Transportation in Tioman
Berjaya Air operates daily flights to KL
Getting to Pulau Tioman generally involves catch a ferry from the mainland, although ever more people are choosing to fly direct from KL or Singapore and save themselves a full day’s travel. Remember to change enough money for your stay before arriving at Pulau Tioman, as the currency exchanges on the island all offer pretty poor rates and credit cards (where accepted) involve a surcharge of around five per cent.
Ferry travel on Pulau Tioman
Most tourists arrive onto Pulau Tioman by ferry from the mainland port of Mersing. Bluewater Express (adult / child RM35/20, 07:30, 10:30, 13:30, 15:00 and 16:30, Tel: +60 (0)7 799 4811) takes only one hour 20mins to the first jetty. But do not rely on this as many scheduled trips are cut during off season or when there are few passengers, so phone to make sure that a service is leaving as advertised. There are also slow boats (called sea buses) which make the same journey in around two or three hours and cost RM40 each way.
If you are coming to Pulau Tioman from the north, then it may be easier to catch the ferry from the smaller port of Tanjung Gemok while lies 35kms up the coast from Mersing. From March to October there are three boats a day leaving at 09:00, 10:00 and 13:00, but only the last service runs the rest of the year so call the Tanjung Gemok Ferry Terminal (Tel: +60 (0)7 413 1997) to check.
Tickets cost RM60 each way. Once on the island there are small taxi boats which transport visitors around the different beaches which can be arranged at the different jetties at around RM20 per person. Ask your guesthouse to check the precise departure times for boats when you eventually want to leave the island.
Bus travel from Mersing
View from Tioman's Air Batang Bay jetty
The town of Mersing is 130kms north of Johor Bharu on the Malaysian east coast. Express buses arriving here drop passengers off before the large roundabout or at the R&R Plaza which doubles as the main bus station. The jetty is ten minutes walk from the roundabout down Jalan Abu Bakar. Nearby Omar’s Backpackers (Tel: +60 (0)7 799 5096) is a cheap place to stay in Mersing should you miss the last boat at around 16:30. There are direct services from KL and Singapore arriving here but you may need to change in Kuantan for journey north or Johor Bharu if moving south. Bus tickets from the mainland can be arranged with Mokhtar’s Place (Air Batang, Tel: +60 (0)9 419 1148) on Pulau Tioman
Air travel on Pulau Tioman
The island has a tiny airstrip just inland from Tekek which has 48-seat propeller planes arriving with weekending tourists from the big cities. Berjaya Air is the sole commercial operator with daily flights to Kuala Lumpur (60mins, RM214 each way, daily) and Singapore (35mins, RM240 each way, daily) with healthy discounts for deals including accommodation booked from travel agents in these cities. Maximum baggage allowance is 10kgs with excess charges depending on how busy the plane is.
Getting around Pulau Tioman
The island only has one stretch of paved road from the main Port in Tekuk south for around six kilometres to Paya. Therefore most transport is by boat or 4WD vehicle. However, bicycles can be rented from Fetherlight Cafe (by airstrip in terminal complex) for RM5 per hour. The rough state of the tracks makes this a somewhat frustrating choice, however, and remember to get home before it gets dark. There are tracks throughout the island which are perfectly adequate for hiking between beaches, or rent a kayak and paddle around.
