TIOMAN
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July 12, 2005
Jalan jalan
Swim with stingrays in Tioman
By Aaron Goh
'The coral and marine life is breathtaking and gorgeous. Even at 20m underwater, visibility was excellent... I saw my first fire coral, schools of clownfish and baby barracudas, sea urchins, stingrays' - Rosalyn Lee (above), producer and presenter, Power98 FM.
What's hot: 'Fresh out of scuba-dive school and armed with an open-water diver's licence, I decided to test my skills and take my first 'real' dive out in the sea off Pulau Tioman.
A group of friends and I drove to Mersing in March last year and boarded a ferry to take us to the palm-fringed island.
After a two-hour ride, we were greeted by rainbow-coloured coral and marine life, which we could see as the afternoon sun lit up the crystal-clear waters.
We did not stay at the popular Berjaya Tioman Resort, opting instead for the peace and rustic charm of a simple homestay on Paya Beach.
Tioman is the place to be for scuba diving, snorkelling and soaking in the sun. We wasted no time and booked five dives each, which cost only RM400 (S$179), inclusive of the rental of scuba equipment, boat and a dive master.
The coral and marine life is breathtaking and gorgeous. Even at 20m underwater, visibility was excellent. The dive master was experienced and took us to secret nooks and corners where I saw my first fire coral, schools of clownfish and baby barracudas, sea urchins, stingrays and the wonderfully diverse ecosystem of the underwater world.
After all that strenuous diving, I decided to ease the knots in my muscles and get a massage at The Paya Tropical Holistic Spa. Book your slot as soon as possible upon arrival as there are only two therapists running the spa.
The Diver's Divine is a massage designed specially for pre/post diving and costs only RM99 for 40 minutes. The therapist gave my muscles a good old-fashioned kneading.
The Sunburned Soothing is also a must-try. It includes a roasted coconut oil head massage, freshly grated coconut body scrub, fresh cucumber with banana leaf body wrap, a therapeutic dip and an aloe vera facial. The 2-hour, 15-minute heavenly experience was a steal at RM266.'
What's yummy: 'We had a choice of the humble but popular Ramli burger from a food stand at the jetty or an awesome seafood BBQ buffet dinner at the Paya Beach Resort.
For dessert, try the chendol at the food stand near the jetty. It was the best I had ever tasted. The food was laden with feel-good kampung flavours - unpretentious, full of spice and adventure.
Other than the usual souvenirs like incense cones, aroma oils, scented candles and sarongs, there is not much shopping to be done on Tioman. Paya beach has small grocery huts along the shoreline. Otherwise, all you can find are the usual tourist and sundry items such as beach shorts, sun hats, disposable cameras and toiletries.
All in all, I strongly recommend Paya Beach to those looking to do easy dives, chill out and soak up the lovely sun and nothing else. -
anyone been there? can share ur experience
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Recommmended Go
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the place to be for a diving experience
that's what my friends said, no experience myself though -
u went? how was it...wat did u get to c??Originally posted by Qitai:Recommmended Go -
Was there 3 times liao. You will love it if you like beach and water (especially water). Visibility (easily 15 metres and more) is great for snorkling and diving. Lots of coral and fishes to see. Recommend to try snorkling if you have not try it before and go to the marine park with some left-over food (or bread) to feed the fishes. You will experience having fishes all around you all trying to have a piece of your left over food.Originally posted by BabyLover:u went? how was it...wat did u get to c??
Do note that Tioman is available only from April to October. The monsoon makes the sea too rough for the other months. -
oh interesting.. feeding the fish will be so fun.. thx for d info!Originally posted by Qitai:Was there 3 times liao. You will love it if you like beach and water (especially water). Visibility (easily 15 metres and more) is great for snorkling and diving. Lots of coral and fishes to see. Recommend to try snorkling if you have not try it before and go to the marine park with some left-over food (or bread) to feed the fishes. You will experience having fishes all around you all trying to have a piece of your left over food.
