Why Tioman Island Is Absolutely Worth It! A Journey to The New Paradise Lost

“Little islands are all large prisons; one cannot look at the sea without wishing for the wings of a swallow.” Sir Richard Francis Burton

Hideaway. Hidden paradise. Discovered.

By no means did I dream of the wings of a swallow on Tioman, throttled by the tedium and apathy as Sir Burton was on the little island of his.

I spent 7 magical days in that remote haven, two hours away by ferry from Peninsular Malaysia. Although it wasn’t exactly love at first sight, my affection towards this place continued to grow day by day.

Uninviting departure from Mersing

Mersing, our outlet to Tioman from where the jetty leaves, was a nightmare. It’s quite an unappealing place; I hardly took any photos. Tiny, untidy, clammy, with all the dirt, noise, and deviation typical of little port holes. Sorry to say that, but my poor reception of the town was further aggravated by the scruffy, damp hostel where we were staying overnight to catch the jetty.

Right, the jetty. The South China Sea gets choppy around here, so the ferry schedule is published a month or two ahead, and is prone to frequent changes. So much that you’re advised to call the jetty service a day before your trip to check if you’re going to leave at all.

As the jetty operator admitted: “The early jetty is too early, the late one is too late.” Full agreement on that. The jetty departure times are quite hostile plus you need to arrive at the jetty station at least 90 minutes in advance. We chose the early departure, leaving around 6 am.

Going through the jetty check-in can also get annoying. Even if you have booked a ticket already (as we did), you have to queue in three long lines – 1) to collect your ticket, 2) pay a marine park entrance fee (Tioman is part of Marine Park), 3) and get your seat on the ferry. In this particular oder. Come too late, your seat may not be guaranteed, even with a pre-booking.

We actually saw some people who got stuck with a pre-booked ticket, as they showed up right before the departure. Their seats were already taken.

Tioman – Not a Typical Paradise Island

Two hours later, we set foot on the island. However, my excitement was slowly giving way to disappointment. Where were the endless snow-white beaches I knew from Goa or Sri Lanka? What about pristine, turquoise water? No vivid beach huts? No fancy hotels?

I have to admit, my first impression was far from delight.

And then, we started exploring…

Pristine Jungle and the Underwater Treasure Trove

Tioman’s appeal is unique. If you’re looking for 5-star resorts, or spectacular jungle hotels the likes of which abound in Seychelles or Maldives, that’s not a place to go for you.

The island’s charm lies in its wilderness unspoiled. Yes, there are hotels, but they’re not imposing. Sure, tourism replaced fishing as the main source of income on the island, but it’s not obtrusive.

You wake up with the sound of the turbulent tide, pass the day among the ubiquitous monitor lizards strolling freely and taking leisurely swims in the local rivulets, and farewell the peaceful day together with schools of bats roaming the skies at dawn in search of their prey,

What to Do in Tioman?

1. Diving

Tioman claims to be one of Malaysia’s top spots for snorkeling and free diving. Again, we may not have appreciated that from the start, as the local waters don’t immediately strike you with their azure color. You can’t instantly spot stingrays and tropical fish frolicking in the shallow waters as you can in the Maldives, for example.

However, on most beaches, it’s enough to step a few meters away from the shore, where the water is still knee-deep, and you’re getting transported to a whole new setting. The rainbow coral reef out there is one of the best I’ve seen so far. Full of gigantic sponges, large schools of multi-colored fish, sharks and turtles – it has it all!

2. Hiking

Towering over the island are twin peaks of Nenek Semukut, ca. 700 meters high each. Regarded as the highest free-standing natural structure in Malaysia, the peaks may not impress with their size, but covered in the thick mist that shrouds the island, they can get challenging.

Another notable summit is the island’s highest mountain Gunung Kajar. For those of you who like a leisurely climb, I wholeheartedly recommend the spectacular Asah Waterfall.

 

 

3. Jungle trekking

All of Tioman is a deep, thick jungle, rife with verdant, overgrown greenery, and full of endemic animals. If you’re lucky, you can spot binturong (we did!), black giant squirrel, red giant flying squirrel, mouse deer or porcupine. Monitor lizards, bats, and giant ants are VERY common;)

 

HOW TO GET TO TIOMAN?

Apart from Mersing, ferries also leave from Tanjung Gemok. The two towns are about 40 minutes apart by car.

The same ferry operators run jetties in the two places. We chose Mersing as we read that it’s more reliable in terms of water conditions, but I wouldn’t assume there’s much difference between the two. If the sea gets rough, the ferry won’t leave anyway.

Check the schedules here for Tanjung Gemok, and here for Mersing.

WHERE TO STAY?

The ferry from Mersing has four stops: Genting, Tekek, Air Batang, Salang. You can certainly look for accommodation around these locations. However, in high season, your choices will be limited. We were traveling in late July, and there were fewer than 10 places available on the entire island!

Hotels and resorts on the east side of the island are less frequent. Most of them will be located in a stunning village of Juara, where you can get by jeep, boat, or by crossing the jungle.

We stayed in Berjaya Hotel, about 20 minutes away on foot from Tekek jetty station. Although it seems like the resort is past its prime, we couldn’t complain about anything, and I’d come back there without a second thought.

Our room was very spacious, with a private balcony overlooking the garden, the food was decent, and the setting – astonishing.

7 days with breakfast included cost around 500 euro (for a 2-pax).

Here are a few pics from the resort:

A couple of other popular large resorts on the west coast are ABC Beach Resort (from what I can see on Tripadvisor, of a MUCH lower standard than Berjaya, however, located at one of the best beaches on the island), Melina Beach Resort, and Aman Tioman.

In Juara, the best-known are Juara Ocean Chalet, 1511 Coconut Grove, and Juara Mutiara Resort.

Need more info about Tioman?

All in all, what had seemed like a major travel disappointment at first, turned into one of the best leisure stays in my life! So if you are thinking about visiting Tioman and have any questions, give me a shout!