Sursum:

It seems that some dive centres rent out masks with prescriptive lens. Maybe can google and call them.

Yes, that's correct. In fact, I happen to know that B&J in Tioman has prescription dive masks available, free of charge I believe, for those who can't wear contacts.

Sorry, late reply, but, as they say, better late than never


Actually, I found there's plenty to do in Tioman. Examples? Snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, swimming, fishing, golf, tennis, karaoke, lounging by the pool, lounging by the beach, caving, fishing, stand up paddling, jetskiing, wakeboarding, sailing. And now they even have sea walking. Yes, sea walking, which is walking along the bottom of the sea, allowing you to see all the beautiful corals and gorgeous fishes without your hair even getting wet - awesome.

Of course we didn't do all of these activities. But we could have, because they're there and they're quite accessible. And fairly low-cost too, since the Ringgit is pretty low at the moment.

So, yeah, lots to do. And foodies will have a blast too, because there's a lot of makan stalls all over the place.

Enjoy!



Edit: typo.

Those thinking of going to Tioman after the Northeast monsoon, now there's no more need to be worrying about ferry ticket availability.


As I mentioned above, we're quite the Tioman regulars and we've found that lately more and more travellers arrive at the Mersing jetty too late to catch their ferry, because by then it's full.

The reason is that until recently you could only buy ferry tickets tickets on the spot, i.e. at the Mersing jetty. This obviously is not ideal, because ferry departure times are fairly irregular die to the tides and the weather.

In practice, this meant that a lot of Tioman-bound travelers are forced to wait for the next ferry out or even stay in Mersing overnight after missing the last ferry to Tioman. A bit of a pain obviously if your resort in Tioman has already been booked for that night.

Anyway, I found this nifty site where you can book your tickets online. See http://www.tiomanferry.com.

We’re Tioman regulars, stayed at all kampongs over the years, apart from Juara.


Tioman is your bread and butter diving snorkeling location; the visibility is reliable, generally good, sometimes excellent, though sometimes less then impressive. If it’s been raining prior to your trip, then expect slightly lower water clarity, as the downpours tend to flush sediment from the hills into the waters below. It settles quickly though, so on most days diving/snorkeling is great. (Barring the NE monsoon months of course, November-February).

The flora and fauna are surprisingly abundant, given the crowds during peak season. There are regular sightings of migrant pelagics, like whale sharks, manta rays, turtles and dolphins. There’s plenty of resident fish too, large and small, and vibrant coral sites too. I guess nature is coping well with the presence of the throngs.

The resorts are mostly ok, nothing all that fancy; even Berjaya is getting slightly long in the tooth. For revelers who just want a roof over their heads, most chalets are good enough, though. But if you insist on hot-water showers that always work, linen that smells fresh, walls that aren’t peeling, and chirpy helpful staff, you’ll find it a bit hard to find a resort to your liking. I suspect that Paya and Sunset Beach may do well on this front, however, as they’re quite new. (We haven’t stayed there yet, but the buzz is promising).

The resort food in Tioman is mostly decent. Best makan we had was at Berjaya, though obviously it’s a bit pricey there.

In short, Tioman is still a stunning natural treasure, a mainstay if you like to dive or snorkel and enjoy raw natural beauty, gorgeous beaches and coconut trees waving in the breeze.

It’s fairly easy to reach for a little get-away island and will definitely deliver an ample dose of blissful peace and quiet.

The ferry takes about an hour, up to two hours if it’s choppy and your resort is located in the northern section of Tioman.

Speaking of choppy, yes, occasionally it gets windy in that neck of the woods. Windy = choppy. Some people may get seasick. But generally, so long as the chop is steady and not the weavy random kind, most people will be ok. In any case, in all our years going to Tioman, we’ve only had one choppy crossing.

If you’d like some specific details on the various resorts, by all means let me know.

