LET'S VISIT JOHOR
PULAU TIOMAN
Tioman Island is located off the shores of Johor state in Malaysia. It's the largest in a group of 64 volcanic islands. The legend goes, that Tioman is the final resting place of a fabled dragon princess who had turned herself into the island. The story is, that the princess was on the way to Singapore from China and had stopped by the area to admire its charms. She became so enraptured with its beauty that she decided not to continue with her journey and turned herself into Tioman, remaining to be a place of shelter and comfort to passing travellers.
Tourists came to sunbathe on its lovely beaches and splash around in its warm, equatorial waters. As scuba diving became a more popular and accessible sport, Tioman also became a popular diving destination stop off. The growing influx of divers led to the Pahang State Fisheries Department establishing a full-time marine park centre in Kampung Tekek where underwater activities are closely monitored by park rangers to ensure that conservation rules are adhered to. These restrictions have contributed towards the conservation of its marine environment. Recent changing climatic conditions have helped as well.
Diving trips and lessons can be arranged at Tioman Dive Center (in Tekek and Minang Cove Resort), Bali Hai Dive Center (Kampung Panuba), Dive Asia (Tekek, Salang and Air Batang) en B & J Dive Center (in Kampung Salang).
Tioman has some of the best dive sites in the South Asian region. With 18 dive sites to choose from they can offer exiting dive sites for newcomers as well as more challenging dive spots for experienced divers. In the close range there are12 spots where you can go to on your daily dive trips.
The underwater landscape is of granite rock, a perfect ground for coral growth which provides shelter and food for fishes and other marine life. Come and explore the swim-throughs at Labas, swim along the dense fan coral garden at Fan Canyon or enjoy the soft corals on one of our wrecks.
Tioman offers you a large diversity of hard, soft corals and sponge corals.
PULAU SIBU
Pulau Sibu is a pleasant hideaway with its lush tropical vegetation, endless stretches of golden beaches and clear blue waters. The island is also dotted with numerous sea caves carved out of rocks. The constant pounding of the sea during the monsoon season has given the island a beautiful yet rugged appearance.
The surrounding waters contain fascinating coral reefs teeming with colourful marine life. Shipwrecks off its coast can also be found. In the olden days, Chinese junks and pirate vessels often exchanged cannon fire around this island, and the remains of these battles lie scattered around the seabed.
There are facilities for scuba diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, sailing and angling. Visitors can go for a hike through the jungle leading to unspoilt mangrove swamps or visit the kelong, or jetty, where anchovies are caught. Alternatively, head for the kampung, or village, to get a first-hand look at how coconuts are smoked to make copra.
Getting Here
By Road and Sea
You can catch a boat ride to Sibu Island from Tanjung Leman jetty, south of Mersing. From Mersing town, travel south along the Mersing–Kota Tinggi (Highway 3) trunk road for about 44km and turn left. The road passes through an oil palm plantation, and is narrow and winding in certain parts. From Johor Bahru, head for Kota Tinggi town. From Kota Tinggi town, travel north on the Kota Tinggi–Mersing trunk road (Highway 3) for 48km and turn right to the same junction mentioned above. Pulau Sibu is about a 20- minute boat ride away from Tanjung Leman.
PULAU AUR
Pulau Aur is such a tropical paradise.
The tropical waters of Malaysia offer some of the world's best scuba diving. This is a place endowed with some of the sport's best possibilities: you can dive with whale sharks, hover around immense coral gardens and walls, or dive on ominous and hulking shipwrecks.
The population is spread along the coastline in small kampongs of four to six buildings. There are no roads or vehicles. The main industries of the island are fishing and supporting the few dive resorts on the island. The island is surrounded by warm crystal clear seas teaming with life.
Pulau Aur has always been a stopover point for fishermen. With a supply of fresh water and plenty of fish in the waters, a few later moved their families to the island. However Aur was never the peaceful island as we see now. The deep dark secrets of the wild days are only beginning to unravel within the historic data collected from salvaged treasures hoisted from sunken Chinese junks, sailboats and old merchants ships found shattered in its watery grave.
PULAU TINGGI
Situated 20 nautical miles Southeast of Mersing at the East-Coast of the South China Sea, the island is renowned for its relaxing atmosphere and sheer physical beauty. Though it is a secluded and virtually untouched island, it is easily accessible, as a 30-minute speed-boat ride will bring you from the Tanjung Leman Pier to the island.
Pulau Tinggi has about 500 inhabitants spread over three villages and is the most populated island of the Johor Marine Park. The three villages are: Kampong Tanjung Balang, Kampong Pasir Panjang and Kampong Sebirah Besar. The name Pulau Tinggi literally means "Small Island" (= island Pulau Tinggi = small). Hundreds of years ago, Chinese sailors gave the island another name: "General's Hat Island."
Around Pulau Tinggi are still eight small islands, of which two belong to the Marine Park.
The island is forested, and its highest point is 600 meters above sea level. That's the mountain "Gunung Semundu". This is located in the middle of the island. To take a look at the top of the mountain you need to hire a guide in one of the villages. The walk up takes 3 hours, but then you have a wonderful view over Pulau Tinggi and the surrounding islands.
The island is like all other islands of the Marine Park surrounded by coral, crystal clear water and sandy beaches. The long coastline, which is dotted with caves, is home to coral reefs teeming with marine life, making it ideal for underwater photography. The longest beach is to the west, which has also the only resort of the island. The interior of the island is largely inaccessible. Only from villages a few narrow paths are running into the interior. Around the island Tinggi is excellent snorkeling and diving. There is also a small museum and a turtle hatchery, where they gather turtle eggs and again turn the born little turtles back into the sea. You can also visit one of the three villages.
PULAU RAWA
Rawa Island is an unspoilt coral island, with its white sands and swaying palm trees. It's nestled in the crystal clear waters of the South China Sea.
It's located sixteen kilometres off the coast. This beautiful island has white sand, coves, and superb clear waters for water activities. Comfortable chalet-style accommodations are available on the island, and equipment for recreational water activities.
Rawa has its own ferry service to the island daily which can carry twelve people.
The ferry departs from the terminal in Mersing. Only tourists will come to the island. Maybe it is because this is a privately-owned island which will charge even for a day-trip entry.
In the beautiful blue sea the coral garden is teeming with fish and marine life, from coral reef fish to Pelagic fish, a surprise for many people.
In this marine park giant clams abound, you may see it all but nothing is to be touched.
Preservation, conservation, and a marine park to boot, not even dead shells can be taken. So may admire everything, but don't take anything with you.
Pulau Rawa has secluded white beaches and palm fringed; images which can be found here in Malaysia, to add to the dream blazing sunlight and a cool green, clear lagoon, where fish dart and swim in never ending circles. Visitors on the beach wallowing in the sunlight.
When it is very hot, you need sunglass and sun-block lotion. It's advisable to bring that with you. For drinking water, you have to refill your water bottles several times from the resort only restaurant called "Cafe de Rawa" many times. This is also the only place for your food