Recently, my family and I went to Tioman Island for a quick weekend getaway. The weather was fine all through the trip although we went through a few traffic jams on the way which slightly spoiled the mood. We actually thought of going there since we had to attend a my dad’s cousin’s wedding in Rompin, Pahang, so why not visit Tioman since it’s very near? Our itinerary goes as follows;
DAY 1
11 a.m. : We started our trip by catching the earliest ferry around 11.30 a.m. It is very important to arrive there as early as possible since we only have two days to explore the island. The best way to get ferry tickets is to reserve them online at their website so that when you arrive at the jetty, you will only need to collect your tickets and boarding pass since your payments have been completed. A big plus, you can even skip the long ticket line!
Quick tip: Make sure to have enough food and entertainment when you board the ferry because it’s a long two-hour trip with no stops! Though some ferries have TVs inside.
2 p.m. : After arriving at the ferry at noon, we checked in at Tioman Dive Resort. There is only one small concrete path along the whole area and all the hotels are located on either side of the path. The check in process was super quick and then a host led us to our room which is very close to the beach. Next, we completed our prayers before heading to a nearby restaurant east of our hotel to have a late lunch.
4 p.m. : After a quick rest, we headed down to the beach in our swimwear to do the most eventful activity there, SNORKELING! Since we only had one weekend to stay there, the only possible water activity was snorkeling since other things such as diving and island hopping would need a few days. We simply asked the front desk to borrow snorkeling gear since it is included in the room fee. The staff led us to the gear store where we put on snorkels, life jackets and flippers for the adults. The snorkeling site was all across the whole beach which made it very easy for us to get there. We spent some time in the water looking at the beautiful coral and fish until before sunset. The sea floor was very beautiful and I hoped that next time I would bring a GoPro to film underwater!
7 p.m. : After taking a bath, we went along the small concrete path to find a restaurant for dinner. Since we had a late lunch, we were still pretty full so we just ordered a few omelettes and some fries. We walked along the concrete path once again to get to our hotel and went to sleep.
DAY 2
7 a.m. : Early in the morning, we went to the beach to take pictures in the ‘magic hour’. The sun was just rising which made a beautiful glow in pictures. After a few time-lapses and random pictures, we went to a nearby eatery to have breakfast. A pancake and tea is the best way to start the day!
8.30 a.m. : We made our way back to the beach after filling in. The water at Tioman Island is super clean and clear. Even at thigh depth, you could still see your feet clearly on the rocks and sand below. We swam about for about an hour until we found out a lot of jellyfish. We thought they would sting but they seemed pretty harmless. Not to mention that they were very beautiful! But to take caution, we went out of the water and decided to just walk along the beach.
9.30 a.m. : Then an idea popped up in our minds to try kayaking. The price to rent a kayak is RM100 for a two-seated kayak. When we came to collect the kayak, the staff told us it wasn’t a very good idea to go kayaking now because of the waves. But we were determined that we were strong enough to beat the waves. Nevertheless, we only got one kayak for the five of us to take turns using. The first ones to try it was my dad and 9-year-old brother. To make a long story short, our kayak experience was a fail. The staff even had to drag the kayak out of the water because we could hardly lift an oar. Then, we made a brilliant discovery back at the beach! All along the shoreline there were so many dead jellyfish. Even if they were dead, they were super pretty. They were clear but had some colour on the top of their heads. The colour was different for each jellyfish and made them look super cool, especially the pink ones!
12 a.m. : We had to check out at 12 but our ferry came at 1 p.m. so we went to have lunch first. After lunch, we headed for the jetty to go home! While waiting for the ferry, we took a few pictures at the jetty! The jetty is one of the best places to take instagram worthy pictures at Tioman Island. The greenish blue water as a background enlightens the whole picture! The ferry then arrived and we took our places inside to take a nap.
Our trip ended here, but yours is just beginning. I hope this itinerary inspires your future trip to Tioman Island. Sayonara~
Leave a Reply