Blue Heanven Divers Tioman Malaysia Questions This page attempts to summarize the most frequently asked questions from our guests regarding scuba-diving, accommodations, transport, money, food / drink and Tioman.

Have a look at it before contacting us!

Questions related to scuba-diving

Questions related to accommodations

Questions related to transport

Questions related to money

Questions related to food and drink

Questions related to Tioman


Question related to scuba-diving

◆ I have never tried diving before, can I just come and give it a try?

You can try diving even if you do not have any previous experience. You can easily take the first step in half a day and maybe discover your new passion….

You can do a Try Scuba Diving (DSD) and easily upgrade to an Open Water if you decide to continue on to a license course.

◆ Can children dive?

Depending of their age we offer different programs:

Starting at 8 years old, children can start to do scuba-diving with equipment; we call this a Bubble Maker.

At 10 years old children can participate in license courses or Try Scuba Diving within a limited depth.

◆ Is there an age limit for diving?

There is no age limit for diving but at our dive centre people over the age of 60 will need to provide a medical report from a doctor allowing you to dive. This is the same for people with chronic diseases, major injuries or illness in the past.

◆ I’m not a swimmer, can I dive or do a diving course?

To complete a Try Scuba Diving you do not need to swim at all.

For an Open Water Course, you will need to be able to float for 10 minutes and to swim 200m or snorkel 300m (with mask, snorkel and fins). There is no time limit and no incorrect way of doing this. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any doubt!

◆ What is the difference between Try Scuba Diving and fun dive?

Try Scuba Diving is for someone who has never dived before or only dived a few times. The instructor will guide customers into the water by holding their tank. After learning and practising some simple skills it’s time for you to breathe underwater, ready to enjoy the beautiful scenery below the surface.

Fun dives are for already licensed divers who have done at least the full Open Water Course, it is assumed that you can dive comfortably and safely and will only need a guide.

◆ I don’t have perfect vision, can I dive?

Not a problem at all! Two solutions can be applied:

– If you are using contact lenses, it is fine to dive with them.

-The other solution is to use a mask with corrective lenses; we have a few in the dive centre, but not for every prescription.

◆ I lost my licence card can I still fun dive?

If you are licenced under PADI or SSI just send us your name and date of birth and we can check your certification online.

If you are not under PADI or SSI, then your log book can be proof of your level and experience.

If you don’t have your log book then contact your certification agency (NAUI, CMAS, BESAC, FFESSM etc…) to obtain a copy or a new card. If we can’t check your certification we can only bring you for a  Try scuba diving.

◆ Can I come without a reservation?

Of course you can come just like that when you arrived on the island, we are always happy to see new faces and discuss with new people. You will have a better look of what we are doing. However, in this case we can’t guarantee to you the availability (less choice of dive site for fun divers, instructor available to teach in specific language etc…) so it is recommended that you book in advance but definitely not mandatory.

◆ I’m on my own can I still do a course or fun dive?

All of our programs can be arranged for one person, a course may even be nicer this way because the instructor is focused on teaching you, so you can learn at your own pace. Also the boat still departs for all the local dives sites with no minimum number of divers.

Question related to accommodation

◆ Are there rooms at Blue Heaven Divers?

We are only a scuba-diving centre, for accommodation you will need to decide by looking at the different guest houses available.

◆ What kind of accommodation can I find?

Wooden chalets; there are generally two types: air-con rooms with a hot-shower or fan rooms with a cold shower. There are no fan rooms that come with a hot shower.

◆ I would like a room with an ocean view, is it possible?

ABC village is along the sea, most rooms have a view of the sea and most are at less than a 2 minute walk from the sea, although some are a little bit better positioned than others.

◆ Can I book breakfast with the accommodation?

There is no guesthouse that provides breakfast included with the room, however most guesthouses are attached to a restaurant, which usually opens for breakfast and most restaurants are accessible in a 5 to 10 minute walk.

◆ Can I just turn up without a reservation?

As long as you don’t have specific demands you can just come and see what’s available. If you want the very cheap rooms or an air-con room with a hot shower or a sea-view room in particular, it will be more risky not to book in advance. During weekends and Malaysian or Singaporean public holidays there may not be any accommodation available and it is recommended to book in advance.

◆ Can you book my room for me?

