Tekek

Tekek is Pulau Tioman's most developed destination, being the only village like a proper town on the whole island. Because of the wide infrastructure and facilities in place compared with other villages and beaches, Kampung Tekek is popular among first time visitors and tourists to Tioman. Berjaya Tioman Resort, one of the few luxury hotels on the island, is found at the southern end of Tekek, with its own private beach and golf course.

Tekek also has a marina that was built several years ago, allowing ferries and boats to dock at Tioman during monsoon months, when the rough seas and strong winds would have made it dangerous for them to use the unprotected jetty. The marina forms a bund that has an opening for ships to pass through into a small bay, protecting against the elements brought about by stormy weather. When the sea conditions are especially bad, Tekek will be the only place in Tioman for picking up passengers to Mersing and delivering supplies from the mainland. If you've bought a one way ticket to Tioman from Mersing, there is a counter open in the marina run by Bluewater ferries that provides return tickets.

A stretch of gravel road runs throughout Tekek, allowing the use of cars and other vehicles to move around town. From Berjaya Tioman Resort, the road will pass by restaurants, sundry shops and duty-free outlets, crossing a few small rivers along the way. The marina, tourist information center and airport (which operates flights from Subang Jaya Airport in Kuala Lumpur and Seletar Airport in Singapore) is located in the middle of Tekek. Bicycles and motorbikes can be rented easily from shops that are concentrated mostly in the southern end. As the road heads north, visitors will get t6o see small villages, souvenir shops and finally reach the marine park at the end.

After the marine park, the road transcends to a series of steps and strips of pavement through a hilly forest that lead to ABC, otherwise known as Ayer Batang, another tourist beach in Tioman. Beware of the pesky monkeys that like to hang around this area which often harrass visitors for food. Tekek also has the only bank, run by Bank Simpanan Nasional, that will change international currencies along with an ATM machine.

A stretch of gravel road runs throughout Tekek, allowing the use of cars and other vehicles to move around town. From Berjaya Tioman Resort, the road will pass by restaurants, sundry shops and duty-free outlets, crossing a few small rivers along the way. The marina, tourist information center and airport (which operates flights from Subang Jaya Airport in Kuala Lumpur and Seletar Airport in Singapore) is located in the middle of Tekek.

Bicycles and motorbikes can be rented easily from shops that are concentrated mostly in the south As the road heads north, visitors will pass by small villages, souvenir shops and finally reach the marine park at the end. Taxis in the form of vans and jeeps provide transportation around Tekek at exorbitant rates.

If you have a pair of legs, it's better to just walk even if getting from one end to the other feels long. Otherwise, rent a bicycle. If you would like to visit Juara Village on the other other side of the island, visitors can use the new connecting gravel road from near the Tioman Dive Center, or the old cross-island jungle trail from the middle of town. The jungle trail actually cuts back to the new road about midway before approaching Juara. Tourists and visitors in Tekek will also notice many large fruit bats, known as flying foxes, sleeping among the tree canopies scattered around town. During the evening, these majestic bats will swarm the air in search of fruits and insects. Another common sight are large monitor lizards that will lie in a languid state across the roads and small paths that wind around Tekek.

These oversized lizards also enjoy swimming in the canals and rivers around Tekek, and vistors unfamiliar with the local wildlife will often mistake them for miniature crocodiles. There are only a few stretches of beach in Tekek, the largest and most pristine lying along the Berjaya Tioman Resort stretch and just over the hill, fronting Barbura Seaview Resort and Swiss Cottage Suites. While the Berjaya beach is located in a private area, most visitors can just walk in or stroll from the connecting beach before the hotel grounds. The only other beach lies at the northern end, where it is peppered with rocks and the sea at this side is often filled with sediment from the nearby construction of a new port. If beaches are on your priority list, then the other villages in Tioman will be better destinations, unless you're staying in Berjaya. On the bright side, you can enjoy a wide range of facilities and duty-free shopping in Tekek.