.. Since private tours are expensive, it may be advantageous to choose package tours.. Gunung Nenek Semukut twin peaks, which can be seen during the boat tour, offer one of the most beautiful views of the island.
Asah Waterfall deserves to be among the places to see.. One of the places frequented by boat tours. It can be reached with a 20-minute walk from the shore.
Tekek-Juara Trekking
We spent our last day on the island trekking.. An 8 km trail stretching through the rainforest between the towns of Tekek and Juara is recommended for trekking and nature lovers.. The path, which extends along the river flowing from the mountain, which is the source of the island’s drinking water, is very well marked.. From there we walked the 7 km road through the forest.. Although the paths are a little unclear in some places, the walking path was nice.. Stairs have been built in some climbing places.
Rainwater flowing from the mountain in the forest is collected in one area and delivered to the treatment department in Tekek city through pipes.. I filled my water bottle with this fresh river water from the mountain. We reached the town of Juara, on the other side of the island, after a 2-hour walk.
The Tekek-Juara treekking route can take at least 3-4 hours if you are not in shape.. Although some parts are a bit challenging, it generally offers a trekking track that everyone can easily do.. It seems like an opportunity not to be missed by those who have not taken a walk in the rainforest.
It contains 45 mammal species and 138 bird species.. Long-tailed gibbon, giant black squirrel, civet, tiny mouse-sized deer, monitor lizard, and more. Those who have not seen a monitor lizard lizard before, can probably see it during this trek.
Juara is a truly wonderful place.. The town, which consists of small hotels and bungalows, is built on a cove.. In the middle of the bay there is a long nice looking pier.. When you look at the sea from the pier, you can see thousands of fish clustered together and the baracudas trying to hunt them.
You can see the baracudas flying over the water.. We immediately put on our shorts and immersed ourselves in the sea with turquoise waters.. Many restaurants and cafes along the beach are suitable for eating and drinking.
I had just passed to a restaurant to dine, when I showed the distant rain and clouds to my friends, and the sudden rain came.. We had our lunch in the restaurant against the magnificent view under a very heavy rain.. If returning from the same route, it would be beneficial to set off before dark.. It should not be forgotten that the weather gets dark earlier on the forest floor.
It is an invaluable place for those who have time, or for those who want to spend a quiet holiday somewhere and relieve the tiredness of the year.. When we came back from the way we came, we have completed our 14 km jungle trek in total.
Tioman Island Diving
Tioman Island; Pulau Redang, along with Mabul Island and Sipadan Island, is among the most famous diving centers in Malaysia.. There are diving schools and centers around Tekek and Salang Beach.. PADI certified diving courses, including accommodation, can be taken here.
One of my purposes for coming to the island is to dive here.. Out of several dive schools we visited, I chose Blue Heaven Divers, which gave 110RM as the lowest price. While visiting for diving, I saw the name Valentine on the board of a diving school, and I started to research if Valentine would be my young Swiss DJ traveling friend whom I met in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Yes, Valentine was there.. He met in Kuala Lumpur again with Valentine, whom we met in Lake Toba in Sumatra, and while I was on his way to Melaka, he said he was going to Northern Malaysia.. In the message he sent via Facebook, he said that he changed his intentions, but I did not know where.. Then he has the idea to go diving to Borneo like me. We spent a lot of time together on the island.
We were diving on our second day on the island.. We did two dives during the day.. The first one was on a sunken ship near the shore. Since the sea water was not clear due to the currents, the field of view decreased to 5 meters, so the dive was not quite what I expected.. I spent the time we should have spent for our second dive snorkeling. Much more enjoyable than my previous dive. The colorful corals were close to touching them if you extended your hand while swimming.
The underwater life was very rich and colorful.. There were fish all around us.. Our second dive was much more enjoyable. I saw moray eel for the first time. Again, sea cucumbers, lionfish, baracudas and many other sea creatures whose names I do not know.
Where to stay on Tioman Island
The island offers accommodation options for every budget. It is possible to find a wide range of accommodation opportunities, from cheap bungalows to luxury resorts covering the bays.
Air Batang region (also known as ABC), 40 minutes’ walk from Tekek, where the airport is located, is one of the places preferred by low-budget travelers.. It is possible to find bungalows in this region at very economical prices (30-50 MYR).. Those arriving on the island by ferry can get off at the ABC pier and browse the budget hotels along the trail.. Reservation may be required in high season. It has an average beach where you can watch wonderful sunsets while enjoying cheap beer.
Berjaya Tioman Resort, located on a long and beautiful beach on the western edge of Tekek Village, is the largest hotel in Pulau Tioman with an area of 200 decares.. A modern four-star resort stands out with its nightclub, spa lounges, diving centre, swimming pools and several restaurants.
Composed of 2-storey duplex wooden buildings, inspired by traditional village architecture perched on stilts, at the foot of the mountain. In addition to its architecture, the resort also draws attention with its magnificent garden and pool.. Free transfer service to Tekek airport or pier is offered.. There is also a magnificent 18-hole golf course at the resort in the middle of a beautiful landscape.
How to get to Tioman Island
It is possible to reach the island by ferry or plane.. It is a 3-hour ferry ride from Mersing town on the west coast of Malaysia to Tioman Island (35RM).. You can also take a ferry to the island from Tanjong Gemok, which is 35 km north of Mersing.. The reciprocal flights 3 times a day can be canceled daily in case of excessive storm or sea water recession.. Those who want to reach the island by plane can choose Berjaya Air, which usually makes 1 flight a day from Kuala Lumpur Subang Airport.. It is possible to fly from Kuala Lumpur to the island in about 1 hour with 48-seat Dash-7 turboprops type small aircraft.. During monsoon season, flights can go down to once a week.. Those who prefer a plane should not forget that the baggage limit is 10 kg.
Diving, snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing, jungle trekking, seeing monkeys, monitor lizard and other forest creatures, drinking cheap duty-free beer and alcohol… an island where you can find them all together, Tioman Island.
Day 409, ML:09:, Tioman Island, Malaysia. Saturday, September 17, 2011
