YP Chalet
Our group consists of a bunch of scuba-diving buddies that visit Tioman pretty regularly, because, apart from the stunning beaches and laid-back ambience, the island also offers quite a few better-than-average scubadiving spots.
This was our first time staying in Yang Puan Chalet, but, in hindsight, I highly doubt that it will be our last time. We found that Yang Puan Chalet pretty much answer every need of a traveling scuba-diving troupe like us.
Book your Yang Puan Chalet room
Yang Puan Chalet is a budget-category accommodation located in the village of ABC. By the way, note that this village is actually called Ayer Batang (or Air Batang). The moniker ABC is a local invention, making it easier to remember for tourists. The "C", incidentally, stands for "Chalet".
Anyway, Yang Puan Chalet's location is great, because there are plenty of scuba-dive companies located in ABC, as well in adjacent villages Tekek and Salang. This makes Yang Puan Chalet very popular amongst the scuba-diving community, as well as those keen to take a PADI or NAUI dive course.
Welcome to Yang Puan Chalet
Yang Puan Chalet is quite easy to find; all you need to do is head south as you come off the ferry jetty. After about 5 minutes, you'll come across a dozen or so tin-roofed chalets that each have a little patio in front.
In fact, when you see something that looks like a tiny standalone little settlement, then you've found Yang Puan Chalet.
The interior set-up and amenities at Yang Puan Chalet are quite basic, but that's fine with us, because we tend to only be indoors when it's time to crash, i.e. at night. The rest of our time in Tioman we're out and about, mostly at sea. Or, as the case may be, in the sea :)
Book your ferry tickets to Tioman
From Mersing, Feb - Mar From Tanjung Gemok: N.A., [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 |
Our room was air-con, but I was told that some of the other Yang Puan Chalet rooms are the even more basic type and only have a fan to keep things cool. We find this works well enough during the day, but at night the high humidity prevents us from sleeping soundly.
This is where the air-con comes in. And certainly, if you're the beach-bum or water sports type, you'll be very grateful for having an aircon unit to keep you comfortable.
Our chalet had an attached bathroom, although the shower was without a boiler or other kind of hot-water generator. But again, we're pretty hardy when it comes to cold water, given our long scuba-diving history.
Besides, the shower water wasn't all that cold to begin with. Very doable, no worries.
If you're a scuba-diver or back-packer looking for a bare-bones guesthouse in Tioman that has all the necessary basics, including a friendly room rate, then look no further than Yang Puan Chalet.
As I said earlier, we'll definitely be back.
Tip: Yang Puan Chalet has just a few rooms, so you'll need to reserve yours in advance, especially since, apart from being the go-to Tioman hostel for scuba-divers, Yang Puan Chalet also has a very sizable following amongst budget travelers and back-packers in Malaysia and Singapore. By the way, if you can't find Yang Puan Chalet on Agoda, call them direct on 013 9495725 . I found that it helps if you speak and understand a bit of Malay. Oh, Yang Puan Chalet has free wi-fi. The speed isn't broadband, so don't get your hopes up too high, but it's good enough for a spot of email or Facebook.
