Tioman Island

Tioman Island

Tioman Island (locally known as Pulau Tioman) is a small island located 32 km off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia in the state of Pahang, and is some 39 km long and 12 km wide. It has eight main villages, the largest and most populous being Kampung Tekek in the north. The densely forested island is sparsely inhabited, and is surrounded by numerous coral reefs, making it a popular scuba diving spot. There are also a lot of resorts and chalets around the island.

Its beaches were depicted in the 1958 movie, "South Pacific" as Bali Hai. In the 1970s, "TIME Magazine" selected Tioman as one of the world's most beautiful islands.

Apart from its diverse marine life, the inland rainforest area, encompassing approximately 12,383 hectares, in Tioman is a strictly enforced nature reserve. There are several protected species of mammals on the island, including the Binturong, Long-tailed Macaque, Slow Loris, Black Giant Squirrel, Red Giant Flying Squirrel, Mouse deer, Brush-tailed Porcupine, and Common Palm Civet, from a total of 45 species of mammals and 138 species of birds, including the majestic Frigatebird. Moreover, Tioman has species that are endemic to its shores. The soft-shelled turtle and the Tioman walking catfish are both unique and can be seen on rainforest walks.

The island is served by ferries from the Malaysian mainland, and a propeller plane service by Berjaya Air from the Seletar Airport in Singapore and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Kuala Lumpur.

History

Tioman has been used for thousands of years by fishermen as an important navigation point and a source of fresh water and wood. During the past thousand years, it has played host to Chinese, Arab, and European trading ships, and often porcelain shards can be found on beaches around the island.

In more recent history, Tioman played host to both the British and the Japanese during the Second World War, and the waters around the island are littered with war remains (including HMS "Repulse" and HMS "Prince of Wales").

Legend

According to legend, Tioman Island is the resting place of a beautiful dragon princess. Whilst flying from China to visit her prince in Singapore, this beautiful maiden stopped to seek solace in the crystal-clear waters of the South China Sea. Enraptured by the charms of the place, she decided to discontinue her journey. By taking the form of an island, she pledged to offer shelter and comfort to passing travelers.

ee also

*Tioman Airport
*List of islands of Malaysia
*List of islands in the South China Sea

External links

*


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tioman Island (Malaysia) — Hotels: Berjaya Beach Resort Tioman Island (Tioman Island) …   International hotels

  • Tioman Island — ▪ island, Malaysia Malay  Pulau Tioman , Tioman also spelled  Tiuman        island in the South China Sea, about 40 miles (65 km) off Kuala Rompin, Peninsular (West) Malaysia. It has an area of 53 square miles (137 square km) and is 13 miles (21… …   Universalium

  • Berjaya Beach Resort Tioman Island (Tioman Island) — Berjaya Beach Resort Tioman Island country: Malaysia, city: Tioman Island (Tioman Island) Berjaya Beach Resort Tioman Island The Berjaya Beach Resort is located in the Tioman Island. The tropical paradise of Tioman Island is located off the east… …   International hotels

  • Tioman Airport — Infobox Airport name = Tioman Airport nativename = Lapangan Terbang Tioman IATA = TOD ICAO = WMBT type = Public owner = operator = Malaysia Airports Berhad city served = Tioman Island, Malaysia location = elevation f = 13 elevation m = 3.9… …   Wikipedia

  • Tioman — Vorlage:Infobox Insel/Wartung/Fläche fehlt Tioman Blick auf einen typischen Strand Gewässer Sü …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tioman virus — Taxobox name = PAGENAME virus group = v ordo = Mononegavirales familia = Paramyxoviridae genus = Not assigned species = Tioman virus Tioman virus is a paramyxovirus first isolated from the urine of island fruit bats ( Pteropus hypomelanus ) on… …   Wikipedia

  • Tioman — Île Tioman Pulau Tioman Géographie Pays …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Island — For other uses, see Island (disambiguation). British Isles …   Wikipedia

  • Isla Tioman — Pulau Tioman playa de la isla Localización País …   Wikipedia Español

  • Pulau Tioman — Blick auf einen typischen Strand Tioman (malaiisch: Pulau Tioman) ist eine malaiische Insel im Südchinesischen Meer. Sie liegt etwa 50 km östlich vor dem Festland der malaiischen Halbinsel. Tioman besteht aus mehreren Dörfern, die größtenteils… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”