Rainbow Chalet
Welcome to Rainbow Chalet
We stayed at Rainbow Chalet at the tail end of our S.E. Asia holiday. Rainbow Chalet is basic, simple and no-frills, but Rainbow Chalet truly knows the art of elimination; What Rainbow Chalet offers is the bare essentials, nothing more, nothing less.
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And you know what? It's awesome. In fact, of all the lodgings we stayed at on this trip, we miss our sleepy, multicoloured Rainbow Chalet the most.
Rainbow Chalet has a grand total of 8 cabins, all of them slightly raised and right on the beach. I don't think you can get any closer to the beach than this. Friends, this is the ultimate private beach accommodation. We felt like we were alone in our private little Robinson Crusoe paradise. No TV, no Internet, no phones. A fantastic feeling.
Now, for your information, Rainbow Chalet is located in Kampong Juara, which is the only kampong on the eastern side of Tioman. It's the quiet kampong, not that easy to get to and not that happening when it comes to after-hours entertainment. As a matter of fact, there are hardly any night-life establishments in Juara at all, so if you're looking for pubs, blaring music and copious quantities of alcoholic beverages, then better not apply, as Juara is not the place for you.
Book your ferry tickets to Tioman
From Mersing, Apr From Tanjung Gemok:, Apr [Tanjung Gemok = Teluk Gading] Mukut / Juara? Click here. Pro Tip: Don't know which jetty to choose when booking your ferry? Typically, the ferry stops at all the main jetties. However, there is the occasional exception, so once aboard, confirm the ferry route with the cabin crew. Taking the Tanjung Gemok ferry? Click here / here |
Au contraire. Juara is a rustic, secluded and altogether idyllic little sanctuary in the sun. And as far as we were concerned, Rainbow Chalet was our home away from home, right in the middle of all this remote tropical bliss.
We didn't have a hot-water shower, nor an air-con unit, but the fact that we were slap-bang in the middle of the beach way outweighed this. Besides, the fan, together with the sea breeze, did a great job in keeping us cool. As did the cool shower water. By the way, the shower is in an attached bathroom.
Lounging around paradise never got old, but our interest was piqued by the snorkeling and jungle-trekking sign boards here and there, so we went on both. We took a lovely island-hopping excursion that included Pulau Tulai (a.k.a. Coral Island) and Pulau Renggis.
The coral and reef life at these islands was astonishingly rich and colourful. And the sea water was so clear, it felt like we were snorkeling in a swimming pool. A great experience.
For our jungle-trekking tour, we were taken into a real rainforest that every now and again didn't even have a track as such. Forget everything you think you know about a tropical jungle. A real jungle is completely overwhelming, the heat, the humidity and especially the ever-present pulsating din. This little expedition was a real eye-opener.
Best of all, we got to see Rafflesia, the world's largest flower!
We thoroughly recommend Rainbow Chalet to anyone keen to get away from it all for a couple of days. I can't think of anything better than lazing around your private little beach, sipping a freshly-cut coconut drink, fruit juice or milkshake.
Tip: Though our chalet was fan-only, do note that some Rainbow Chalet cabins also have air-con. If you want to make sure you have a room at book Rainbow Chalet, I recommend you book in advance. If Rainbow Chalet isn't on Agoda yet, then just call Mohammed, the owner, on 09 4193140. Tellingly, Lonely Planet has visited Mohammed's Rainbow Chalet and has selected his little hideaway one of their "recommended accommodations in Pulau Tioman". Lastly, it's good to know that Rainbow Chalet offers a decently-priced laundry-service.
