Tropical Escapade at Tioman, Malaysia

Most people come to Tioman Island to enjoy the largely unspoilt natural wonders here. Its crystal clear waters with a rich marine fauna population is simply irresistible to many divers. It is not unknown that some tourists had simply dropped their bags and decided to stay there.

Most beaches on Tioman are white and clean, making them great recreational areas for both old and young. During certain times of the year, one may even see turtles coming up onto shore at night to lay their eggs!

A steep mountain sits within the interior of the mountain, covered with virgin rain forests that had not been touched by human activities. Some trees here had grown so large that their trunk diameter can be more than 12 feet across! A huge diversity of forest flora and fauna can be seen in the forested interior, but a guide may be necessary to bring you around or you may risk getting lost in the jungles.

Overall, Tioman is a paradise for nature lovers, and a great place to relax for those looking for some peace and quiet.

Quick Tips:

The resorts at Tioman can get filled up pretty quickly during the holiday seasons from May to June and from November to December. Early reservations is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment. It would generally be much cheaper to reserve a place at the resorts via the Malaysian websites or with the resorts directly. Try to avoid visiting Tioman during the November to January period because of the monsoon season. You may get lots of rain and foul weather.

Diving and snorkeling gears are available at almost every resort so there is no real need to bring your own gears. For those intending to explore the jungles of Tioman, it is recommended that you bring along a light haversack and good walking boots.

Best Way To Get Around:

Roads are not well developed in Tioman except near the airport area. The transport of choice between places is by boat. Sea buses ply regularly between the handful of jetties around the island, although the frequency is rather low—usually around an hour. If you intend to go diving or go to some places not reachable by sea buses, you would have to charter a speed boat, which can be a little expensive. Resorts usually arrange regular diving trips, so joining such trips would be a great idea as cost sharing would reduce the overall cost.

Paya Beach Resort is one of the few resorts on Tioman Island that are located within near walking distance to a jetty. The resort is not grand or posh by usual standards, but the environment is one of calm and tranquility. Nature lovers would definitely love this place as it is located beside the mangroves, forests and streams.

The rooms are clean and serviceable, with air-conditioning and TV. Although there isn't anything fanciful in the rooms, they will still ensure you can rest comfortably in them.

The resort serves a buffet breakfast every morning with quite a sumptuous spread of food. One of the most popular dishes is the egg omelette, where you can choose various ingredients to go with your egg such as cheese, mushrooms, ham and quite a number of other stuff. Next you hand over these ingredients to a chef who will make your omelette on the spot to your requirements. It's wonderfully done and I still relish the enjoyable moments eating it!

You can find the mangroves to the north-east of the resort, within 10 minutes walking distance. A freshwater stream runs through the mangrove and you can actually follow this stream up to its source, where you will be rewarded with rock pools that you can play in. These rock pools teem with aquatic animals such as frogs, catfish, prawns, crabs and frogs, which are especially active at night.

The forest is located to the east of the resort, and you can take a short trek in the daytime to take in the sights of the majestic trees that make up this forest. There are a few giant fig trees here as well.

Best Things Nearby:
Lots of corals and fish a short distance away from the shore in front of the resort, plus within walking distance to a mangrove, forest streams, and the forest. Paya village, which is beside the resort, also offers opportunities for cultural exchange.

Best Things About the Resort:
Quiet and tranquil, with a homely sense that is not felt in more commercialised resorts.

Resort Experience:
This is a resort that would appeal to those that are budget-conscious, yet would want a decent stay in Tioman. The hotel staff is friendly, very helpful and reliable. The majority of the rooms are basic but clean (there are premium rooms available, but the price is, of course, higher). The food is not bad. There is a beach bar with a live band on most nights. It is recommended for those who seek peace and quiet during their holiday stay. For me, I would come back to this resort the next time I visit Tioman.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Fair
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Very Good

The corals that can be found about 50m away from the shore (of Paya Beach Resort) is simply fantastic! Acropora corals, in various forms, covered the entire seafloor. A huge number of fish can be found here and one of my friends reported seeing a small shark, rays, and a turtle!You can attract the fish to you by bringing down a piece of bread and rubbing it with your hands to create a "cloud" of bread fragments. You will soon find yourself swimming in a swarm of colourful fishes!

This Rafflesia hunting trip is not a regular trip. In fact, it is specially requested from the resort operator. We had to charter a speed boat to Mukut, which is at the southern tip of Tioman. That costed us 180 RM, which is about $60. You also need to hire a guide (arranged at Paya Beach Resort) which cost 200 RM, about $67.Upon arrival at Mukut and linking up with the guide, we hit the jungle track and soon were climbing up the steep slope that leads into the jungle. We took a rest about every 45 minutes to catch our breath. The track is shaded by the canopy above so it's not that warm, but the high humidity of the tropics can still make you perspire a lot. Water is a necessity in this hike.About 2 hours later, we arrived at a patch of jungle where the guide told us the famed Rafflesia could be found. Rafflesia is a parasitic plant that lives in a particular species of Liana, and could only be seen when it flowers—the flower is the only visible part of the Rafflesia. They are usually found in thick old Lianas. The telltale sign of a Rafflesia-infested Liana is the scars on the Lianas where the flower bud of the Rafflesia had burst through (much like the movie "Alien"). These scars looked like depressions in the lianas. We found quite a number of flower buds but unfortunately, did not see one in bloom. You will be considered very lucky if you can see a Rafflesia in bloom, since the flowers last only 3-5 days, and one can never really forecast when the flower buds open. Nonetheless, it was a fruitful and enjoyable trip! Hey, how many people can boast they had seen a Rafflesia flower, the largest flower in the world, with their own eyes?

The forest and streams in Tioman comes alive at night and you will get to see many different animals if you are lucky (and quiet). It is highly recommended that you speak with the resort operator if you would like to have a nature tour at night. He can either arrange it or look out for your safe return. For the more adventurous, you can do this yourself, but I would suggest that you check out the place first during the day before going out at night. A torchlight or headlamp is an absolute necessity. Insect repellent is also a must!If you head south for a few minutes from Paya Beach Resort, you will reach Paya Village. There is a path that runs east through this village. Follow this path and you will come to an empty field. Beware of cow poops littering the field (cows feed here in the day). Cross the field and head towards a huge tree that is at least 4 storeys high. The track picks up again beside this tree. You will next pass through a secondary forest and before long, you should hear the sound of water. A clear forest stream will soon appear before you. This stream is littered with boulders which provided a large number of niches for the aquatic animals here. Go upstream by following the path (this requires you to cross the stream at one point). Before long you will reach a rocky part of the stream where there are many rock pools that you can take a dip in during the day, or watch out for animals at night.Be patient and look around in the water and on the rocks. You will be duly rewarded with the sight of various aquatic and semi-aquatic creatures, many of which are only found in Tioman. Many different types of prawns, barb fishes, catfishes and crabs inhabit these rocky pools and it is not difficult to spot them. Search the top of the rocks as well as many different types of frogs like to rest on them. Shine your light around and I'm sure you will see more than what I had described!

***I revisited Tioman in Oct 2006 and unfortunately, the trail I described above has changed and parts of it is no longer passable. Pls check with the locals on updated information on how to get to the "Rock Pool"***