Trifter

This beautiful Island off eastern coast of peninsular Malaysia in the south china sea. When approaching the island you may sense seeing a sleeping dragon, with it’s dark green scales , the two peaks on the island, you will see the two dragon horns, a story told as a legend by the local tour guides It is about five hours boat ride from the main land and if by speed boats it is just two hours. Wow ! journey begin in the deep dark blue sea, you at times may view large turtles afloat, and at time bunch of dolphins traveling through their flips a eye catching view, after about 30 approximately thirty minutes on the speedboat you will come across the clear dark blue sea, the quietness, the small and large waves that at times hit against the boat and splash waters all over.

This spectacular view and experience a print in the memory for ever. During monsoon seasons in months of October and November. The boast and ferries are delayed, by the whether reports on every hour of the day
This beautiful island is frequently visited by all walks of life, weekend, school holidays, public holidays group tours are arranged by local travel agents with 4 days 3 nights packages includes boat transfer, accommodations , meals and island tours, The beauty , it crystal clear light blue, green crystal waters, on rides around the island you see corrals and the pretty beautiful little fish.

I enjoyed the glass bottom boat rides more than the waters of the island. Every beach we stopped had its own aroma and beauty, the locals were always so friendly and taught us many water tricks. We met a local group, from Kuala Lumpur, sports group.  It was a company paid vacation . They stayed at  challets owned by the locals.  The rooms were air conditioned, with hot water showers attached.  Every room had 2 to 3 bunk beds, and bathrooms attached., quite decent clean rooms not so great but very good for the money spent. At other locations were rooms with just ceiling fans running all day all night long

I joined this group for one of their bar-b-que dinners at night, we started about 7pm with tables laid out on the beach. With a couple of bar-b-que  stands round us. It was one of kind of experience. The group enjoyed their local jokes and the folk dances, This was something I never got to see else where I traveled. The locals were very helpful and gave best advices on how to travel around the peninsular from east to west and south to the north the border between Malaysia and Thailand.

Accommodation on the island, it also have first class beautiful holiday resorts on beach fronts plus the locally affordable individually owned chalets , serves 3 meals a day, with 2 tea breaks, meals well cooked local Malaysian cooks . Morning and afternoons tea breaks with delicious Malaysian home made cakes . International cuisine always available at the first class resorts or one may request and guide the local cooks to cook meals to individual taste and style. This are very cooperative cooks and will work as to your needs and satisfaction. You must remind them to avoid the grounded red peppers – the morning breakfast the locals enjoy is ” Nasi Lemak ” they can cook towards your taste, they will add sugar to make it taste mild. Very delicious I enjoyed every morning. This are small dried fish, pounded then fried and cooked with red pounded dried red peppers. The rice is cooked  with coconut cream and served with boiled eggs. I enjoyed the mild taste very much.

The small airport strip on the flat side of the Island, is a walking distance to the resorts on the island. This island is also accessible by air, from Singapore Changi Airport a 40 minute flight, or from Kuala Lumpur at Seletar or Subang airports, to the airport at Tekek Village on Tioman. It a small airstrip on the island it carters for (turboprop) aircrafts it accommodates max of 42 seater aircrafts due to the short runways. The nearest airports accessible are 2, Mersing airport in Johor Bahru and Changi airport in Singapore

One may also drive from Kuala Lumpur via Kuantan than on to Rompin and to Tg Gemuk : The East coast Highway (E8 )from KL to Kuantan; Route No 3 southwards through town of Pekan via Rompin to Tanjung Gemuk or From Kuala Lumpur you may take the Transnational bus to Mersing  (5 hours). Tickets cost approximately around RM 25. (Malaysian Ringgit). From elsewhere in Malaysia: Transnational, S&S Internasional and other bus companies that serve destinations along  the east coast (Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Kota Bahru etc.) mostly stop at Mersing

Or you may also drive from Singapore Getting to Mersing – lies on peninsular Malaysia’s east coast, is about 3 hours’ drive north-east of Singapore. If you are relying on public transport, you may need to spend the night in Mersing in order to catch the early morning ferry or boat to the island. Book in advance if your trip coincides with the weekend or any public holidays in Singaporean & Malaysian ,This is the season you will have difficulty in getting accommodations on the island. If you try the local chalets sometimes these folks overbook and get you cramped in to rooms usually 3 -4 bunk beds you end up squeezed 5 – 6 bunk beds. The beaches are crowded and the facilities to charter are less and  move around peacefully are less.

Express Bus Air Conditioned
Some advice for those you decide to travel by road and may have to spend a night at Mersing at the ferry terminal, although Malaysian is the local language, but English is well understood and well spoken by the locals, there are restaurants and convenience stores for any last minute needs you may requires, as on the island it can be costly. Also to subsides pangs of hunger. In town, approximately 15-20 minutes’ walk from the jetty, there are banks, ATMs, internet cafes, supermarkets, shops and hotels (in case you need to spend the night in Mersing). Many of Mersing’s resorts have offices in Mersing, close to the ferry terminal. There is a secure car park that charges around RM8 per day.

Here are some very useful tips, this can make your stay and visit satisfactory.Greetings – you may say hello -apah khabar , means hello how are you !. Good Morning – is said as selamat pagi, good afternoon is said as selamat tengah hari, good nigh is as selemat malam, now breakfast – makanan pagi, pagi means morning, lunch you say makan tengah hari, tea time they say as tea or coffee , minum the atau kopi . Cold drink – as minuman sejuk , money – is duit or dollar is ringgit. How much simple words – harga berapa ringit , means simply what dollar cost.
Tips:
* The daily tidal conditions may influence the departure time of your boat.
* Sometimes are delays by hour or two due to whether conditions
* Speedboats will stop at all villages (except Juara it is isolated east side of the island is secluded )
* Stops at some resorts where they need to pick up or offload passengers.
* Inform the staff about the village that you are heading to.
*  You must know which village at the island you booked your stay,
* Or the boat people will take you to where they earn commissions on your stay
* Ferries will stop at all villages (except Juara) and also some resorts.
* Inform the staff if you are heading for the village of Mukut.
* This has the Mukut Island Resort, has air conditioned and has hot water showers in every room, with balcony’s. It is frequently visited by backpackers. English is spoken openly. It has bunk bed and rooms
sharing up to five persons to a room, apart from the single and double rooms. Very inexpensive affordable clean beaches with hammocks under swaying palm trees.
* Ferries are often delayed and there are sometimes cancellations. During the monsoon season (November to March) services are less frequent and delays are more likely.
* Serious advice book your ticket in advance if traveling over weekends, public holidays and Singaporean and Malaysian school holidays.You may find the large island with almost fourteen villages with travelers from all walks of life.
 

International Flights
Traveling from the USA or any country, I will suggest that months of May, will be cost effective.One may fly into Singapore and travel by road to Mersing and by speedboat to the island. Spend good 3 days on the island and travel back from Tioman to Mersing and than by road to Kuala Lumpur and you may fly back from Kuala Lumpur. In this way you visit Singapore and Malaysia together with good savings… the airfare with Singapore Airlines or Malaysian airlines will both allow visits and fly back from the other within the same fares .

If you have a week or 10 days at hand try visiting this countries with the beautiful paradise island in the world. As I live in Texas Houston from here Singapore Airlines will fly you direct via Moscow into Singapore and the
airlines will pick you on your return from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia for an approximate fare of USD900.00 plus tax approximately $470.00 . With $200.00 USD one can have a wonderful vacation in their lives.
By Cathy B Kaur Houston, Texas.