Tioman Island

Tioman is the largest and most developed of the volcanic islands that form the Tioman Marine Park. Other islands within the area are Tulai, Chebeh, Sepoi, Labas, Sembilang, Seri Buat, Tokong Bahara and Jahat.

The cluster of islands was gazetted as a Marine Park in 1955 to protect its precious marine resources. Tioman's waters are home to a splendid array of marine life such as barracudas, Napoleon fish, turtles, stingrays, murray eels, golden striped trevally, bumphead parrotfish and shoals of fusiliers.

Its dense coral gardens include colourful gorgonian sea fans, staghorn corals, nudibranchs and beautifully sculptured sea sponges.

The densely forested island is still sparsely inhabited, but is surrounded by numerous white coral reef, making it a haven for scuba divers from around the region. Its beaches were depicted in the 1958 movie South Pacific as "Bali Hai". In the 1970s Time magazine selected Tioman as one of the world’s most beautiful islands.

Make a stopover in Tioman Island, Malaysia, and get a little warm sand between your toes. Enjoy diving in clear blue waters over beautiful coral reefs teeming with marine life. Explore the rainforest and its wildlife - or just sit on the beach and soak up the sun! You will find that Tioman is a great place to unwind and relax.

Legends

The origin of Tioman and its people are woven in a tapestry of intriguing legends. A legend synonymous with the island is the tale of a beautiful dragon pricess. On her way from China to visit her prince in Singapore, this fabled maiden stopped to seek solace in the crystal-clear waters of the South China Sea.

Enchanted by the charms of the place, she decided to discontinue her journey. The princess took the form of an island and pledged to offer shelter and comfort to passing travellers. Till today, the island bears startling resemblance to a sleeping dragon.

A Marine Treasure Trove Blessed with a sunny, tropical climate, Tioman is the perfect spot for a host of watersports activities. Visitors can indulge in swimming, boating or simply cruise in a glass-bottomed boat to enjoy the breathtaking marine beauty. For a taste of adventure, you can contend the waves in a kayak or glide over the clear waters by windsurfing. The warm waters and high visibility ( 20 to 30 metres) make Tioman a popular destination for snorkelling and diving. The calm sea has an assemblage of corals and aquatic inhabitants such as bluspotted logoon ray, slingjaw wrasse, royal dottyback, dusky parrotfish, blue-ring angelfish, clownfish and many more. The colonies of corals provide habitat for a variety of small marine life. Ideal for snorkellers who wish to swim alongside a symphony of fishes and enjoy the beauty of the undersea gardens.

How to Get There

By Ferry

Most visitors arrive by ferry from Mersing on the mainland. There are a number of ferry operators and three types of ferry. The largest, slowest (approx 2 hours) ferry is the most economical; the smaller and faster catamaran costs more; the smallest and fastest (approx 1 hour) outboard speedboats are the most expensive option.

Some ferries also depart from Tanjung Gemuk to the north of Mersing.

Note that due to the significant reduction in demand, ferries run less frequently during the monsoon season (typically late October to mid/late February), and that during this period exceptionally bad conditions may shut them down completely for several days at a time.

Overland to Mersing: - several bus companies operate direct services to Mersing, including Transnasional (from Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, and Singapore); other services that use the east coast highway (eg Johor Bharu to/from Kota Bharu) also call at Mersing.

Overland from Singapore: - the most economical way is local bus to the border, then minibus to Johor Bahru\'s Larkin bus terminal, and proceed to Mersing from there - but an early start will be required if an overnight stop in Mersing is to be avoided.

Direct ferries to/from Singapore\'s Tanah Merah ferry terminal used to run daily (except for the November to February monsoon period), but were discontinued in 2003; this service is now only available for about 4 weeks during the peak school holiday period (~June).

By Air/Flight

The sole commercial operator to the island\'s small airstrip near Tekek is Berjaya Air, which flies 48 seat Dash-7 turboprops from Kuala Lumpur (60 min; RM214 one-way; daily) and Singapore (35 min; RM240 / S$111 one-way; daily peak season, several times a week during the monsoon season). Discounted fares may be available if booked in a package with accommodation.

Note that these flights use the secondary airports of Subang (SZB) in Kuala Lumpur and Seletar (XSP) in Singapore, so factor in transfer time from KLIA/Changi when making your plans.

Overland Routes

Get around

Except for a short concrete path connecting the airport at Tekek to the nearby Berjaya Resort, there are no roads on Tioman and local transport is by seabuses and speedboats.

It is however relatively easy to cross the island on foot from Tekek to Juara. The path up from Tekek is a well established but unpaved track with occasional stone steps to assist and a few fallen tree trunks to keep things interesting - it's feasible with a small backpack, but fairly strenuous, so allow plenty of time. On the east side, it's an easy broad concrete footpath with no steps all the way from the summit down to Juara. Allow a minimum of at least two hours for the whole thing, significantly more if you want to stop along the way or if you're carrying anything, and take plenty of water and bug repellent; also bear in mind that the path is unlit and that it gets dark early in the jungle (especially on the Tekek side).

It\'s also possible to walk from Air Batang to Salang (just follow the power cable); this is a less strenuous hike overall as it\'s relatively level, however in places the path itself is more difficult to negotiate.

Do

Scuba facilities are readily available, and the diving is reasonably good, especially in view of the proximity to Singapore.

Another favourite activity for visitors is snorkelling. Most resorts can arrange for speedboats or seabuses to take you to the beaches and small uninhabited islands nearby (such as Pulau Tulai) where the snorkelling is at its best. The water is almost pristine save for the occasional litter. Just be careful of the small jellyfish, as they can pack a sting, and try not to lose your rental gear or you'll be subject to the renter\'s arbitrary fines.

Sleep

While the most commercialized of Malaysia's east coast islands, Tioman has yet to be invaded by mass tourism on the scale of Penang or Langkawi and there are plenty of cheap beds to be found. However, if heading for anywhere other than the backpackers villages, reservations are advisable as getting to some of the more remote kampungs can be a hassle. Note that some places stay open year round, but many close for the monsoon season (typically end of October to mid/late February).

Home | About Us | FAQ | Tell your friends | Forum | Sitemap | Contact Us | Travel Links | Link Exchange

Copyright © 2006 Hot Travel Station - MalaysiaBudgetHotel. All Rights Reserved.