The sandy bays and white sand make Tioman a place to relax for beach-bummers and families. The island’s resorts are quite well-developed as tourism has become the main source of income for the island.

There are many rest-houses, chalets and hotels available for accommodation but despite the development, Tioman still remains a beautiful place.

Water-sports such as jet-skiing can be done at certain parts of the island. The best beaches are found in Salang, Juara, Air Batang and Bunut.

There are several trails to explore the rainforest on the island, conveniently located behind some of the premier resorts. Going off the beaten track will lead you to scenic hilltops and rocky cliffs that offer panoramic views of the island and sea. A guide is recommended for these kinds of journeys.

Redang’s mangroves are also home to a rich variety of coastal life. Creatures you can see here include crabs, mudskippers, birds, monitors and much more. Deeper within the forest, visitors can glimpse rare orchids and beautiful trees. As it is a small island, only tiny animals such as the mouse deer, monkeys, some bats and jungle rodents can be seen, but it is still worth checking out.

Birds that can be seen here include the olive-backed sunbird, dark-necked tailorbird, terns, pink-necked pigeon, swiftlets and white-bellied sea eagles. Black-nest swiftlets and white-nest swiftlets often make their nests in the many cliffs and sea caves on Redang. The bird’s nests are collected during certain times of the year as they are believed to hold therapeutic properties when ingested in soup form.

There are three species of turtles that come to Redang to nest – the Green Turtel, Olive Ridley and Hawksbill. Green turtles next between March to December with a peak in August, and January to September for Hawksbills and Olive Ridleys in May. The nesting points include Pasir Chagar Hutang, Pasir Mak Simpan, Pasir Mak Kepit, Pasir Bujang and Teluk Dalam.

Visitors can also visit SEATRU, a large green turtle nursery and turtle conservation centre, perhaps even volunteer to help in collecting eggs and incubating them till they hatch upon which the baby turtles will be released into the sea.

Apart from the beautiful beaches and rich marine ecosystems, Tioman has a protected rainforest brimming with life. Visitors can opt to explore the natural scenery through jungle trails that start from Tekek and Juara.

If you’re lucky, you might be able to spot one of the 45 mammal species on the island, such as the binturong (bearcat), long-tailed macaque, slow loris, black giant squirrel, brush-tailed porcupine, red-giant flying squirrel, common palm civet and mouse deer.

Tioman is also a haven for bird-watchers; some 138 species of birds have been recorded on the island, including hill mynahs and swifts. Snakes in all sorts of colours such as the twin-barred and paradise tree snake slither among the trees. It is indeed an experience to walk through the jungles and discover Tioman’s rich eco-system.

The islands around Tioman have been gazetted as a marine park and are thus protected by law. While not as pristine as some spots like Redang and Perhentian Island, Tioman does have a nice sea bed to explore. Divers can expect visibility to between 5-10 metres in the water. This is enough to admire the beauty of its coral reefs, an underwater garden of colourful marine life.

The reefs around Tioman are believed to be thousands of years old and hence hold many varieties of coral and tropical reef fish, as well as larger species such as turtles and sharks. The rare giant clam is also found here. Fishes such as parrot fish, butterfly fish, Napolean fish and silver snappers will come right to you so do bring along an underwater camera to snap those moments. If you don’t want to get wet, you can charter boats with glass bottoms, enabling you to view the marine oasis below.

The popular reefs for diving include those of Pulau Tulai, Pulau Renggis, Pulau Sepoi and Pulau Labas. There are even underwater caves at Pulau Chebeh to explore.