Three-Week Paradise: Juara, Pulau Tioman, Malaysia

Three-Week Paradise:  Juara, Pulau Tioman, Malaysia
(March 9^th-March 27^th   2015)

by Andrew Hallam

If I ever disappear from society—to escape the rat race—you could probably find me on Pulau Tioman.  Specifically, I’ll be in the village of Juara, on the island’s east coast.  I’ve been coming here at least once a year for the past 12 years.  So what’s the appeal?

We love the people.  We love the food.  We love the beach.  We love the simple, laid-back lifestyle.  And, as is the case with most out-of-the way tropical island paradises, it’s filled with characters.   Footloose and fancy free, the expats here say no to regular jobs.  They say no to investing money for their futures.  The Americans we meet say no to filing taxes.  But they say yes to a lifestyle of sun, surf, leisure and socializing.

We stayed at Riverview for the first few days, courtesy of Richard and Simon (owners of Little Planet).  Pele was going to be working for a week with a student group coming over from the German European School of Singapore. 

She ended up really enjoying the experience.  Shortly after, our friends (Keith and Annika) brought their two kids, Kaidan and Kianna, to Bushman Resort.  

We stayed at Rainbow chalets, close by.  And we hiked to the waterfall, went kayaking, hung out at the Turtle Project area, swam and lounged about.

Shortly after they left, Pele and I took the taxi to Tekek, on the other side of the island.  From there, we decided to hike to Salang.  It took about 4 hours, mostly through a dense, rooted jungle. 

The trees were much as they are at Cambodia’s Anchor Wat.  They wrap their roots around giant boulders.

Salang is isolated, but more touristy than the rest of Tioman.  It has at least four dive shops, a decent (although not great) beach and accommodation for as little as 50 RM a night ($13.50 USD is what we paid).  Below, Andrew takes you on a 43 second guided tour of what $13.50 USD looks like.  And after viewing this it may be clear why we travel by ourselves. 

The next day, we headed back and hiked to Paya, another 2 hours past Tekek.  Wak, a local from Juara, told Pele that the only other place he’d want to live is the village of Paya.  He likes the fact that it’s smaller than Juara.  Let’s put this into perspective.  Juara has 300 residents.  Paya may be a third of the size of Juara’s population.  If that. 

The following day, before heading to the ferry in Tekek, we walked from Paya to Genting, where the road comes to an end.  The only way to reach resorts farther south is by boat.  

We had always wanted to hike the path connecting villages on the west side of Tioman.  Most of it was through jungle and most of it hugged the coastline.  Our 3 days of exploring were well worth it. 

Tioman is a beautiful island with hidden treasures. And it holds a special place in our hearts.  A place to escape the craziness of everyday life in the 'civilized' working world.  One day, who knows, we may be one of those characters you meet living the simple life in Juara.