Sun, sea, sand and s@#…@ Tioman

The sound of gentle waves lapping on the shores, birds chirping in the distance, the sight of playful butterflies on the shores, the fresh smell of the sea, the sound of silence… the tranquility… need I say more? This was the sight and sound that greeted me in the early morning on a little islet off Tioman. At low tide, you can just walk across from the main island, sit atop one of the rocks and enjoy the morning peace. And you have the whole islet to yourself so you and/or your partner can do almost anything you want, provided you don’t mind the birds watching.

I stayed at Paya Beach Resort on the South west part of Tioman island. While the beach was nothing to shout about compared to Patong Beach on Phuket or Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles, the peace and tranquility that I got during my three days there more than made up for it. The water was crystal clear and very rich with marine life – sea urchins, sea cucumbers, marine fishes, crabs – could be seen just wading through the shoreline. I even saw a sea snake and an eagle!

Besides spending time on the beach, it was food, drink and more food.



Must Do!
The island boasts of unspoilt beauty, unlike many commercialised island resorts. If you just want to relax, you can do nothing – just bring a towel to the beach and enjoy the sun or read a book. Just remember to put lots of sunblock or risk looking like a cooked lobster at the end of the day! And beware of the irritating sandflies – they just can’t seem to stop landing on my body while I tanned.

For the active ones, snorkelling is a must but beware of sea bugs – you can’t see them but they sure are painful little pests. Or try jungle trekking. My friend and I were quite adventurous and decided to hike through the woods to the next village about an hour away. All we were told was to follow the electrical cables above us and it worked – we didn’t get lost. I must say the hike gave us a good workout which made us feel less guilty having binged and boozed so much everyday.

Must Eat!
In general, food is quite cheap but not great. What is highly recommended though is drinking – beer and wine is dirt cheap – because Tioman is a duty free island. In fact, a bottle of mineral water costs the same as a can of beer - RM3! And a reasonable bottle of wine cost only RM40 at the resort's restaurant. So, we followed the ang mohs, drinking even during the day, something I’ll never do back home. Do try the ramly burgers in the stores nearby the hotel - I sure enjoyed the special burger and banana fritters.

Must Shop!
Sorry, shopaholic me couldn’t find anything to buy except some titbits for my dad. Couldn’t even find a nice magnet for a friend.

In a nutshell…
Tioman is a perfect getaway from the busy city life… enjoy the peace and charm. Wish I can do this every other month to de-stress.

See my photos @ http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sandyl808/album?.dir=/26cc