We’re queueing up today to get some of the last tickets to the last outward trip. The train will be piloted by the king of JB; he’ll be taking back the train and the KTM staff… for good.


Fingers crossed we can score a few tickets.

Yes, the smell of fuel can set of sensitive stomachs, so always stay upwind of the exhaust.


Also, don't eat any really rich foods the day before, as these can make you queasy too.

If and when you feel yourself get a bit green around the gills, go outside and stay focused on the horizon. Strangely, a gently swaying boat on a glassy ocean can elicit sea sickness as readily as nasty rolling chop. But so long as you've got the horizon in view and your visual input is in synch with your equilibrium input, the sea sickness shouldn't get worse.

Other chestnut tips are breathing deeply and steadily and yawning and swallowing. They tend to lessen the feeling of an impending bout of vomiting.

Lastly, if all else fails, just get rid of the offending matter, because in all likelihood, you'll feel better.

Incidentally, I feel 3 years old is a bit young to be snorkeling. Perhaps it's ok to be doing it in the shallows, where the kid can still stand. But to have a 3 year old floating up and down over a reef in deeper water is pushing it a tad I feel, especially since there may be pretty strong currents. Unless it's got lots and lots of water experience and is totally comfy in deeper water and wearing a mask, and comfy with breathing through a tube of course.

FYI, http://www.malaysiaseasports.com/ have had plenty of families on snorkeling trips, but the kids that were that age tend to stay on the boat with a parent.

I also got dusted last weekend. I’m not so happy about it, because I feel it’s a violation of my personal being, but I have to go along because I like visiting Malaysia, might one day even settle in Malaysia.


It’s a necessary evil I suppose. However, best would be if we could do away with the passport chopping altogether, since we’re already surrendering our built-in passport, our fingerprint. After all, it shouldn’t be hard to set up a database of all fingerprinted visitors and monitor the days left on their visa.

If and when there’s an overstayer, the system will flag him/her and that person will be dealt with accordingly the day he/she passes through customs.

At the same time, any evil-doers that try to cross into Malaysia will also be caught instantly. Of course, the system will take some time to accrue all fingerprints. Perhaps this is the reason we’re still doing the passport chopping too.

Maybe one day…

No worries at all Moonee, just let me know if you have any other questions.


Meanwhile, we'll be in Johor this weekend

Cheers.

Yes, most medical procedures will be cheaper in Malaysia. But I believe the flip-side is that perhaps Malaysian industry watchdogs may not be as on the ball as they are in Singapore. In other words, I would only trust a dentist if he/she comes with solid references.


As for the cabs, they're notoriously unreliable in Malaysia. To the extent that even Malaysians are up in arms. The cabs you take from Singapore are better though; just make sure you come to an agreed-upon sum before departing and make sure you're in agreement about the currency, so the driver doesn't change from S$ to US$ after you arrive.

I don't know about the exact cost, but I'd be surprised if the amount exceeds S$ 30,- for a one-way.

Let us know how you got on?

Cheers.

Bryan Norman
http://www.malaysiaseasports.com/

Moonee, there are 2 main bus options:


1. Bus 170, which will take you to Larkin bus depot in JB. No need to book, just show up at the bus stop.

2. Any of the coaches that depart from Golden Mile or Lavender. These take you a number of destinations in Johor. Booking is a must, as they tend to be full when you last-minute.

Option 1 is quite a bit cheaper, about less than $10 I believe, but perhaps less comfy, as these buses are mostly standing room only and you tend to be cramped with lots of passengers.

Option 2 is more comfy, as the buses are larger and have decent seats. No standing is allowed. The ticket is up to $45 for a return to Mersing.

By the way, Lavender is also the location where you can get a cab to JB or further.

By all means let me know if you require additional information.

Bryan Norman
Malaysia Sea Sports

P.S. As a final note, the train service to Malaysia will cease from next month. If you’d like to take the train for nostalgic reasons, I suggest you book promptly, as the last tickets are moving like hot cakes.