The largest island in an archipelago of 64 volcanic islands lying in the South China Sea, just off the east coast of Malaysia, Tioman is perfection with soft white beaches, aqua blue waters, emerald green peaks and iridescent coral reefs. The island is home to cheerful and friendly villagers living their days in the midst of this splendid tropical Garden of Eden.

Happily, Tioman is still largely undiscovered - its small resident population lives mostly along the west coast and the few resorts complexes on the island are also on the western side, leaving the rest of the island to nature’s devices. The island is divinely beautiful, pretty as a picture or something straight out of movies with the twin peaks of Batu Sirau and Nenek Semukut sloping dramatically up, deep green jungles ringed by sparkling beaches surrounded by brilliant blue seas. The outlying reefs are wonderful for diving, snorkelling or simply swimming. So beautiful and so idyllic are Tioman’s environs that the island was chosen as the locale for Bali Hai in the movie ‘South Pacific’.

Deeper inland, Tioman is a paradise of verdant tropical jungles, rioting wildflowers, trailing creepers of orchids, a profusion of feathery ferns all coming together in an explosion of glorious colour. Silver water cascade down mountainsides, metamorphose into placid pools and gentle streams that wend their way down past palm fringed beaches to the sea.

Getting There: Kuantan is the nearest city on the mainland and is well connected to the rest of Malaysia by air, train and road. The largest of the island’s villages, Kampung Tekek has a small airport that receives flights from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan. Tioman Island can also be accessed directly by ferry from Singapore and by passenger boat services from Mersing (Johor).

When to go: Peak season is between June and August but the time to really enjoy the island in its full tropical glory is during the monsoon season from November to January when the island is devoid of trippers and tourists. In this season, sunbathing and swimming take a back seat to walks on the beaches around the villages of Tekek, Genting and Salang. The other attraction is to simply sit ashore and admire the stormy seas and grey-black skies.

Accommodation comes in the form of wooden cottages on the beach or luxury rooms in the beach resort complex.

 For detailed country and visitor information, see Malaysia.