Malaysia (Covid 19 - Transition to Endemic Phase - My 6 Days Cuti Cuti Malaysia & Staycation No 26 to Endau Rompin, Mersing, Pulau Tioman, Kluang, Johor) Tuesday Aug 16 2022 Day 3 Part 1

Ferry Ride from Mersing > Ketek Jetty
Pulau Tioman, Johor

Berjaya Tioman Malaysia Resort, Johor

Pulau Tioman, Johor

Day 3 (Part 1) Tuesday Aug 16 2022 (Mersing & Pulau Tioman)

Mersing > Pulai Tioman, Johor (by Bluewater Express ferry - 1.5hr)

The Legend of Tioman - here goes the story ... " A local legend reveals that there was one a Beautiful Dragon Princess from China who upon flying from her homeland to Temasek for her wedding with Prince Parameswara, settled over the South China Sea for a rest. So taken aback was she at the beauty of the surrounding area that the Princess decided to stay forever and turned herself into Tioman Island providing shelter to passerby ". Indeed, Tioman Island has the beauty to charm passerby or a visitor like me ! 

Marine Park Centre Tioman - Pulai Tioman, Pulau Sepoi, Pulai Gut, Pulau Labas, Pulau Chebeh, Pulau Tulai, Pulau Sembilang, Oulau Tokong Bahara & Pulai Seri Buat are the 9 islands that come under the Tioman Marine Park Centre vicinity. To visit some of these islands, tourists could hire a water taxi & do a island hopping visit or for snorkelling, scuba diving etc .... 

1) Mersing Harbour Centre - Ferry Ticketing & Marine Park Conservation Fee Payment Counter; one way ferry ticket Rm60 (US$13.30) & Marine Park Conservation fee for Malaysian adults Rm5 (US$1.10), senior citizens Rm2 (US$0.45), non-Malaysian adults Rm30 (US$6.70); for on line ticket booking, print boarding pass or obtain it from Ticketing Counter at the day of departure by showing the booking number ! Marine Park Conservation fee payment counter is located adjacent to the Ferry Ticketing Counters.

Tioman Ferry Ticketing Counters

Marine Park Conservation Fee
Payment Counter

2) Mersing Jetty - Waiting Lounge

2) Boarding of Bluewater Express from Mersing Jetty > Tekek Jetty, Pulau Tioman departing 10.30, ferry ride approx 1.5hr, online ferry ticket booking one way Rm62 (US$13.80)

3) Ferry ride from Mersing Jetty passing through the river mouth to South China Sea before arriving at the Tekek Jetty, Pulau Tioman (10.30 > 12.00) 

4) Arriving at the Tekek Jetty, Pulau Tioman - my 1st time stepping on the Pulai Tioman soil, the best is yet to come !

5) Marina Tioman - one for the album ! 

6) A 10 minutes walk from Ketek Jetty to our hotel ie Cheers Chalet, Kampung Tekek, Pulai Tioman. 

7) After the hotel check-in & a short rest, our group made a visit to the beach area passing through a number of beach resort homes located not far from our hotel area.

8) Hotel Accommodation - our group's overnight stay in Cheers Chalet, Kampung Ketek, Pulai Tioman; chalet room tariff (triple sharing) Rm233 (US$52) @ Rm78 (US$17.30) per pax.  

9) Our group's cosy Cheers Chalet Room No B2

10) Makan Makan (Eating) - our group's breakfast (fried kway teow, meat ball mihoon soup & wan tan noodles + barley water & coffee (Rm43.40 = US$9.65) in Restoran Chin, Mersing town centre; also bought 4 pieces of tai pau (big Chinese steamed buns) & 4 pieces of red bean buns (totalled Rm26) as takeaway lunch for our Pulau Tioman visit in the afternoon.

Fried Kway Teow Rm7 (US$1.55)

11) Makan Makan (Eating) - after our hotel check in, our group had a simple lunch ie tai  pau (big Chinese steamed buns) & red bean buns, snacks (biscuits, fish crackers) & 100Plus drink & hot tea at Cheers Chalet resting lounge before venturing out to explore the beach area near our hotel area. 

12) Makan Makan (Eating) - our group's dinner (Rm53 = US$11.80, ordered seafood & beef fried rice, omelette & lime drink) in Bubura Seaview Resort Restaurant, Kampung Kechil, Pulau Tioman, Johor, nice ambience facing the sea, food prices affordable & not pricey ! 

Beef Fried Rice Rm9 (US$2)

Seafood Fried Rice RM10 (US$2.20)

Omelet with Onions & Chilli
Rm10 (US$2.20)

13) Witnessed a "little" sunset in Pulai Tioman while waiting for our dinner to be served ! 

14) Makan Makan (Eating) - after the dinner, our group passed by a Duty Free Liquor shop (Star Glory) & bought 4 bottles of Somersby Apple Cider (Rm28 = US$6.20), all of us slept well after drinking a bottle of chilled apple cider, thanks to Maggie & Thompson for recommending this cold drink to KF & myself ! Before our island departure, our group bought another 6 bottles for another round of drinking in Desaru, our next destination ! 

Somersby Apple Cider
Duty Free Rm7 (US$1.55)