Ayer Batang

Ayer Batang, also known as Kampung Air Batang, or ABC Village for short, is another popular tourist destination in Pulau Tioman. Its wide range of budget chalets and resorts along with the cheapest accommodation rates of any place in Tioman make it a most popular choice among backpackers and simple travellers. Air Batang almost adjoins Tekek Village, but lies seperated by a small and hilly coastal cape.

Visitors and tourists coming by ferry from Mersing will be dropped at the Ayer Batang jetty after Tekek, making it the fourth stop before Salang. The long expense of beach is lined mostly with budget chalets and traditional Malay houses, some nestled on the hilly slope among the lush trees of the rainforest. There are several restaurants, but most of them serve local food.

Kampung Air Batang is very much a close-knit and traditional Malay community, seemingly even more so that other villages in Tioman. While peaceful and a great place to relax with plenty of space, do note that Ayer Batang does not have any outlets that sell beer, but perhaps this is only confined to monsoon periods, where there is little demand for the happy drink.

In such cases, you need to walk over to Tekek and get yourself some alcohol to bring back. This is not too hard to do considering its proximity. At the end of Tekek, towards the north at the marine park, there is a series of steps and paved paths that lead across a small hilly cape which then adjoins to a bridge crossing over to ABC Village. Visitors and tourists can easily cross across over to both places on foot or by carrying rented bicycles on their backs for less than 10 minutes over the cape. While Ayer Batang has the cheapest accommodation rates in Tioman, the beach is probably one of the ugliest in Tioman, revealing large expanses of jagged rocks at low tide. Also, do not expect more than austere living in wooden chalets with fans and cold water showers at the prices you pay.

There are one or two resorts that offer slightly more luxurious accommodation if you prefer, however. Swimming and snorkelling is still possible, but better if done towards the northern end at Bamboo Hill. Two dive centers are available in this village along with sundry shops. From Air Batang, you can head to Salang Beach via the jungle trail, passing by Panuba and Monkey Beach which takes about 2-3 hours of walking. If you're a visitor looking for a cheap place to stay so that you can spend a longer vacation in Tioman, then Ayer Batang would be a suitable choice. You can always walk over to Tekek if you wish to do shopping or look for more places to eat as long as you don't mind the extra walking.