Pulau Tioman travel and tourist guide
Pulau Tioman has some fantastic beach resorts
Pulau Tioman is a dreamy island off Peninsular Malaysia’s southeast coast Malaysia which boasts loads of sandy beaches plus some fantastic scuba diving and snorkelling. Tioman Island is a popular weekend getaway destination for city-dwellers as the island has a small landing strip which receives regular flights from KL and Singapore. It is also a duty free zone so normally-expensive alcohol is relatively affordable by Malaysian standards.
Below is a brief introduction to the island but for a comprehensive guide see 1stopMalaysia for our section on Pulau Tioman.
Orientation on Pulau Tioman
Pulau Tioman’s commercial centre is the town of Tekek which is midway up the east side. This is where ferries first dock and the landing strip airport is found.
Air Batang (or ABC Beach) is the backpacker centre two kilometres north from here which is packed with budget chalets and restaurants. A further two kilometres from ABC is Monkey Beach, one of the most idyllic spots on the island, and the upmarket resort of Salang is the same distance north once again.
The quiet beach of Juara lies midway up the east coast and is accessible via boat or by a jungle trail from Telek which cuts through the centre of the island for six kilometres. There is no wild nightlife on this quieter side of Pulau Tioman, but it is nevertheless a perfect spot to get away from it all.
Pulau Tioman attractions and activities
That's why they call it Monkey Beach!
Diving is the big draw here with plenty of scuba schools vying for business in all the major accommodation centres. There are wrecks nearby as well as numerous reefs and drops which are the regular haunts of turtles, rays and sharks. Snorkelling is a less intensive way to spend one’s time on Pulau Tioman with varied coral and brightly-coloured fish just a stone’s throw from the sand. Of course, there are also organised excursions to offshore snorkelling spots as well.
Golfers can try their luck at the Berjaya Tioman Beach Resort (Between Telek and Paya, Tel: +60 (0)9 419 1000) where there is a great 18-hole course where non-guests can tee-off. There are opportunities for rock climbing with the twin peaks of the Dragon Horns reserved only for the most proficient enthusiasts. Fishing trips to catch enormous black marlin can be arranged at Nazri’s Place (Air Batang, Tel: +60 (0)9 419 1375), with kayaking rentals also arranged here. More on Tioman activities.
Pulau Tioman hotels and lodging
There are chalets and rooms for every budget on Tioman Island from basic A-frame shacks to the ultimate in luxurious resorts with top class rooms and suites with all mod cons and no expense spared.
Backpacker accommodation choices are generally situated around Air Batang which has a nice stretch of beach and a few quiet restaurants. Mid-range guesthouses tend to congregate around Salang Beach to the north and this is where the majority of the bars and lively restaurants are found.
Expensive resorts occupy the southern reaches of the island’s west side towards the towns of Paya and Genting. These can be difficult to reach without arranging pick-up with the front desk first. More on Tioman hotels.
Pulau Tioman restaurants and bars
There are plenty of lively restaurants and bars in the resort of Salang but elsewhere things are a little more tranquil The backpacker enclave of Air Batang has a few places to enjoy a sundowner but evenings out here rarely carry on into the early hours, and Juara is generally a dry zone with the Muslim locals disapproving of the consumption of alcohol. Most hotels and guesthouses have their own restaurants which cook up a variety of spicy Malay fare and a few Western favourites as well. More on Tioman restaurants and bars.
Puala Tioman transportation
Tioman Island is found 30kms away from the port of Merseng on the southeast coast of the Peninsular. Despite regular flights from nearby Singapore and KL, the vast majority of visitors to the island arrive via ferry. The slightly farther north port of Tanjung Gemok also has services to the island if approaching from that direction. Transportation on the island itself is extremely basic with only one tarmac road and a few rough tracks linking the different beaches. More on Tioman transportation.
