Tioman in Early May

The seas en-route to Tioman from Singapore is no longer predictably calm in mid March. Early April may also bring periodic rough seas & strong winds for a few days. Come early April to mid May, the weather usually calms down predictably when the winds change from North-Easterly to Easterly to a Southerly direction. By this time it has lost all its velocity and reduces to a mere 2-3 knots of breeze. The wind only picks up when its rains, usually from Convection clouds that build up over the South China Sea and relief clouds hovering over the many Islands south of and including Pulau Tioman. Nothing much has changed physically in these seas. The locals still fish usually traditional wooden boats and enterprising locals cater to the tourism industry offered by these tranquil Islands and beautiful crystal clear waters. I must commend the local authorities for having done a good job of preserving this natural habitat and restoring the corals & marine life back to health. We had a wonderful dive at the Northern tip of Pulau Tulai. The corals & fish life was amazing. Only thing missing were the large schools of Trevally and Barracuda.

Tioman on the morning of 8th May 2016

Customs & Immigration Clearance at Sisters Island. Channel 74: Western Immigration  

Triple 350 Yamaha Outboards. Comfortable Cursing Speed: 29 knots. Top Speed: 43 knots

Edmund Lee owner & Captain of the Pursuit 385 Express Cruiser

Fred Chua, my boating kaki the past 26 yrs

Washing down the gears after a dive off Pulau Tulai, Tioman

Direction to Tioman. Pulau Tinggi is the Island in the background

First Stop; Pulau Yu. A popular fishing spot for locals and a sanctuary for sea birds. A pleasant half-way stop to Tioman 

Pu Yu

Dinner Choice; Ikan bakar at the Malay Restaurant or Chinese Seafood, both 3 mins walk from Cheers Chalet.

WF with Hasnol the CIQ agent and Zan the fishing pawang

All calm alongside Tioman Marina

CHEERS Chalet where we usually stay

Fred Chua, our  Dive Master buddy

WF relaxing on the way back to Pulau Yu

We took a short ride to Berjaya Resort to check out the place. I'm glad we stayed at CHEERS