Tioman Island

Tioman has been used for thousands of years by fishermen as an important navigation point and a source of fresh water and wood. During the past thousand years, it has played host to Chinese, Arab, and European trading ships, and often porcelain shards can be found on beaches around the island.

In more recent history, Tioman played host to both the British and the Japanese during the Second World War, and the waters around the island are littered with war remains (including HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales).

Tioman is the biggest and most impressive island at the east coast. There is a brisk jungle covers a ridge on the west section of the island, which ends at the idyllic location of a beautiful palm fringed beach. Tioman offers a wide range of activities for visitors: snorkeling in crystal clear water, discover the beautiful underwater world when you go diving, or just laze on the beach while you work on that tan. Also, there is a jungle on the island that is just begging to be explored. The dense forest is a habitat for many kinds of flora and fauna.

Tioman was discovered as a holiday destination quite some time ago. It was the setting for the supposedly mythical magical island of Bali Hai from the 1958 Hollywood movie 'South Pacific'. In the 70s the Time magazine selected Tioman as one of the world's most beautiful islands.

Tioman is still rated as one of the world's most beautiful islands. It presents itself as a paradise island in the tropics. But sometimes you have to search for this paradise off the beaten track.

Tioman Island (locally known as Pulau Tioman) is a small island located 32 km off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia in the state of Pahang, and is some 39 km long and 12 km wide. It has eight main villages, the largest and most populous being Kampung Tekek in the north. The densely forested island is sparsely inhabited, and is surrounded by numerous coral reefs, making it a popular scuba diving spot. There are also a lot of resorts and chalets around the island.

Its beaches were depicted in the 1958 movie, South Pacific as Bali Hai. In the 1970s, TIME Magazine selected Tioman as one of the world's most beautiful islands.

Apart from its diverse marine life, the inland rainforest area, encompassing approximately 12,383 hectares, in Tioman is a strictly enforced nature reserve. There are several protected species of mammals on the island, including the Binturong, Long-tailed Macaque, Slow Loris, Black Giant Squirrel, Red Giant Flying Squirrel, Mouse deer, Brush-tailed Porcupine, and Common Palm Civet, from a total of 45 species of mammals and 138 species of birds, including the majestic Frigatebird. Moreover, Tioman has species that are endemic to its shores. The soft-shelled turtle and the Tioman walking catfish are both unique and can be seen on rainforest walks.

The island is served by ferries from the Malaysian mainland, and a propeller plane service by Berjaya Air from the Seletar Airport in Singapore and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Kuala Lumpur.

The island was used by Arabian merchants in the 10th century, as well as merchants from India, Persia and China who came to export betelnut, sandalwood and camphor. In 1830, pirates landed here and took 70 of its inhabitants away as slaves, leaving the island deserted for 15 years. In the 1920s the island was again deserted after a devastating outbreak of malaria swept through the population.

The most popular activity for visitors to Tioman Island today is snorkelling, and some of the best sites include Paya, which offers a variety of colourful corals and fish, Pulau Tulai (Coral Island) and Renggis Island where the water is pristine. At Air Batang there is a vast garden of yellow coral, and turtles can be spotted here.

Already the most developed of Malaysia's eastern islands, Tioman is the site of $10 million marina project, complete with cargo jetty extending 175 m (574 ft) into the sea at Kampung Tekek. The Malaysian Nature Society and WWF Malaysia have described the project as a disaster for the environment.

Construction has already caused the widespread death of corals and much of the marine life around the site, so be sure to choose one of the other beaches for snorkelling and diving.

At Juara, a lovely quite beach on the east coast of Tioman, three rivers flow down from the mountains and onto the beach, offering a refreshing alternative to swimming in the sea. A path leads from the beach to a series of waterfalls in the jungle where you can swim and climb over the large rocks.

The interior of the island, around 12,000 hectares (29,652 acres) of dense verdant rainforest, is a strictly enforced nature reserve. there are many endemic species here, and among the protected species of mammals are the mouse deer, binturong, black giant squirrel, long-tailed macaque, slow loris, brush-tailed porcupine, red giant flying squirrel and common palm civet.

If you are lucky you may spot a soft-shelled turtle or a Tioman walking catfish while in the rainforest.

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