MALAYSIA
PENINSULAR MALAYSIA – EAST COAST •• Pulau Tioman Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels
northern end of the west coast. Salang has
wider stretches of sand and the mood is de-
cidedly ‘spring break’, while ABC has a more
Malay, chummy camaraderie vibe. Other
small beaches reachable only by boat (such
as Nipah) run south along the west coast.
Connected to ABC by a footpath over a
rocky headland, Tekek is the island’s main
village, where you’ll find a bank, telephones
and a post office. The duty-free shop at
the airport in town sells beer cheaper
than water.
On the east coast of the island, Juara
has a stunning beach, surfing during the
monsoon and affordable accommodation,
but lifts over the hill from Tekek can be
pricey. A great option is to hike – leave as
much as your stuff in Salang and ABC as
you can to lighten your load. See right for
more information.
Sights & Activities
According to one guest house operator, you
come to Tioman for what’s under the water,
not above – since the land is jaw-droppingly
gorgeous, this says a lot for the diving. Most
places rent snorkelling gear and you can join
day trips to Pulau Tulai, better known as Coral
Island, where you can swim with fish and
sometimes sharks.
Open-water dive courses cost around
RM1000, and fun dives are around RM100.
There are nearly more dive shops than ac-
commodation options so shop around for
the best deal.
There’s a fantastic 7km hike that crosses
the island’s waist from Tekek to Juara (carry
plenty of water). It takes around 2½ hours,
is steep in parts and starts about 1km north
of the jetty in Tekek. Near the top of the hill
you pass a small waterfall, and the jungle
is awesome.
Sleeping & Eating
From June to August, when the island swarms
with visitors, accommodation becomes tight.
Either side of these months it’s a buyer’s mar-
ket. Budget digs around the island are nearly
identical and are of low standard – think old
mattresses and saggy floors – but most do have
private bathrooms, fans and mosquito nets.
Restaurants, with similar menus, are usually
attached to chalet operations. ABC, Tekek and
Salang all have small convenience stores.
AIR BATANG (ABC)
The far northern and southern ends of the
beach here have the best sand while some in-
between areas are rocky and marshy. Places
here are listed from north to south.
Johan’s Resort (%419 1359; dm/chalets/f
RM15/30/130) The good, clean two four-bed
dorms here are up on the hillside and some
of the chalets face the sea.
South Pacific (%419 1176; chalets RM30) Just
north of the jetty, this simple, family-run
and clean place offers laundry, shows films
in the evening, and has a small library of
second-hand books. The pricier chalets are
by the sea.
My Friend’s Place (%419 1150; r RM25) Busy,
social and priced a hair lower than the com-
petition, this is a clean place with all rooms
facing the garden.
Mokhtar’s Place (d RM30-45, tr RM55; ai)
There’s a very mellow family vibe going on
at this quiet spot. Cheaper bungalows are set
back from the beach under pleasant shady
trees and all rooms are spacious and clean
though ageing. Internet is available (when it’s
working) for RM10 per hour.
C H I N A
S E A
Bay
Air Batang
Monkey Bay
S O U T H
(ABC)
Air Batang
Mukut Asah
Nipah
Genting
Juara
Paya
Tekek
Dungung
Panuba
Salang
Jetty
Jetty
Jetty
Jetty
Jetty
Airstrip
Mosque
Jetty
Jetty
Semukut
Besar (409m)
Bukit Kerayung
Bukit KerayungKecil (390m)
537m
Panjang (488m)
Bukit Parang
Batu Sirau(753m)
Bukit Seperok(958m)
(1038m)
Gunung Kajang
(945m)
Gua Teh Angin
Nenek
Rengis
(Coral Island)
Pulau Tulai
Pulau
MonkeyBeach
Bunut
(51km)To Mersing
Waterfall
PULAU TIOMAN
0 5 km
0 3 miles
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