Do note that Tioman is available only from April to October. The monsoon makes the sea too rough for the other months. -
wah like v nice place
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Depends wer u go, Theres this place, its like a man-made lagoon where the water will reach about 3m deepest i think lah. There got many fish and the size about 3 football fish. Dont forget bring bread. They may be cheap but those fishes like it Definitly reccomended to try the snorkelling if not Scuba
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u been there b4? is it the Marine Park tat Qitai mentioned?Originally posted by SBS9828X:Depends wer u go, Theres this place, its like a man-made lagoon where the water will reach about 3m deepest i think lah. There got many fish and the size about 3 football fish. Dont forget bring bread. They may be cheap but those fishes like it Definitly reccomended to try the snorkelling if not Scuba -
Ohh dint notice QItai's post... oOnce onli and went theere by boat @ Johor... Go with a travel guide i think better... The port there very cock up 1Originally posted by BabyLover:u been there b4? is it the Marine Park tat Qitai mentioned? -
oicc...Originally posted by SBS9828X:Ohh dint notice QItai's post... oOnce onli and went theere by boat @ Johor... Go with a travel guide i think better... The port there very cock up 1 -
Tioman is the biggest and most impressive island at the east coast. There is a brisk jungle covers a ridge on the west section of the island, which ends at the idyllic location of a beautiful palm fringed beach. Tioman offers a wide range of activities for visitors: snorkeling in crystal clear water, discover the beautiful underwater world when you go diving, or just laze on the beach while you work on that tan. Also, there is a jungle on the island that is just begging to be explored. The dense forest is a habitat for many kinds of flora and fauna.
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Salang Village
Salang is located on the northern tip of Tioman Island and most tourists prefer the idyllic quiet village. This might be because of the very nice beach, the little bit of nightlife (that you would find only here in Tioman) and the nearby diving sites. It is adjacent to Monkey bay and Tulai Island and therefore a preferred destination for snorkeling and scuba diving.
The place also offers many places to stay and dine. You can also find some mini markets, 4 dive operators and a few souvenir shops. For some travelers it's even too crowded and they prefer to go to a more secluded beach like Air Batang or Juara. Salang is divided in two parts by a new big concrete jetty and by the inflow of a freshwater lagoon. Around the jetty you can find the most crowds, coz here are the restaurants and bars.
Of course almost all resorts also have their own restaurants. In the northern part of Salang behind the Salang Indah Resort it is more quite and accommodation cheaper.
However, most of the resorts are located south of the jetty due to the best beach here. Beyond the lagoon you can see many 2 metre long monitor lizards scurrying about their daily business. These impressive lizards can be found all over the island though they are not as numerous as they are in Salang.
You have a fantastic view on the bay from the verandas of Nadia' Inn big wooden houses. A wooden footbridge over the rocks at the southern end of the beach leads out to the houses on the hill.
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Salang Beach
Located at North west of Tioman Island. Experience the traditional life style by living in an unique chalet. All rooms are tastefully decorated with attached bathrooms.
The 1.5 km long beautifully nested bay in front of a ridge is divided by a few outcrops. The beach northern to the Salang Indah Resort is rocky, only in front of the Salang Beach Resort and Ella's Place you'll find some sand. But at low tide also a lot of stones appear here and you cannot swim then. The by far much better beach is located southerly from the Salang Indah Resort.
The sand is fine and also at low tide you can go for a bath. The best part is at the southern end of the bay in front of the Salang Sayang Resort. Because of the small Soyak island in front of the bay the sea is calm here and the water crystal-clear. Snorkeling along the rocks is amazing: You'll discover a lot of colorful reef fish and undamaged corals, with a bit luck also some turtles.
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Monkey bay
Monkey bay located in between Salang and ABC village (about 10 minutes with speed boat fr the 2 villages). You can also go to Monkey bay by jungle trekking. Monkey bay has a long stretch of white sandy beach.
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Tulai Island
Charming Island. A must destination for skin divers and snorkelers. Offer a perfect escape for Snorkellers and divers. The best time for diving is between March to November as the water is calm and the weather is beautiful.
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Panuba Inn Resort
The wooden chalets are built on stilts on a hill of palm trees and flowering plants. Some of them are quite cramped, but you have a fantastic view of the sea from every veranda. Additionally there is a double storey brick house with very comfortable rooms right at the beach (room type SD). You get to the Panuba Inn Resort either by a steep path that heads in 15 minutes from ABC Beach Resort around the rocks or by ferry that lands at their own jetty. If you have luggage, better take the ferry or charter a boat for 10 RM from the Air Batang jetty. -
Panuba Beach
Panuba Inn lays claim to two very nice beaches: The first one right in front of the resort is fine sandy, approx 100 m long and during high tide only 5 m wide, but you find plenty of shade under the trees. Follow the jungle path to the north and you will get in 5 minutes to a second totally lonely and untouched 150 m long beach. From here the path is heading to Monkey Bay. -
Ayer Batang Village
Air Batang is a approx 2 km long stretch of beach, that attracts like Salang most of the travelers. The reason therefore might be less the beach, which is here mostly rocky, than rather the nice atmosphere, the contact to the native families and the peacefulness that you can find here. A narrow concrete path, on which the locals transport their children and luggage in the moped's sidecars, runs the length of the beach and connects the many resorts. Northerly of the jetty are the most chalet operations located. Also more tourist infrastructure and kampung (village) life can be found here. But the best beach stretches from the jetty to the south.
