Paya

Paya is located after Tekek in the south west of Pulau Tioman. This interesting village is named after the numerous mangrove swamps and mudflats in the area, though there are also beaches. Gunung Kajang, the highest mountain on the island, provides a stunning backdrop to Kampung Paya, with its interesting smooth cliff faces with cascading waters that peek out from the lush rainforest that carpets the mountain.

For ferries coming from Mersing, Paya is the second stop after Genting and before Tekek. A jungle trail of moderate itensity connects Paya to Tekek, through the Berjaya Tioman Resort road at the southern end. Genting is also connected to Paya via a short jungle trek. A small homely Malay community at heart, Paya does not spectacular beaches like Juara or Salang. In fact, the beach is quite short and littered with many rocks at some parts, but the waters have coral reefs in the immediate waters which are great for snorkelling activities. The best stretch of beach definitely lies along the Paya Beach Resort, which is where most visitors and tourists coming to Paya will stay. The sea is also clean and clear, good for swimming or frolicking. Diving, like in most villages, is available from two dive shops in the village.

The Paya Beach Resort is another large hotel establisment in Tioman, offering slightly more luxurious accommodation than most places. As a guest occupying a chalet here, you'll find most of your activities restricted to what the resort has to offer, as there is nothing much else to do in Paya. Other than the resort, there are only budget chalets in Paya, which are run by two operators.

Behind the Paya Beach Resort, a jungle trail leads to the small but picturesque Rock Falls, which is a small waterfall area with lots of large granite boulders. Head further up the trail and you will soon be attemping to scale Gunung Kajang. This mountain is rich with granite formations and stands at 1038 meters, the highest among the mountains of islands off Peninsular Malaysia's coast.

The people in Paya offer guide services to climb the mountain, but if you prefer to do it on your own to save money or for a sense of adventure, then ensure you are prepared and well versed in jungle trekking in the tropics. You should have a good sense of direction in the forest, being able to remember features of freshly explored landscapes and trails in order to identify your way back.

Since there are no more marked trails from about one third of the way before the peak, you have to find your own way up the summit. A GPS unit should be very helpful at this point, and ensure sufficent daylight hours to finish your quest. A whole day from morning till evening should be sufficent for a return trip, but bring along torches or head lamps just in case. Also bring along ribbons or brightly-coloured tape to mark your trail, so that it is easy to find your way back down. For adventure seekers and nature lovers who want a small and relaxing beach with some swimming and snorkelling thrown in, Paya would be an ideal destination.