Diving in Tioman (Malaysia)

[Nut Bubblefish]

Hi everyone,

I was planning a dive trip in Tioman island in Malaysia at the end of February. However, I am getting different feedbacks about the area. Overcrowded, not the best time, there are better dives than here,...on one side, and heaven of earth, best quality diving ever, on the other hand.

I would appreciate your personal comments on the place, if you have been there.

Just to give more info, I am going with my diving wife and daughter, and another (non diver) daughter. The children expect white sand beaches and swimming pool in a nice resort, or they will ruin every minute of my surface intervals...:drejnd:

Thanks for the help,

 

[Zippsy]

The only place on Tioman with a pool is Berjaya (http://www.berjayaresorts.com.my/tioman-beach/info.html). It may also be classified as being the only thing close to a resort on the island. Although they have a dive shop, they are not really keen on taking in divers that want to do more than one or two dives per day. If you stay there, I'd recommend using Tioman Reef Divers (http://www.tiomanreefdivers.com/). They are a 10-15 walk over a small hill and the closest real dive shop to Berjaya. They will fetch your gear on the first day and you can leave it overnight in their locked gear room. I've been diving with them several times and they are very professional. I've only dived from Berjaya once and it was enough. Berjaya is a nice rustic resort with lots of modern comforts.

Having said that, the end of February is close to the end of the monsoon season. I think you may likely still have fairly rough seas at the time. Many shops only open again on 1 March and a few not until later than that.

I consider Tioman diving as very good. I prefer diving there to places like Cayman and the Bay Islands in Honduras. Viz is not as good (particulary at the end of Feb) but fish life and corals are much better. However, it is not close to places like Sipadan, Maldives, Manado, Sangalaki, Layang2, etc. IMHO, Tioman is a fatastic place for a 2-3 day diving holiday from KL or Singapore but if I had more time than that, I'd go to Borneo. I hope this helps.

 

[AC Boy]

You might also wish to consider Paya Beach Resort (http://www.payabeach.com). I've stayed at the resort each time I dive at Tioman. The resort is well-run, and so is the dive centre (Diver's Cove).

They have a promotional 5-dives package, but you may wish to check with Ben (dive@tiomandiverscove.com) from Diver's Cove if ths package is still being offered. Hope this helps.

 

[Zippsy]

I sit corrected. I guess Berjaya is not the only one there with a pool. I'll bet the climate is the same though

 

[tzeyap]

I would second that recomendation for Paya Beach Resort. While it is not 5 star, the accomodation is of a very high stardard and comfortable . The deluxe chalets is laid out with a living room and a separate bedroom and additional sleeping area in the attic. All rooms are airconditioned , with TV and hot shower. I prefer the more relaxed atmosphere.

There is a nice pool fed with beautiful cool water from the mountain stream and also a spa treatment centre. The restaurant is good and the is a nice beach bar. Right in front of the chalets and 35 metre out from the beach is a small rock outcrop and reef which is great for snorkelling. At the end of the beach is a small island which can be reached on foot except during high tide. the beach on this small island (Tomok) is beautiful white powder sand. Behind the resort = 10 mins walk up the hill is a little waterfall with wading pools. the resort offers guided hill and junge treks.

The is a dive centre in the resort and 2 other dive centres outside within 3 mins walk. the diving in tioman is not spectacular if comopared with Sipadan or Layang Layang .but I would rate it very good.

I have been going to Paya at least once each year for the last 10 years and have always enjoyed the stay. Great place for families

 

[Quero]

Tioman is very popular with Singapore divers, as it's a fairly quick getaway, and it's generally quite affordable. However, it's not the best diving in the region. Visibility suffers from any amount of rain as the island has been undergoing a lot of development (including the recently begun construction of a big marina). Add that to the fact that in the end of February you may still experience the tail end of the monsoon season. It's a coin toss whether the diving will be up to your expectations.

Tioman is a bit of a pain to get to, unless you fly in, and even that presents certain logistical challenges. By boat, you need to get to Mersing from whatever airport you fly into, and then take a passenger transfer boat to the island. If your resort provides transfers, that's good. If not, you need to get a ticket for a ferry, (actually a speedboat) to whatever jetty is at/nearest your resort. If you fly in, you take Berjaya Air from the Subang Airport in Kuala Lumpur or from Seletar airport in Singapore. These airports are not the same as international airports (KLIA and Changi) where you will probably arrive in Malaysia or S'pore, so you need to arrange for an inter-airport transfer.

You can see some nice marine life around the area. On a recent trip I saw funebris nudis and snake eels, for example, in addition to nurse sharks and the usual reef fish.

All in all, though, if it were me traveling internationally for a dedicated dive trip (as opposed to a relatively inexpensive long weekend getaway), I'd go someplace other than Tioman, indeed, someplace other than the east coast of Malaysia/Gulf of Thailand area. It simply wouldn't be worth the hassle for so-so diving.

I see from your profile that you are a dive pro. Are you just looking for something different and came up with Tioman? If so, you can do better.

 

[AC Boy]

Quero,

If you ask me, travelling to Tioman from Singapore still beats the hell out of getting to Perhentian

But I agree that the dive sites off Peninsular Malaysia can't quite compare to those off Sabah eyebrow

 

[Quero]

Quero,

If you ask me, travelling to Tioman from Singapore still beats the hell out of getting to Perhentian

But I agree that the dive sites off Peninsular Malaysia can't quite compare to those off Sabah eyebrow

LOL, AC Boy--You're right about getting from S'pore to the Malaysian Islands. What a pain, whichever island is concerned. And our OP is coming from Indonesia, so imagine how much more of a pain! (When I lived in KL, I always preferred to go to Tenggol instead of any of the other M'sia islands: quicker to get to with the new highway, and better diving to boot.)

It will be interesting to see what the OP decides to do. Hope he lets us know!

 

[hallboy]

about TEnggol, how is the diving there?? and how to get there also? ( coming from Europe ) it seems that there a lot of take plane,the take a bus, then take a Ferry tne take a taxi...

 

[Quero]

about TEnggol, how is the diving there?? and how to get there also? ( coming from Europe ) it seems that there a lot of take plane,the take a bus, then take a Ferry tne take a taxi...

The diving at Tenggol is great, IMHO. I think it's hands down the very best of Peninsular Malaysia. The problems with Tenggol are 1) how do you get there and 2) where do you stay.

1) The closest access point for driving from KL is Kuantan. The closest air connection is Kuala Terengganu via KLIA. There are Malaysia Airlines flights to TG. Then, depending on your accommodations, you either get picked up at the TG airport or get a taxi to the town of K. Dungun.

2) Your options of places to stay is severely limited, if diving is what you want to do. You can stay on the island itself and do more diving, but at the cost of really crummy rooms and food, and nothing else to do, or you can stay at the 5 star resort on the mainland, called Tanjung Jara Resort, and do only two dives a day, but have a great pool areas, good restaurants (plural) and a spa.

Tanjung Jara is a really nice place, maybe the second resort hotel in Malaysia, after its sister resort Pangkor Laut Resort. Even so, the rates are affordable to westerners, who generally find it a bargain in comparison to European or N/S American places. They have airport pick up, too, from either TG or Kuantan. The last time I went, I stayed at a budget place up the road from TJR and dived with the TJR folks. It was okay with the dive director, but not okay with the GM, who has forbidden this in the future. So there really are no other options unless you get on one of the liveaboards that go to Tenggol. There aren't many of those, and the ones that do sail there are are rather basic.

I'm guessing that this should have been a different thread.... oh well.