Tioman Island, or as it's called in Malaysia, Pulau Tioman, has garnered itself a reputation as paradise island, ideal for a quick get-away from the noise, the constant hum and the fast-pace of the city.
World class leisure destination
And rightly so. At barely 50 kilometers from the sunny east coast of the Malaysian Peninsula, Tioman is within a couple of hours' reach of most of South-east Asia.
For the majority of Tioman-travelers, the last port of call before heading for the island is either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
Both these cities offer more than adequate infrastructure to the ferry terminal port of Mersing, which is where the ferry to Tioman departs for its 2 hour ride to the island.
World class leisure destination
You can catch a coach from KL and from Singapore. These are quite convenient, as they're pretty regular and are fitted with reclining seats, air-con and other little contemporary extras to make the journey more comfortable.
The majority of these touring buses also stop along the way for snacks and a toilet break, so expect to be able to stretch your legs every few hours or so.
Incidentally, for the more budget-inclined, there are the local buses that depart from Larkin Bus Depot. Whilst these may lack the latest bells and whistles, they're a lot cheaper.
If you prefer to go by private vehicle, these are available also, albeit a bit more costly of course.
Frontier Island
The main thing to remember when taking the ferry to Tioman is to make sure that you arrive in Mersing before the ferry has departed. Mersing's harbour is fairly shallow, which means that the ferry departure times are invariably at or around high tide.
Mersing Harbour Centre, gateway to Tioman Island
In practice, this means that actual departure time differs from day to day. Now, whilst this may seem a little challenging, do note that the confirmation email that you're sent upon completing your ferry ticket booking will have all the details required for your ferry ride, including the most recent ferry times. You can use the schedule to select the ferry time that best matches your itinerary.
Natural tranquillity and ultimate adventure
Lest you think Tioman is just pretty, it's way more than that. Tioman Island offers some of the best snorkeling and scubadiving in the area. Other water-based activities that are popular in Tioman are kayaking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, kite-boarding and yacht-cruising.
If land-activities are more your thing, then you can opt for jungle-trekking or mountain-hiking. You can even go for Rafflesia and/or waterfall excursions.
Tioman, never a dull moment.
NOTE: Tioman has two seasons: the fair calm season from March to August, which is the best for summer fun and the more monsoon-ish season, which runs from December to January. February and October tend to be transition months.
