Tioman Island is one of the stunning islands in the world, but it is densely forested without many inhabitants. The island is surrounded by coral reefs, which makes it the most sought-after scuba diving destination.

The best season to visit Tioman island is from March to October. You can find resorts of different budgets in the island for accommodation. The island will become almost desolated from October end to March beginning. Most of the resorts will be closed November to February.

Kuala Lumpur (KL) to Tioman

As Mersing is the gateway to reach Tioman Island, you have to first go to Mersing Jetty or Tanjung Gemok Jetty from Kuala Lumpur. From any of these jetties, you can take a ferry service to Tioman Island. Ferry service is the only option to reach Tioman from Mersing or Tanjung Gemok. The most common options to reach both jetties from Kuala Lumpur are to take a car or bus as the only flight, Berjaya Air, had cancelled all its flights to Tioman Island.

Bus from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing

The most preferred way for tourists to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Tioman Island is:

1. Take a bus from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing
2. Take a ferry from Mersing to Tioman Island

The pick up address for passengers in Kuala Lumpur is TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan) and the drop off is Mersing bus terminal. S&S International Express & Transnasional are the preferred buses going to Mersing from Kuala Lumpur.

Buy Bus Tickets Online

Now you can buy bus tickets online if you are traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing. The early morning bus departs at 9AM and the night bus departs at 11:30PM for Mersing. You can buy the bus ticket online here from KL to Mersing. Alternatively, you can also book the bus ticking online by clicking here.

Driving from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing Jetty

If you are taking a rental car or taxi from Kuala Lumpur, then the best road to take is the North-South Highway and drive towards south. Exit at Segamat and continue towards east on Route 50 to Kluang and then to Mersing. You can also take East Coast Highway from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan and then take Route No: 3 towards South passing through Pekan and Rompin to reach Mersing. The approximate driving time from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing is 4 hours.

People who are familiar with the routes can take shorter and less crowded roads that passes through oil plantations, but recommended to have a daytime driving. One of the shorter routes is from Kuala Lumpur to Kual Pilah and then to the Banda Muadzam Shah. The exit of this route will be between Endau and Mersing, and then continue southwards to Mersing. Another shorter route is to go to Kluang from Kuala Lumpur, and then to NITAR. From NITAR, you can go to Mersing from avoiding the winding roads.

At the Mersing Jetty, you can find a car parking area that charges approximately around RM 8/day. If you’re renting a car from Kuala Lumpur then you might need to get one that has GPS map service in the car. This will help you get to the location easier.

Driving from Kuala Lumpur to Tanjung Gemok Jetty

Tanjung Gemok is the nearest jetty, if you are starting your journey from Kuala Lumpur. If you are driving from Kuala Lumpur to Tanjung Gemok, take the North-South Highway and exit at Seremban. From there, travel through the Kluang route to Kuala Pilah and Muadzam Shah, and then drive through the coastal road to reach Tanjung Gemok. The traveling time from Kuala Lumpur to Tanjung Gemok by car is 3 hours 30 minutes.

Buses from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing Jetty

Buses take around 6 hours of traveling time from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing. Transnational buses are going to and from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing route every day for several times. Buses start from Tasik Selatan Bus Terminal, which is situated in south of Kuala Lumpur and ends the journey at the Mersing Bus Station.

One way ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Mersing costs RM 29.80. Buses are available at 9am, 12.30pm, 6pm, and 11.30 pm from Kuala Lumpur. You have to walk for about 10 minutes from the Mersing station to the jetty. If you have lots of luggage, then you can take a taxi to the jetty that costs RM 8 (Ringgit).

When taking the evening bus, you have to keep in mind that you might need to spend a night in Mersing as there are no ferry services that goes to Tioman Island at night.

Click here to Buy Bus Ticket Online

Bus from Kuala Lumpur to Tanjung Gemok

All Transnational buses coming from the Kuala Lumpur stop at Tanjung Gemok while going to Mersing. If you would like to get down at Tanjung Gemok, just inform the bus driver to stop.

Click here to Buy Bus Ticket Online

By Ferry from Mersing Jetty & Tanjung Gemok Jetty

If you get down at Tanjung Gemok, you can take the ferry from Tanjung Gemok to Tioman Island. One way ferry ticket to Tioman from Tanjung Gemok is RM 30. The traveling time from Tanjung Gemok to Tioman is 1 hour 30 minutes. The one way ticket cost for the ferry from Mersing Jetty to Tioman is RM 45. The traveling time to reach Tioman from Mersing Jetty is also 1 hour 30 minutes.

Book a Ferry Ticket Online

The traveling time and departing time also depend on the sea conditions. The ferries leave the jetties between 10am and 4pm. The journey from Kuala Lumpur to Tioman Island is full of adventure. Do share your adventure with us by adding comments below.

Have a safe trip to Tioman Island!