Chill out at what time magazine calls one of the the world’s most beautiful islands – right in our own backyard!
-by Joyce Kirsten Wong -

Chill out at what time magazine calls one of the the world’s most beautiful islands – right in our own backyard!

An island that was formerly known as a stopover for fi shermen, sailors and traders is now one of the many tropical islands that foreigners and locals escape to.

Voted one of the world’s most beautiful islands by Time in the 1970s, Pulau Tioman got more than its fi fteen minutes of deserved fame for its lush forest, azure seawater, pristine sands and rich coral reefs.

The esteemed island is situated off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is part of the state of Pahang.

However, most en route travelers take the 90-minute boat ride from Mersing in Johore instead, as that jetty is the closest mainland port to Tioman.

With the availability of an airport on the island itself, those who despise travel by land and water can opt to fl y in to the island’s Tekek Village.

With the absence of proper roads, the best way for one to travel from Tekek to the other parts of the island is by boat.

It is advisable to take the ferry as its fare is roughly RM10-15 per person, compared to the more expensive speedboat.

Despite being faster and more convenient, the cost to ride a speedboat is practically extortionate, at approximately RM30 to ride from one village to another (depending on distance).

If roughing it out is your thing, have a go at riding a 4-wheel drive or hiking from Tekek to whichever one of the six main villages you plan to holiday at.

A path links them all, with much nature to relish on the way.

Tioman’s forest is so revered that it was previously classifi ed by the state government as a wildlife reserve, and has been featured on nature channels Animal Planet and National Geographic.

Many protected species of mammals, birds, insects and reptiles live here, including a few unique ones that were discovered by Professor Lee Grismer and proclaimed as not found anywhere else in the world! Exotic fauna is very much a part of Tioman, so don’t be alarmed if you spot a giant monitor lizard basking outside your chalet or a curious monkey eyeing your food.

Of course, it is the pristine beaches that attract most people to Tioman.

Sunbathing, snorkelling and diving are the main pastimes for those who venture there.

The coral reefs around the island are nearly 6,000 years old and harbour many varieties of sea creatures, including turtles, sharks and if you’re lucky, the rare giant clam.

Also in the surrounding waters are shipwrecks, remnants of the second World War, for you to explore.

One of the six villages on Pulau Tioman is Salang Village.

It holds more backpacker accommodation – with multiple chalets of different price ranges to fulfi ll a budget holiday – than the other villages.

If you’re one to stray away from the cliché of staying at Berjaya Resort and prefer to share the beach with less crowds, Salang is for you.

A long jetty fi ngers out into the sea, with resorts on both sides.

Take your time choosing where you’d like to stay; if you think the fi rst one you see is satisfying enough, a brisk 10-minute walk up the lane brings you to even more gorgeous chalets with fl owery bushes and lush greenery.

The resorts further in are suitable for those who plan to dive, whereas those who expect to spend most of their time on the beach might want to stay a tad closer.

Most of the beach bums consist of foreigners, suntanning themselves to similar shades of gold brown.

They stay for weeks at a time, spending the entire day from morning to sundown alternating between baking in the hot sun and dipping in the cool, clear ocean.

Should you tan easily and prefer to stay undersome shade, there are trees with hammocks for all at the side.

Remember not to rest under a coconut tree lest a monkey unintentionally shakes the rock-hard fruit onto your sleeping head.

The atmosphere in Salang Village is welcomingly serene with the evident feel of relaxation fl oating around.

Someone reads in a hammock.

Another slowly dozes off whilst listening to their iPod.

Someone else rents a snorkeling mask and fi ns for RM12 and takes a slow paddle in the ocean.

Even the cats are lazing around in nooks and corners of their own fi nding, venturing out now and then to be petted by holiday makers.

The phone reception on this particular part of Tioman is especially bad – which may come as a blessing or a burden.

An Internet café is available at RM10 an hour, alongside a grocery store.

Finding good food is not an issue, as there are cafes and restaurants sprinkled all over the village serving a decent variety of Malay, Chinese and Western dishes costing an average of RM6 per à la carte dish.

Every night, a bar comes to life with booming music, laughter and the clink of glasses as people from different parts of the world meet and make friends.

Some travelers go just to dive and nothing else.

They usually go in groups and book in advance so that they can achieve up to three dives a day.

As most of the corals close to shore have been destroyed, you’d have to go out further to truly enjoy the colourful reefs and fascinating creatures.

Even though effort has been taken to conserve the marine area around Pulau Tioman as a marine reserve, substantial coral has been diminished due to human activities there.

The controversial RM40 million project to build a cargo jetty at Tekek has sparked local protests that Pulau Tioman should be more focused on appreciating nature, rather than attracting tourism with duty-free liquor such as in Pulau Langkawi.

Construction is on-going and we suggest you head there before development really takes over!