When talking about beach vacation, where will you choose to spend your vacation? Do you know there are many Maldives-like islands off the East coast of Johor? Not only they have beautiful beaches with white sand and crystal clear waters but also lavish resorts off the shore. Tioman Island is one of the beautiful Island in Johor, let us guide you what to do in this Island & how to go there with few easy ways.
Pulau Tioman, a paradise for scuba divers and underwater photographers, is well-known for its rich diversity of marine life and it is one of the largest islands among its bunch. It is definitely an ideal place to get the diving license with plenty of diving package and course available on the island. If you are a diving lover, don’t miss out this unique diving experiences!
Best time to visit Tioman Island is from May to September with plenty of sunshine and tolerable levels of humidity. Monsoon season (November to March) is not a popular period to visit Tioman Island due to bad weather, rough and stormy seas. During this period, many resorts will close and boats to and from the mainland don’t run as often.
Not only paradise for diving, Tioman Island is also a duty free shopping paradise. Items like chocolate, liquor and cigarettes is a must because these items cost far cheaper than they would on the main land. However, please note that Singapore authorities take a rather no-nonsense strategy when it comes to tobacco and alcohol, so make sure all goods acquired at duty-free prices are declared. Check out the Singapore customs website on duty-free goods.
Where to stay at Tioman Island?
Pulau Tioman has a great range of hotels, mostly of the budget variety, nestled in every village around the island. Chalet accommodation is the most popular choice among visitors, but there are several luxury boutique resorts with their own private beachfront.
How To Get From Singapore To Tioman Island
The only way to reach Tioman island is to take ferry from either Mersing Jetty or Tanjung Gemok Jetty.
Mersing Jetty
Tanjung Gemok Jetty
Ferry Ticket Purchase
As most resort packages do not include ferry tickets, you can either purchase the ferry tickets online or through registered agents. Pick your preferred departure time (ferry journey to Tioman is about 2 hours) and also your destination jetty. Once you have purchased the tickets, you will have to exchange it with a boarding pass and also pay up the Marine Park Fees (RM10 for Malaysian, RM35 for Foreigner) at Mersing Harbour Centre on the departure day. Once it’s done, proceed to Mersing Jetty (right opposite the Harbour Centre) and wait for the ferry. Be sure to arrive at the jetty one hour before your ferry departure time as sometimes the ferry arrives early.
How To Go to Mersing Jetty From Singapore
The popular mode of transportation would be by bus as there are quite a number of bus operators out there and some even operate on a daily basis to Mersing. However, there are travelers who choose to drive there and some would prefer to hire private car services for comfort and convenience.
Option 1 : Private Car From Singapore To Tioman Island
Plan your trip with private car services is possibly the most hassle-free option, this allow you to save a lot of worries and enjoy the flexible on the pick-up location. In addition, you don’t have to alight from the vehicle during the immigration clearance between Singapore and Johor.
Why VIP Transport ?
- Direct transfer
- Point to point-to-point pick up
- No transits or queues
- Comfortable & Safe
- Reliable drivers
- Uncomplicated online booking process
- Affordable & reasonable pricing
Option 2: Taking Bus to Tioman Island
Taking bus, without a doubt, is the cheapest way. However, it is not suitable for sizeable travel group.
For travelers from Singapore, the bus journey usually takes about 3 to 5 hours depends on the Singapore-Johor Custom traffic. You can book the bus ticket online or choose to purchase your tickets from the counter at the bus station.
For travelers from Johor Bahru, board the bus from Larkin Bus Terminal that goes directly to Mersing Bus Terminal. The bus ride normally takes about 2 to 3 hours, depending on the traffic condition. From Mersing Bus Terminal to Mersing Jetty is just a short 10 minutes walk.
For Kuala Lumpur travelers, board a bus/coach from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) to Mersing Bus Terminal, then walk towards Mersing Jetty by foot upon arrival. The bus journey from KL to Mersing is around 4 hours.
Tips: To book the ticket early especially during public holiday or long weekend.
Option 3: Direct Bus/Coach From Singapore To Tioman Island
You can check the latest coach schedules and ticket prices to Mersing Jetty from here.
Tips: To take an early bus (around 6am) so you can catch Tioman ferry around 11am from Mersing Jetty and reach Tioman in the early afternoon.
Established in 2014, VIP Transport Sdn Bhd has served over 150,000 customers. With a team of over 20 people, we are committed to bringing an excellent ride experience to each customer. We provide various vehicles where customers can easily travel from Singapore to Malaysia according to their needs.
