CNY Tioman?

[Tioman CNY]

I hear that Tioman is closed over Chinese New Year. Yet, friends and colleagues told me they're booked at a resort for that weekend. I'd love to spend some time there too, but I'm not sure if I can. Does anyone know? I'm not so keen on flying, but are the ferries running at all?

Cheers.

[Tioman Ferry]

Tioman is open year-round, live goes on in the kampongs there. But yes, some resorts won't be open, though the larger ones, Berjaya and such are open 365 days per year.

That said, the bottle-neck during Chinese New Year is the ferries to Tioman. The ferries tend to run a lot less frequently during January and February, maybe one ferry per day. The reason is the state of the sea and the low tide issues outside the Mersing harbor, your departure point to Tioman.

My advice if you've already booked Berjaya, or you you want to go to Tioman during CNY, is to book your ferry tickets as far in advance as possible, so you won't be stranded at the departure jetty due to the ferry for that day being already full.

[Mersing]

Yes we also booked in advance and we're glad we did. There's only 1 ferry per day during the monsoon, so either you buy tickets beforehand and make it on the boat or you show up in Mersing without tickets and end up hoping there's enough seats left. Too much of a gamble I reckon.

By the way, Tioman is not only open, but lovely too. No crowds, no rain. Lots of waves on the beaches for the kids to play in and a nice jungle to trek through. And it's actually cool here!

[Berjayarama]

Anyone know if the seas are agreeable this weekend? I get seasick quite quicky

[ClareVoyant]

Yes, very calm and I am going to win 4D

[Weather]

Anyone know if the seas are agreeable this weekend? I get seasick quite quicky

The charts for the coming few days are for calm and sunny weather. The crossing should be frast and relatively smooth.

[Weather]

Anyone know if the seas are agreeable this weekend? I get seasick quite quicky

The charts for the coming few days are for calm and sunny weather. The crossing should be frast and relatively smooth.

"Frast"? Fast.

[Bumpy Ride]

Take sea sickness tablets before you board just in case. It can get bumpy going to Tioman. It is monsoon season.

[Sunny island]

It was a little bumpy when we were headed there last week, but nothing major. Booking was simple on Tiomanferry.com.

Had a great time on the island. Oh, it's not like he Maldives or BoraBora or any of those high-class getaways, although there is Berjaya and Japamala, but it's ideal for a quick and relaxing palm tree, white sand beach getaway for an attractive price.

The kids had a lot of fun too, which is important for us.

[smooth sailing]

Just came back from Rawa. The boat ride was a bit bumpy, but quite doable. I think Tioman may be a little choppier, because it's a bit further out, but it looks like the strong winds have eased from the South China Sea.

The monsoon started quite early last year, so in all likelihood, it'll end early too, probably by mid February, judging by the long-range charts, paving the way for easier ferry trips to the islands there.

[Wweekend getaway]

I took my family to Tioman last week. The kids had a very happy time snorkeling especially.

As for us, we enjoyed the quiet and very slow pace, along with the pampering in the resort. I'm a PADI diver and had some awesome dives. Given the gin-like clarity of the sea there, it's hard to think that Tioman is just a few hours from Singapore.

In short, Tioman isn't quite Sipadanesque diving, but as a weekend get-away location for families, divers and adventure sports types, it serves its purpose very well.

Best of all, budget-travelers, backpackers and party-goers tend to congregate in the north, whereas the rest of the visitors seek out the quieter middle and southern villages. This works.

Oh, and the sea was as smooth as glass, not a bump.

[Kajang]

I've heard Tioman has a great mountain to hike up. Anybody done this? I'm keen to bring a few of my friends up to the summit. Do you need a guide? Are there any trails to follow? I can't find all that much about this online.

Cheers.