A 3D2N Tioman Getaway That Every Singaporean Should Do

If you’re looking for a relaxing weekend getaway to revitalise your weary soul, read on to find out how we spent our weekend at Paya Beach resort in Tioman.

1. Climb a 300 year old mother willow tree

Not what you expect of a typical beach getaway, but hey, this was definitely worth the 30 minute forest trek! At the beginning we were skeptical as to whether it was going to be lame, but nope, definitely not lame at all.

On the contrary, it was so cool! Imagine chancing upon this humongous willow tree that’s at least more than 300 years old in the middle of a forest! And not only that, you also get to climb it! That was definitely the highlight for us monkeys! 😀

Can you spot me?!

An easy 30 mins forest trek suitable for all beginners. It was such a magical moment standing in front of this towering beauty, that we could almost imagine little fairies and sparkles flying amongst the hanging twisted vines!

Or if you rather not trek on foot, you can splurge on an ATV ride instead!

FOR THE LESS AGILE FOLKS, TAKE NOTE!

You can consider riding an ATV to the Mother Willow too! You will be able to ride almost all the way and park your ATV where it’s just 5 minutes away from the tree. It costs 150RM for a single rider or 180RM for a double seater for a 90mins ride!

2. Spot reef sharks while you snorkel or dive

Tioman has always been a popular spot for diving and it’s embarrassing to admit that till date, we’ve yet to dive here. But we’ve always felt that Tioman was probably overrated and that there’s nothing much to see. Well, we were so so wrong.

We didn’t dive this time and snorkelled instead and guess what we saw! We were so amazed to be able to spot a shark while snorkelling! Not once, but trice! The only other time that we saw a shark was when we dived in Sipadan! Apparently these sharks are residents here in Tioman and it’s not uncommon to see them.

Snorkelling in Tioman was much better than we expected. Visibility was perfect and fishes were in abundance. Though they’re probably here because of hoomans that kept feeding them bread. We don’t encourage such a practice though, hey you’re messing up the ecosystem!

Reef shark spotted while snorkelling in Tioman!

DIVERS TAKE NOTE

The good thing about diving in Tioman is that there’s no flight to catch if you’re travelling from Singapore. Hence you’ll be able to easily fit in 3-4 dives during this short getaway! You can add on the Diving Package when you book your accommodation directly with the resort.

3. Knead your stress away at the Paya Tropical Holistic Spa

This was exactly what we needed to soothe our tired legs and bodies after all the snorkelling and trekking! We did the Paya Classic Massage and highly recommend it! The ambience was really nice and the masseurs did a great job at kneading our tight knots.

4. Chill at the beach and enjoy the sunset

This was after all supposed to be a relaxing getaway, so put away your to do list, and simply just chill and do nothing at the beach! Listen to the hypnotic sounds of the crashing waves as you allow your eyes to feast on the gorgeous setting sun.

Essential information

WHERE WE STAYED AT IN TIOMAN

Paya Beach Spa & Dive Resort – we stayed in their superior beachfront room and it was directly facing the sea! The rooms were very spacious and we really loved waking up to the sounds of the waves. We booked a 3D2N full board package with them which included all meals and a snorkelling trip. Do note that this package is only available on their website!

HOW TO GET TO TIOMAN FROM SINGAPORE

You will need to book a coach from Singapore (we boarded at Singapore Flyer) to Mersing (~4hrs) and then take the ferry from Mersing and alight at the second stop (Kampong Paya ~1.5hrs).

Alternatively, for those coming from Singapore, you can add on the return coach and ferry tickets when you book your room/package directly with Paya Beach Resort and they will settle everything for you! 🙂 Ps. this is a much cheaper option than booking the transportation on your own separately!