About Sibu-Tinggi Marine Parks
Pulau Tinggi erupted out of the ground around 6000 years ago, and the chain reaction of its eruption resulted in the rest of the archipelago. It is one of the longest volcanic island chains in the entire of Malaysia. Each of the two larger islands sustain a variety of different biomes, ranging from mangroves, to dense jungle, and shrubland. Hikes on Sibu Besar and Tinggi islands are a great way to experience this variety.
These islands are now Marine Parks. Sibu-Tinggi lies to the southwest of the Seri Buat archipelago, which encompasses the Marine Park islands of two Malaysian states, Johor and Pahang. Among them, two are inhabited and host tourism, Pulau Sibu Besar and Pulau Tinggi. The Marine Park centre is located on the larger of the two, Pulau Tinggi, and is also the Marine Parks office for the whole Johor Marine Parks.
The Sibu-Tinggi islands also lie within the broader Mersing ArchipelagoImportant Marine Mammal Area (IMMA), which also has the largest seagrass meadow in Peninsular Malaysia. Moreover, the seagrass habitat supports a herd of resident dugong - if you're lucky you might see these shy animals around the islands!
Unplug & unwind in Sibu-Tinggi
Pulau Sibu Besar (commonly, Pulau Sibu) is the smaller of the two main islands, but hosts a wider range of tourism accommodations. These range from eco-luxury at Rimba Resort to simple homestays and chalets, suitable for both domestic and international tourists seeking a tropical island retreat. By contrast, tourism in Pulau Tinggi is very local, and mainly for the domestic tourist. It has a single resort in Tanjung Balang, but otherwise the accommodations are small chalets with local village hosts.
Unlike the busy islands to the north, Sibu-Tinggi retains a slow rural pace and an understated vibe of the simple kampung life. Tourism is small capacity, owned either by local villagers or long-term island residents. Sustainability is interwoven into self-sufficiency as part of a fairly secluded island life. On the peaceful beaches, turtles nest for most of the year. Beyond the main islands, the outer islands of the archipelago are surrounded by healthy coral and fish life, and provide world class diving to all ranges of dive experience.
What does Sibu Island look like?
Pulau Sibu is an adorable little island, with two sections connected at a narrow neck where you can walk between two beaches on either side of the island.
The village lies on the southern portion, where the land is relatively flat. The homes lie within a charming coconut grove. Wandering about are the island's iconic free range sheep and cows, simultaneously tame and yet no longer quite domesticated.
Despite its small size, Sibu Island has a broad range of coastal habitats: rocky shore, mangrove, sandy beach, rainforest, coral reef, and seagrass. A half-day's hike will take you through the terrestrial biomes on the island.
What does Tinggi Island look like?
Pulau Tinggi, as its name suggests, is tall. A single forested peak dominates the island's silhouette, its foothills spreading towards the sea. Its jungle trails wait to be explored.
The islanders are spread by the terrain between two villages, Tanjung Balang to the south, and Pasir Panjang to the west. A line of small islets to the south of Tanjung Balang are excellent for snorkelling.
Meanwhile, there is a legendary well in Pasir Panjang, Perigi Hang Tuah. According to local folklore, the famous Melaka admiral Hang Tuah had once anchored at Tinggi Island while sailing back from Pahang, and had dug the well.
What is the weather like in the Sibu-Tinggi archipelago?
Malaysia has an equatorial climate, with year-round uniform temperatures above 25 degrees Celcius (typically ~30 degrees Celcius) and high humidity. Daily temperature range is no more than 10 degrees, rarely coming below 20 degrees Celsius except for the highlands, requiring minimal adjustment to clothing throughout the day. Day length is consistently between 12 to 13 hours throughout the year.
Rainfall in Malaysia is frequent throughout the year, with some seasonal variation from the monsoon season changes. The Sibu-Tinggi islands are located in the broader Seri Buat archipelago in the South China Sea, off the southeast coast of the Malaysian peninsula. Thus, while they undergo the same monsoon periods as the islands further north along the coast and into the Gulf Thailand, the effects are weaker. Nonetheless, the northeast monsoon brings heavy rainfall and high winds to the islands, with peak monsoon occurring between December and January.
In the opposite southwest monsoon, the weather turns sunny and relatively dry. The skies are clearest near the peak of the season, good not only for beach activities but also for stargazing, and perfect timing for the Perseids meteor shower.
33°C - Precipitation
- Rain Chance
When is the best time to visit Sibu-Tinggi?
Tourist reason in the Sibu-Tinggi Marine Parks begins around March, which is when the monsoon begins to change. The tourism season is typically between April and October. However, the shoulder period between March-June and September-October is best for quieter retreats, while having some of the best weather.
