Coral reefs
Snorkelling and diving in clear water.
Yousha Bin Younus — CC BY 3.0 · Matthias Bethke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yousha Bin Younus — CC BY 3.0
A mountainous island cloaked in dense forest, about twenty kilometres long, with seven small villages scattered along its shores, the largest being Tekek on the west coast, and ringed by coral reefs that make it one of Malaysia's best-known diving and snorkelling spots, within a protected marine park. Sailors have used it for thousands of years as a landmark and a source of fresh water and timber, and Chinese, Arab and European trading ships called here on their way to the kingdom of Champa; shards of old Chinese porcelain still turn up on its beaches. Today resorts and chalets are spread around it, and each village has its own character: Salang in the north for snorkellers, Air Batang for peace and quiet, and Juara on the east coast, with its long beach and waves that draw surfers. The marine park conservation fee is thirty ringgit for foreign adults, and the island has duty-free status. The best season is March to October; from November to February the north-east monsoon blows hard, ferries thin out and many resorts close. Ferries from Mersing take about two hours and call at the west-coast villages; their times follow the tides, so book ahead. Allow at least two or three days.
Snorkelling and diving in clear water.
Salang, Juara and Tekek.
Old Chinese porcelain on the beaches.
In the South China Sea about 39 km offshore, by ferry from Mersing
From March to October, when the sea is calm and the water clear for snorkelling. From November to February the monsoon churns the sea, ferries thin out and many resorts close.