Tioman Island: Island Paradise Awaits

Tioman Island, voted among the best island getaways in the world has an abundance of fabulous beaches and coral and marine life of myriad shades and hues adorning the surrounding waters. According to local legends it is the final resting place of a mythical beautiful dragon princess who enraptured by the place took the form of an island and pledged to offer shelter and comfort to visit travellers. Virgin rugged green jungles, picturesque mountains, cool streams, serene waterfalls, glorious sunsets and charming hospitable natives will make your stay on the island truly idylic!

Geography
Tioman Island, located off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is part of the Tioman Marine Park, which comprises a cluster of islands gazetted as a Marine Park in 1995. Although Tioman Island is the largest and most developed of these volcanic islands it is relatively small, measuring 39 km long and 12 km wide with its highest peak at 1047 meters. The island is covered by lush forest vegetation in the interior and surrounded by beautiful colourful coral reefs. It has eight main villages, the largest and most populous being Kampung Tekek in the north.

The climate on the island is typically tropical, hot and humid all year round. The monsoon season is between December and early February, during which time there are heavy downpours and huge swelling waves that make the island virtually inaccessible.

History
Tioman Island, in the past, was an important navigation point and source of water and supplies for fishermen and travellers. Relics such as porcelain shards found on beaches around the island shows evidence of the presence of Chinese, Arab and Europeans on the island.

Reminders of the World War II struggles between the British and the Japanese litter the waters around the island, among which the HMS Repulse and the HMS Prince of Wales have now become interesting tourist and dive sites.

The island received international acclaim when its beautiful beaches were featured in the 1958 movie, South Pacific. Further in the 1970s, Tioman Island was voted one of the world’s ten most beautiful islands by TIME magazine. Tioman was declared a duty-free island in September 2002

Today the local population on the island mainly comprises Muslim Malays, with a yearly constant influx of tourists from around the world.

Getting There & About
Berjaya Air operate daily flights into Tioman from Kuala Lumpur. Flights are also available from Singapore. Other modes of access include a ferry ride from Tg. Gemok Jetty Terminal, located in the district of Rompin, Pahang. Another alternative access by sea is from Mersing in Johor. Due to the lack of proper extensive road infrastructure on the island the main modes of transportation are either by using 4WD vehicles or by boat. The generally preferred mode is the latter, which offers a variety of options ranging from the sea bus (a converted fishing boat) to speedboats.

Island Attractions
Beaches
The most popular beaches on the island include the Air Batang Beach and Salang Beach, for dives and snorkel, and Juara Beach, which provides a perfect hideaway.  About 10 minutes from Air Batang Beach are Monkey Beach and Monkey Bay, which lie next to each other. Both beaches offer superb snorkelling opportunities. Juara, a relatively quiet beach on the east coast, is special in its own right. Three mountain rivers empty cold fresh waters to the beach which will make you tingle with cold. A path leads from the beach to waterfalls in the jungle.

Coral Reefs & Marine Life
Prolific coral gardens fringe the coast of Tioman Island. The water is clear to a depth of 100 feet and it teems with a rich variety of corals, fish, and shells. The underwater gardens are home to lace-like delicate sea fans, alyconarian soft corals, and multi-colored staghorn coral as well as varied brightly coloured fish which include parrotfish and butterfly fish, sweetlips, cardinal fish, wrasses, damsel fish and the aggressive anemone fish.

The best season for diving is between May and October when the water is at its best. The most popular spots for scuba diving and snorkeling are along the shallow reefs at Salang beach and Monkey Bay as well as the nearby islands of Tulai and Renggis.

Getting There & About
Berjaya Air operate daily flights into Tioman from Kuala Lumpur. Flights are also available from Singapore. Other modes of access include a ferry ride from Tg. Gemok Jetty Terminal, located in the district of Rompin, Pahang. Another alternative access by sea is from Mersing in Johor. Due to the lack of proper extensive road infrastructure on the island the main modes of transportation are either by using 4WD vehicles or by boat. The generally preferred mode is the latter, which offers a variety of options ranging from the sea bus (a converted fishing boat) to speedboats.

Eco-Adventures
With over 60 per cent of the island having been gazetted as a wildlife reserve not surprisingly trekking, hiking and rock climbing are increasingly popular activities on the island. The island’s tropical forest, is home to unique species such as the tiny earthworm-like blind snake, legless lizards and flying lizards. Protected speices on the island include the binturong, long-tailed macaque, slow loris, black giant squirrel, red giant flying squirrel, brush-tailed porcupine, and common palm civet, as well as the Frigatebird. The soft-shelled turtle and the Tioman walking catfish are unique species on the island. More common sights are monkeys, mouse deer, pythons, huge monitor lizards and flying foxes and of course the land and sea turtles.

Most of the resorts have jungle trekking tours with guides. An across the island trek from Tekek Village on the west and Juara Village on the east will cover approximately four-kilometres. There are also some relatively easier hiking routes in Kampung Mukut. One worth trying leads to the Asah Waterfalls at the convergence of seven different rivers that run through the interior of the island. During the hike to the falls you see twin peaks you see reaching up into the clouds which are the granite outcrops known as Nenek Semukut (Semukut Granny) — so-called because of its eerie resemblance to the profile of an old lady’s face — and a 690-metre freestanding granite spire, the highest in Peninsular Malaysia.

Other Outdoor Recreation
Glass-bottomed Boats
For those who don’t wish to get wet glass bottom boats will let you take in the underwater sights in warm, dry comfort.

Sailing, Rowing and Surfing
The wind and waves around the island provide enough drive and push for a great time windsurfing and sailing. There are also jet skis and canoes for hire in certain parts of the island. Occasionally the winds can be strong so if not experienced it would be wiser to stay close to shore.

Dolphin Sighting
Dolphins are regular visitors to the blue waters surrounding Tioman. If approached gently they will allow you to nuzzle up to them. They are also quite happy to play and show off their aquatic prowess with aerial acrobatics of leaps, rolls and twists.

Golf
For die hard golfers there is a resort style Golf course on the island.

Squid Jiggling
Squid Jiggling is a much-enjoyed event in Tioman. The season for this activity is usually around July each year

Entertainment & Shopping
As a duty free zone Tioman offers a good selection of alchohol and cigarettes at very low prices. The main outlet is at the main village of Kampung Tekek while other villages such as Paya and Salang have smaller outlets.

For nightlife, Salang offers pubs and bars and even bonfire nights on the beach. Larger resorts on the island also offer evening entertainment options.

Tourist Information
Tioman Development Authority
Lembaga Pembangunan Tioman
A145-147, Tingkat 1 &2
Lorong Tun Ismail 6
Sri Dagangan
25000 Kuantan, Pahang
Tel: 609-514 1206