The weather begins to turn in sometime in November, and resorts begin to close for the monsoon. Being close to the mainland, the islands can be reached in the off season, but the sea is rough - you'd better bring your surfboard than your snorkel gear!
Note that Malaysian public and school holidays will also affect tourist arrivals. Malaysia is a multi-cultural country celebrating holidays according to several calendar systems. Thus, some major Malaysian holiday periods do not occur on the same months every year. It is best to consult the holiday calendar before booking your trip.
Getting to Sibu & Tinggi islands
The main gateway to the Sibu & Tinggi islands is the Tanjung Leman jetty, a small boat terminal about 35km south from the town of Mersing (70km by road). An overland journey to Tanjung Leman + speedboat transfer is the easiest way to go to Sibu-Tinggi. The islands are only about 16km from Tanjung Leman. The journey typically takes about half an hour by speedboat.
Boat transfers to Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi resorts depart from Tanjung Leman, and are usually included in the holiday package. There may be private transfer options directly from Singapore, depending on the resort. The boat transfer normally does not include the Marine Park fee, which you can pay at a dedicated counter in the jetty terminal.
It is also possible to charter a boat from Mersing to go to Sibu-Tinggi. Going from Mersing is an option you can consider if you don't drive, as there are more transport options to Mersing than to Tanjung Leman. The town also has more accommodations for any necessary layovers. However, the distance is further and therefore the boat fare will be higher. The speedboat transfer to Sibu-Tinggi from Mersing takes about 45 minutes.
The nearest airport to Tanjung Leman is Senai (Johor Bahru) International Airport. There are frequent domestic flights from Malaysia's international airports, e.g. KLIA and Penang. From the airport, take a taxi to Tanjung Leman. The journey is about 120 km and takes approximately 2 hours.
If you are arriving in Changi (Singapore) however, the journey to Tanjung Leman is slightly longer. It would take at least 3 hours, depending on border clearance into Malaysia and overall traffic.
You can also easily drive to Tanjung Leman, although it can be a long drive unless you're coming from the south of the peninsula. This is a good option if you plan to stop to explore other destinations along the way. Note that many Malaysians return to hometowns for major festivals. If travelling from the west coast, the highways can experience significant traffic jams in the days immediately before and after holiday periods.
The Tanjung Leman jetty terminal has a parking area where you can leave your car for the duration of your trip to the islands. There is nominal daily parking fee.
There is a ferry option from Singapore, although the ferry does not go to Tanjung Leman. Operated by BatamFast, the ferry departs from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal next to Changi Airport.
The Singapore-Malaysia route goes to Tanjung Pengelih jetty and Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal. The boat trip from Singapore to Tanjung Pengelih and Desaru takes 45 minutes and 1hr 30 minutes, respectively. From these terminals, the overland journey onward to Tanjung Leman takes 1 hr 40 mins and 1 hr 15 mins, respectively.
The ferry option is best suited for weekend getaways to Sibu-Tinggi. This is because there is a lot of traffic flow between Singapore and Johor Bahru, especially around the weekend (Friday and Sunday). Taking the ferry avoids this weekend causeway traffic and immigration queue at the more popular causeway border.
There are no bus options to Tanjung Leman. To go to Sibu-Tinggi by bus, you need to get on a bus to Mersing. From Mersing, either charter a boat to the Sibu-Tinggi islands, or hire a car to Tanjung Leman jetty.
If you are travelling from Kuala Lumpur, the journey takes between 4.5 to 6 hours to Mersing. However, traffic jams on the highways during the festive seasons may significantly lengthen the journey.
Note that boat transfers to Sibu and Tinggi Islands are timed according to the tide. Depending on when your bus arrives in Mersing, it may be a good idea to spend the night before departing for Tanjung Leman, as there may not be available accommodations there.
Getting around in Sibu-Tinggi
Pulau Sibu is a very small island, measuring only about 5km. Although the island has some hilly and forested areas, much of it is quite flat. So it is fairly easy to hike around the entire island in a single day. This means that you can easily visit the village, no matter where you stay on the island.
On the other hand, while Pulau Tinggi is not much bigger, it is rounder and heavily forested. The two villages are not easily reached by land. Visiting Pulau Tinggi means sticking to your beach, venturing out mainly on island-hopping trips.
There are no regular boats that go between Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi.
Planning a sustainable holiday in the Sibu & Tinggi islands
The Sibu-Tinggi islands are best for quiet retreats in a small village setting. Use our map to get to know the sustainable resorts on Pulau Sibu. Expect very local, simple holidays in Pulau Tinggi.
Click on the icons on the map for more information. Open more map layers by clicking the drawer icon next to the map title.
Contact us here if you want to suggest corrections or additions to the map. Thank you for contributing!
Discover
Marine mammal conservation & excursions in Sibu-Tinggi with MareCet biologists
Meet MMCG
Mersing's local marine community conservation group