We provide this service free of charge for our customers. However, as we are simply reserving the room at the guesthouse we cannot offer any discount and we are not responsible for the accommodation quality, although we will try our best to give you any relevant information regarding your accommodation.

◆ How far in advance should I book?

As we are not managing the accommodation we are not always aware of the availability. When you request a room we will visit the guesthouse to make your reservation, however if there is no availability we will inform you and attempt to book your next preferred guesthouse based on the information you provided on your booking form.

◆ Can I pay my accommodation by credit card?

Although some places do accept credit card payments we cannot always guarantee the network connection for the credit payments, so we recommend that cash is the best way to pay for accommodation without problems.

Question related to transport

◆ Can you book the bus and ferry for me?

Sorry we do not provide this service. If you are booking your transport online you can print your ticket yourselves or pick it up at your departure station.

For the ferry you can call the company: BLUEWATER EXPRESS (+60) 7-7994811 / (+ 60) 7-7998518

◆ Arriving by private car, where can I park my car in Mersing?

There is a guarded car park at the left side of the jetty, (pier) just off the main street.

There is also a car park towards the back of the jetty and an area on the right side of R & R Plaza. The parking is available from early morning. To our knowledge there has never been any issues involving car vandalism or theft.

Questions related to money

◆ Can I pay by credit card?

There are a very limited number of places that will accept credit cards on the island; cash in Malaysian ringgit is recommended. However we do accept credit card payment in our Dive Centre, but we are not able to give cash back, also there will be a 6% surcharge to cover our bank fee.

There is one ATM on the island where you can withdraw cash; this is in Tekek, the next village to ABC and is around a 45 min to 1 hour walk from our shop. We can also drop you there between two dives if we are diving in this area.

We do not accept cheques or travellers cheques in our dive centre and this is also the case for most other businesses on the island.

◆ Can I pay in foreign currency?

Malaysian ringgit is the only currency we will accept.

◆ Can I exchange money on the island?

There is a currency exchange office in Tekek, but the rates are very poor!

◆ Where can I exchange my money on the way from Singapore?

In Singapore airport you can obtain Malaysian Ringgit, it can also be done in the money changers inside the city. You can also exchange at Larkin bus station in Johor Bahru.

◆ Can I exchange in Mersing?

There are some shops that will exchange, but thir opening schedule is not reliable.

◆ Is there a bank or ATM to Tioman Island?

There is a small bank (BSN) in front of the airport in Tekek with an ATM outside.

Question related to food and drink

You can buy bottled water anywhere on the island. We also sell some in the dive centre as well as canned drinks. We provide complimentary drinking water, tea and coffee for diverss.

◆ Can I find and drink alcohol on the island?

Tioman is a duty free island; Tekek has some duty free shop where you can find cheap cigarettes and good alcohol. On ABC there are a few bars where you can find alcoholic drinks, however this is a peaceful island, taking your alcohol to all places is not always acceptable and disrespecting the island will not be tolerated.

◆ Is there a supermarket in the village?

There are only small shops or minimarts in ABC village selling mostly dry products like biscuits or noodles and drinks (water, ice tea, ice coffee etc…). It is better to bring what you need with you, but you can easily find utilities like toothbrushes, soap etc. in these minimarts.

◆ When do the restaurant and shops open and close?

Usually restaurants are open for breakfast and close at the end of the lunch (typically 3pm or 4pm) and then open again for dinner about 7pm until 9:30pm or 10pm. It also depends on the family running the restaurant, one day they may unexpectedly be closed and so open the day after.

Question related to Tioman

◆ Is there dangerous wild life on the island?

There are no dangerous animals on the island, but there are quite a few insect, mosquito and sand flies. You can find repellent on the island but you might want to bring your own. Aside from the insects there are giant monitor lizards, cats and monkeys, but these are more afraid of you than you are of them.

◆ Do I need any special things to bring over?

The sun can be very strong, sunscreen is a good start. You can buy some here, but if you have your own…

Bring a jacket or a small blanket for ferry and bus transport as AC is usually very high.

◆ Is there a hospital on the island?

Tekek has a small clinic. For over the counter drugs, minimarts provide us with basic medicines such as headache and stomach cramp medicines.

◆ Where can I do my laundry?

There is no laundry machine on the island, but every accommodation and minimart has a laundry service, your clothes will come back all washed, dried and folded. It costs about RM7-8 per kilo.