Ahh!! I’m so excited about writing this blog post! I recently holidayed with my family to one of
(in my own opinion) the most beautiful places on the planet.
Last week I travelled to Tioman Island, Malaysia. I also
spent a few days after Tioman exploring other parts of Malaysia. Although, I
was honestly so blown away by Tioman, I wanted to dedicate this post to it as
it was so unreal.
The idyllic Tioman Island is located on the east coast of
Malaysia. In order to get to Tioman, the most convenient way for my family was
to drive from Singapore to Mersing, Malaysia. It was between 3-4 hours drive.
This also included crossing the border, which can be a lengthy wait. Once we
arrived in Mersing we drove to the ferry port and caught the ferry, getting off
at the first stop; Genting. It was so
hot that day that hopping onto the freezing cold ferry and out of the un-air-conditioned
port was a welcomed relief. The ferry was exactly the same as one you would
take from Singapore to Bintan. The ferry trip from Mersing to Genting, Tioman
took approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Once we arrived at Genting, we pulled our luggage off the
ferry and waited to be taken to our resort. Arriving in Genting I was already
blown away. All my preconceived views that Tioman would be similar to Bintan
went out the window. I had never in my life seen water so clear and blue with
such breathtaking mountains and rock faces, highlighting the highest peaks of
the island. Yet I had no idea that things were going to further exceed my expectations
once we arrived at the resort.
We then hopped aboard a speedboat which took us to our
resort; Minang Cove. The sun was perfectly accompanied by a cooling breeze as
we made our way around the island. During the boat ride to the resort I spotted
so many pristine, untouched beaches outlining the island and rock faces. It literally
looked like the island had been Photo shopped or was something straight off a
postcard. Honestly. It was unbelievable.
Our resort was small and quaint. I personally loved the long
jetty which stretched out into the ocean. The entire resort was very fresh and
clean looking, although it did not have any televisions or internet. Even
though at first it sounded daunting to me, I found that I was taking part in so
many activities and swimming each day that to have access to the outside world
would have simply spoiled my time there.
As soon as we arrived we hired snorkels and headed straight
onto the jetty; plunging into the cool, clear water. Countless reefs surrounded
the island with so many exotic species of fish and marine life. It was so
exciting for me to be able to snorkel through living reefs which were so
colourful. My family and I spent hours each day snorkelling at the resort. We
were then determined to find an even better spot for snorkelling.
The food at the resort was top notch. I tend to find buffet
meals to be overrated, greasy or bland although each night we were treated to a
different meal theme such as Indian, Thai and seafood. It was absolutely
delicious.
Our second day on the island saw us walking to the waterfall. I knew it would be a long walk, but I didn’t quite comprehend how
difficult it would be alongside the blistering heat. We left the resort at 10
am and returned at 1:45pm. The scenery when walking to the waterfall was beautiful.
We walked past many secluded beaches, lush greenery and monkeys. We also passed
a village. It was so interesting to see the way the local villagers live in
such colourful small homes. Arriving to the water fall was a HUGE relief. The
water was so cold which meant that we were able to quickly cool down before we
made our way back. The walking trail surprisingly busy as we got close to the
waterfall; I was surprised. Despite the weather factor and the distance to get
to the waterfall, I think if you really want to see the scenery and the
lifestyle on Tioman, the walk is the best way to do it.
The next day we went snorkelling around a small island
called Renggis. It’s a tiny island, so you could happily swim around it many,
many times, but we primarily went there so we could see more marine life and
vibrant coral. We boarded the speedboat at the resort and it took about half an
hour before we made it to the Island. Beneath the water it really was another
world. We saw everything from small sharks, eels, angel fish and flying fish.
It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I know I keep saying this, but I have
never been somewhere where the landscape and scenery was so dreamlike.
The rest of the time I spent on the island consisted of a pedicure,
eating, reading books overlooking the pristine water (perfection), swimming and
snorkelling the days away. Each night we made our way, alongside the other
guests to the end of the jetty to watch the sunset. The colours painted the
evening sky, in a way that really showed everyone at the resort how glorious
and picturesque Tioman Island is.
Following dinner each night all guests were invited to watch
the fish feeding at the end of the jetty. It was super cool to see reef sharks
and fish competing for food in the dark water as we all watched on excitedly
spotting certain species. There was also a trivia and a bonfire night. The most exciting of all was on our last
night at the resort and there were fireworks. I have never been so close to
fireworks before and underestimated how loud they were!
Leaving the island was so sad. We had made friends with all
the guests as it was not a massive resort, as well as the extremely friendly
staff. In case anyone is planning on staying at Minang Cove resort I can only
say excellent things about it. The staff are so kind and genuine; they really
want you to have the best possible time there. The food and accommodation are
also wonderful. I was sad to leave the beaches, although in saying this I know
I will be returning very soon!
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