Tourist Tips

Tioman has attracted many tourists for the last several decades and continues to grow in popularity and development with each passing year. Outlined in this section are tips on visiting Pulau Tioman, understanding its local culture and guides on dealing with the natives, whether in business or through social interaction. Hopefully, these tips will help you plan and prepare for a visit to Tioman in the best possible way.

For most of the year, Tioman is ideal for visiting. It has a hot and humid tropical climate, with sunny afternoons, warm evenings and nights that are cooled by the gentle sea breeze. Temperatures are usually consistent and the calm weather peppered with occasional showers or storms. The months where the monsoon winds blow clouds of rain and lightning start from October onwards and lasts till January. However, you can still sneak in a visit just before the middle of November; that's only when the weather truly becomes rough. Hence, October would be the best time to go if you want to save money, as the hotels and resorts that stay open will drop their rates dramatically. But once the monsoon hits, the seas become choppy and filled with strong waves that churn up mud and sediment. The only suitable water activity for this time is surfing!

While Tioman has become an important tourist destination, commercial development is still considered relatively low compared to other islands. This is a good thing as it preserves the charm and environment of Tioman but yet makes accessing convenient facilities a little difficult. Kampung Tekek is the largest village in Tioman and is where you can find all the services and amenities you need. The only bank in Tioman (Bank Simpanan Nasional) is located near the marina. It has an ATM machine while the bank is a money changer that accepts international currencies. The newly built marina in Tekek is also a berth for yachts, though not as well equipped as those in Langkawi.

Broadband internet is available in most places around Tekek, including the luxury resorts and select budget chalets. Rates usually go for MYR10 per hour. There are two clinics; one in Tekek and the other one in Kampung Paya if you ever need to see the doctor. Most of the sundry shops are well stocked with cures for mild ailments, such as aspirin, antiseptics and creams for insect bites. Some of them even have guitar picks and strings, so you won't miss out on an instrumental evening by the beach. As Tioman is a sleepy island, most places will close by 10 pm, so be prepared to get all your things before late night.

While Tioman is indeed a beautiful island, the people are not as friendly as you think. To most people, the tropical beauty of an island seem to connote warm and cheerful natives who are only too eager to greet and share their goodness with visitors. Tioman has warm beaches, blue waters and a lush landscape, but you'll be hard pressed to find among the locals anyone without a deceitful smile. This is not to say that everyone who lives on Tioman is terrible, but that greed and selfishness built up over the years of tourist influx has caused many to become obsessed with making money over friends. The sincerity and honesty you would expect of countryside folks is completely lacking in Tioman as almost everyone is out to make a buck off you.

This becomes more acute if you happen to visit during the off peak monsoon months, as everyone will try to wring as much money as they can from what little tourists are on the island. There is a big distinction between locals and tourists in their treatment, from the cheapest budget chalets to the most luxurious beach resorts and the smallest hawker stall to the largest seafood restaurants. A double standard exists, as locals get special 'kampung' prices, which refer to their village background, from most businesses, restaurants and shops in Tioman while tourists and visitors are charged the 'full' price.

Charging different prices between visitors and natives may be acceptable in most places, but not when the price gap is so wide that it borders on cheating. Most locals also lose their warmth and friendliness once they realise you do not have money to spend on their goods and services. The people of Tioman need to regain an honest spirit and realise that people are not just drawn to beautiful landscapes, but by sincere character and dedicated service of its people. Scamming and conning visitors and tourists who are not used to the local culture will only leave a repulsive impression.

Unfortunately, most visitors are too dense or too naive to realise that they are being scammed and continue to adopt a mistaken mindset about the islanders. If you do not speak at least the national language of Malay or have not done any research on the internet (forums and websites) about Tioman, then you might not well be aware when inflated prices are quoted to you at a chalet resort, cough up crazy sums of money for bland seafood, be overcharged when buying a ferry ticket and so on...

Despite the rampant cheating and dishonest attitude of most in Tioman, it is quite safe to get around without fear of being robbed or mugged at machete point. The locals know that violent crime is bad business for tourists, and keep such pursuits mostly among themselves. Still, you are not advised to leave your valuables out in the open, such as on the table of your chalet balcony or lying on the beach while you go swimming. Thefts are common, and no one will hesitate to grab at whatever opportunity arises. Do not for a single moment assume that people living on islands do not steal. Always keep your cash, cards, jewellery and other valuable stuff close to you. Never leave your door unlocked and always be on the alert for prowlers. Hopefully, all these tips will leave you with a better understanding of Tioman so that you can truly enjoy your vacation there!