Tioman Island

Tioman Island - History

An ancient saga tells a story of a beautiful Dragon Queen. While on her way from China to Singapore she took rest in the warm and tranquil waters of the South China Sea. She fell so much in love with her surroundings that she decided to stay and turned herself into this magnificent island that we call Pulau Tioman (Tioman Island) today.

Tioman Island is located 32km off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The island is some 39km long and up to 12km wide.

First discovered by Chinese and Arab seafarers and traders around a thousand years ago, the island was a source to replenish their fresh water resources and was also a navigational aid. The famous twin peaks to the south, known as donkey ears, were always a reassuring sign for sailors to know that they were on the right track to the southern tip of Malaysia, known today as Singapore. If you’re lucky you can still find small pieces of Ming Dynasty porcelain in the shallow waters around the island.

Its beaches were depicted in the 1958 movie South Pacific as Bali Hai and in the 1970’s, the TIME Magazine selected Tioman as one of the world’s most beautiful islands.

98% of Tioman is covered by one of the oldest rainforests on earth, which is habitat for many endemic species and which is protected by law. The highest peak is Gunung Kajang, towering over the jungle at 1038m, it can be seen from as far as Mersing.

The island is sparsely inhabited and its surrounding islands and coral reefs make it a popular scuba destination. Maybe the widest known dive site is Coral Island (Pualu Tulai) in the north.

There are some 8 villages on the island and around 18 beaches, most of them still very pristine and only accessible by boat.

Singapore to Tioman Island

Overland

Travelling to Tioman Island

Travelling to Tioman Island is quite straight forward but it will take some time. First comes an overland transport to one of the ferry ports (Mersing or Tanjung Gemok) and then a ferry ride to Air Batang Bay aka ABC on Tioman Island.

Details on how to get to us are listed below. Email us to book ferry tickets or if you need us to arrange for a private car to bring you to the ferry port.

Kuala Lumpur to Tioman Island

Ferry

Mersing to Tioman Island

Tanjung Gemok to Tioman Island

Activities on Tioman

SCUBA DIVING

Scuba Diving is the main activity for Tioman and you found the right operator with us! If you're a certified diver then join our daily excursions to the amazing dive sites around Tioman Island.

PADI Dive Courses

If you're a beginner or already certified diver who wants to learn more, a PADI course is always a good activity for Tioman. As a PADI 5 Star CDC Centre we conduct all courses from beginner to instructor level.

Snorkelling

Snorkelling is a great activity if you're not into scuba diving. You can stay at our Tioman Dive Resort or Dormitory and snorkel for free right in front of our dive centre, or you can head out by boat to one of the main snorkelling sites.

Rainforest Tour & Hiking

Join a local guide on a tour through Tioman's rainforest. After a ride in a pick-up truck you'll be walking an easy trail into the rainforest and see Chamaeleon's and the famous Rafflesia Flower. You can book this once you're on Tioman.

You can also go on a hike by yourself either to Monkey Bay or to Juara.

Food on Tioman Island

You will find plenty of restaurants in ABC (Air Batang), which serve a great variety of local cuisine as well as Thai and Indonesian dishes, Western meals, fresh BBQ seafood or BBQ chicken. You should not miss to try some of the great local flavors and we’ll promise you’ll have no problem satisfying your taste buds.

In the northern end of ABC you find the small, typical local beach restaurant of ABC Cottages which serves tasty food right on the beach front. Try fresh grilled squid or their sambal (chili) prawns and you won’t be disappointed. They serve mainly Asian dishes.

There are a few more small restaurants north of our location which serve local dishes and also Roti Canai as well as Satay (meat skewers with peanut sauce).

One of our neighbours is Tioman House who serves fantastic fried rice or fried noodles but also Malaysia’s typical Ramli Burgers.

Right next to us is Fiqthya Chalets, where you can find a large variety of Western and Asian dishes. The food is good but a bit pricey and don’t expect fast food.

Next to Fiqthya is Johan’s Resort, which serves primarily Asian cuisine for lunch and BBQ seafood for dinner.

Walk further towards the jetty and you find South Pacific Restaurant. Try their dishes from the menu or ask the staff if they have a fresh fish. If they do then order either sambal (spicy) or sweet & sour style, it’s finger licking good. You should also not miss to try their curries and fried rice.

If you like local cuisine then a must try is the small Zinza’s Restaurant right at the jetty. Have a Nasi Lemak (coconut rice) for breakfast and for lunch simply ask the owner what’s on the menu.

Walk 5 minutes south of the jetty and you come to Mawar’s, one of our favourite dinner places. Enjoy some typical Asian dishes but also western cuisine like chicken burgers for super cheap prices.

A further 5 minutes south brings you to Nazri I Resort with their large sea facing restaurant. A good place to have dinner where you can choose BBQ seafood, grilled meats and local dishes.

One of the highlights in ABC is Sunset Bar. Situated right at the beach just past Nazri I. it is renowned for its pizza, fried chicken wings and chicken sandwich.

Still not enough variety? No issue at all as you can either rent a bicycle or motorbike and head to the main village Tekek, where you find a number of local and Chinese restaurants. We can highly recommend Sarang Seafood – a must try is their Mongolian Chicken!

Nightlife on Tioman

Tioman is a fantastic place to chill out with fellow divers and travellers over an ice cold beer or a frozen margarita. Our B&J Beach Bar is the hangout to enjoy the sunset and come back to after you had your dinner.

Our own little bar is right in front of our dive where you can enjoy affordable beer, cocktails, wine and liquor while chatting about your latest dive and travel adventures. Everybody loves the relaxed atmosphere.

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