Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 469

DIVE OPERATORS
Many dive centres on Tioman offer the range of PADI certifi-
cates, from the four-day Open Water course (usually around
RM1000) through to the fourteen-day Divemaster (RM2000);
always check that qualified English-speaking instructors are
employed, and that the cost includes equipment.

ask at your guesthouse for the departure times from the
particular bay you're staying in - the first boat leaves Salang
at 7am, stopping at each jetty in turn, and the last is at mid-
afternoon (around 4pm). Bad weather causes delays and the
unscrupulous boat companies often pick up more passengers
than the boat is designed for, meaning that some end up
standing all the way back to Mersing (and it also mean that
there are not enough life jackets for everyone).

WEST COAST
B & J Dive Centre T 09 419 5555, W divetioman.com. This
friendly, long-standing outfit on Ayer Batang is a good choice,
with the advantage of an open-air pool, so skills don't have to
be practised in the unpredictable sea currents. Four-day/
three-night PADI Open Water courses from RM1250, includ-
ing accommodation. They have a sister outfit at Salang beach.
Eco-Divers T 09 419 1794, W eco-divers.net. Also on
Ayer Batang, this is a slightly smaller centre than B & J,
with friendly staff. Half-day Discover Scuba courses from
RM200; Open Water RM1050.

6

GETTING AROUND
Bicycle and sea-kayak rental Several places in Ayer
Batang, Salang, Tekek and Juara rent bicycles for around
RM5/hr or RM25/day. Navigable routes are limited, since
most bays are separated by rocky jungle paths and you'll
have to carry your bike over. Sea kayaks are available for
rent in most bays for around RM10/hr; be aware of the sea
conditions and the tides.
Boat taxis These operate from the majority of
guesthouses. Based on a two-person minimum, sample
prices from ABC are as follows: Tekek (RM25); Salang
(RM30); Juara (RM150). If you're the only passenger, you
may have to pay more.
4WD taxi Unless you're planning on taking the jungle trail
across the island between Tekek and Juara, your only
option (besides the expensive boat) is a 4WD taxi, costing
around R35/person each way. The narrow cross-island road
is very steep and potholed in places, so while it's doable by
bike, brakes and tyres have to be in excellent condition and
you really have to watch out for vehicles.

EAST COAST
1511 Asia T 09 419 3101, W 1511asia.com. This resort
on Juara offers a range of activities, including windsurfing,
kitesurfing, island hopping, snorkelling and scuba diving.

ACCOMMODATION
AY E R B ATA N G
ABC T 013 922 0263, E [e-mail]. At
the far northern end of the bay, with pretty, inexpensive
chalets set in a well-tended garden by a nice stretch of beach.

TRAVEL TO AND FROM JOHOR BAHRU
The big, busy city of Johor Bahru (or JB), right across the border from Singapore, is an excellent
transport hub with bus, train and plane connections to all main destinations in Malaysia and
frequent ferries to Indonesia.
By plane There are Malaysia Airlines and
AirAsia flights from Senai Airport ( T 07 599
4500), 20km north of the city, to: Kota
Kinabalu (daily; 2hr 15min); Kuching (3 daily;
1hr 25min); Kuala Lumpur (at least 6 daily;
45min); Penang (2 daily; 1hr 5min); and other
destinations. You can stay in Singapore and
at the same time take advantage of far
cheaper flights to East Malaysia from JB.
By bus Larkin bus station is 4km north of
the centre on Jln Geruda. The city transit bus
#170 and the Singapore-Johor Bahru
Express connect it to Singapore's Queen
Street station (every 15min; 30min; RM2.20)
and there are long-distance buses to
destinations along both coasts of Malaysia,
such as Butterworth (at least 2 daily; 14hr);
Ipoh (4 daily; 9hr); Kota Bharu (2 daily; 12hr);
Kuala Lumpur (every 30min; 4hr 30min);
Kuala Terengganu (2 daily; 8hr); Kuantan

(6 daily; 5hr); Malacca (5 daily; 2hr 30min);
Mersing (at least 5 daily; 2hr 30min).
By train JB Sentral is slightly east of the city
centre, off Jln Tun Abdul Razak, with regular
connections to Singapore, destinations along
Malaysia's west coast and some towns in the
interior: Gemas (4 daily; 3-4hr); Kuala Lumpur
(4 daily; 5hr 30min-7hr 10min); Singapore (6
daily; 1hr). There are no direct trains from JB
to Kota Bharu along the Jungle Railway (see
p.449), but you can travel north as far as
Gemas and change trains there. Check
W ktmb.com.my for the latest schedules.
By ferry The Zon Ferry Terminal ( T 07 221
1677) is 2km east of the Causeway, with
departures to the Indonesian destinations of
Tanjung Pinang (6 daily; 1hr 30min) and
Pulau Batam (hourly; 1hr 30min). There are
also boats departing from Kukup, southwest
of JB, which go to Tanjung Balai, Sumatra.