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Marine Park
A Marine Park is an area of the sea zoned as a sanctuary for the coral reef community. The coral reef community is considered as the most productive eco-system in the world containing a diverse amount of aquatic flora and fauna. Coral reefs are also important breeding and nursery grounds for many commercially important species of marine organisms and fish. Marine Park Tioman is located at Tanjung Mesoh (about 15 min from Tekek jetty).
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Lalang Village ( Berjaya Tioman )
The Berjaya Tioman Beach Resort and the Berjaya Tioman Suites are the only international standard hotels in Tioman. They are set amidst secluded palm-fringed beaches, crystal clear waters and lush tropical jungle. Sprawled over 200 acres, Berjaya is the only resort on the island with its' own 18-hole golf course.
The Resort consists of 400 luxurious rooms, Suites and Chalets in typical Malay architectural style.
The Standard rooms (18.5 sqm) are found in the main building. The Standard Chalet rooms (32.5 sqm) are in single storey Malay styled timber frame chalets (there are 2 chalet rooms per chalet). Superior Chalet rooms (36.2 sqm) are with balconies, located approximately 50 metres from the beach.
Superior Sea facing rooms (36.2 sqm) are 10 metres from beach. Deluxe Chalet rooms (40.32 sqm) are sea facing with large sitting area. Executive Family rooms (41.80 sqm) are located in the main building, consists of a queen size bed and a single bed (side by side) and a mini-sitting lounge.
All 400 air-conditioned rooms and Suites have an IDD line, color TV with in-house movies and CNN, coffee and tea making facilities, private bath, piped-in music, mini-bar, hairdryer and 220 volt electrical points. Recreational facilities include two swimming pools, tennis courts, 18-hole golf course, beach volleyball, volleyball and basketball courts, table tennis, sauna, horse riding and pony trekking, jungle trekking, diving, snorkeling, fishing, boat trips to nearby islands, Jet Ski, TV and games room, karaoke room, fully equipped gym and children's playground.
The 18-hole championship golf course provides a magnificent view of lush landscape and crystal-blue sea.
Whether you are planning a banquet, convention, meeting or seminar, the resort has 6 function rooms with convention facilities for groups of 20 to a maximum of 400 and equipped with modern audiovisual equipment.
Sunset view at Berjaya Tioman facing Renggis Island
Mouth-watering cuisine is offered at the resort's eight food and beverage outlets. Savour fine Cantonese cuisine at Fortune Court while Sri Nelayan Coffee House caters guests who prefer local and eastern delicacies. Enjoy a casual meal at the Matahari Beach Restaurant and Bali Hai continental restaurant or have a relaxing drink at the Poolside Bar.
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Tekek Village
Tekek village can be considered as the heart of Tioman. The airport is located at Tekek and so does police station, the hospital, local authorities, other government offices and of course the mosque. You also find a few well-stocked shops and an Internet Café.
The only available road at Tioman is from Tekek village to Lalang village (Berjaya Tioman Beach Resort and Berjaya Tioman Suites) in the south. Heading north the road will turn in a good concrete path on which you can bicycle (rent in Tekek for RM5 an hour) until Nazri's II in Air Batang. Better don't rent a moped (RM15 an hour) because you can't climb the stairs at the headland between Tekek and Air Batang with it. For those who love thrill can try jungle trekking from Tekek village to Juara village. Main attraction while trekking is the waterfall.
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Paya Village
Paya Village is located between a wide sandy bay and big forest surrounded fresh water lagoon. Here it is still relative peaceful and tranquil. There are four resorts, which are generally booked by package tours, a mini market and a diving center. Besides the nice beach the main attraction is a small waterfall, to which a path leads in 5 minutes from the Tioman Paya Resort. You can fabulously bath in the small stream under shady trees.
The wide shaped bay of Paya Village is approx. 500m long and fringed with a few palm trees. During high tide the beach gets quite narrow, but when it's low tide you can even swim here in contrast to many other beaches in Tioman. Only some stones will appear. And for those who grew tired of swimming in the sea can take a fresh bath in the creek behind the Tioman Paya Resort. For snorkelling the small island at the northern end of the beach is most suitable.
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Paya Beach
The wide shaped bay of Paya Village is approx. 500m long and fringed with a few palm trees. During high tide the beach gets quite narrow, but when itÂ’s low tide you can even swim here in contrast to many other beaches in Tioman. Only some stones will appear. And for those who grew tired of swimming in the sea can take a fresh bath in the creek behind the Tioman Paya Resort. For snorkeling the small island at the northern end of the beach is most suitable.