Place: Pulau Besar (Johor, Malaysia)

Jetty at Pulau Besar

Beach at Pulau Besar

White Sandy Beach, Crystal Clear Water

Beautiful Sunset

Pulau besar is a short 30mins boat ride from Mersing, Johor. The island is pretty un-commercialised as compare to the bigger brother, Pulau Tioman (Tioman Island) and only a few small resorts (?) have erected there. These small scale resorts, with very basic facilities provided are for those seeking for a typical "kampung-feeling" retreat. I realized from my last trip that a few of the resorts have closed down, maybe due to few people that know the existence and fierce competition from the surrounding islands. For me, I call this exclusivity and privacy.

There is no nightspot around the island (thank god) and neither there is any seller or tout trying to harrass you, offering various bargains and packages. All it has is the quiet ambience, crystal clear water and fine, white sandy beaches. Corals can be easily spotted around the island and it is close to the shore, which you can bring your own snorkel gears and off you go with schools of fish swimming around you. If you are aiming for some exotic corals, you can arrange for a snorkel trip to the nearby islands with the resorts.

There are mountains at the center of the island and it is a short trek (1 hour, one way) to the peak, for some spectacular view of the vicinities.