Sep 18, 2017

5 Reasons Why The Barat Tioman Resort Is Not Worth It

"Kau asal mana? Sini ke?" My friend asked the driver as we were going to the Marine Park. He replied kindly, "Tak kak. Saya asal Bukit Tinggi. Dah 15 tahun tinggal kat Tioman."


Indeed, Tioman is a beautiful island, capable of captivating any visitors to stay longer than expected. The unspoiled nature, calming blue sea and the gentle waves are the reasons we were drawn to the place. Sitting on the South China Sea, Tioman island is one of the best diving spot in Malaysia rich with marine life and coral reefs.


I could list a hundred and one good things about the island to make me stay (I even considering to retire here), but on the other hand, I only have 5 reasons to let you know that I won't be reconsidering staying at The Barat Tioman Resort again. Let me tell you why...




#1 - Misrepresentation

When I make my hotel booking, I clearly checked the accessibility of the resort. And I found out it is only 700m away from the Juara Beach Jetty through Juara Express. Also, there is a complimentary transfer from the jetty. Sounds like a pretty good deal. However, the Juara Express is not operating at the moment. I only found out after confirmed my room booking. That left me with no choice but to take a boat to Tekek and then a taxi to the resort. The resort also charging us for the transfer from Tekek which added RM280 into our cost. We think that the price is really unreasonable.

The resort could have mention that the Juara Express service is coming soon or currently not in operation.

From the Barat Tioman website


Email reply from Juara Express


#2 - Non-accessibility

As mentioned earlier, the nearest jetty to The Barat Tioman is Tekek, which required us to get a transport from Tekek to the resort with an exorbitant price tag.

It is also far from the major spot such as Marine Park. When we requested for transport to the Marine Park for snorkeling, the hotel charged us RM80 per person. If we took the usual transport to Tekek, it only cost us RM70 per person. Not too sure where the additional RM10 go to.


#3 - Non-forgiving bathroom

When we first got into the bathroom, one thing you will notice is the missing toiletries tray you usually get in other resort. What we found was a attached-dispenser for soap like those you get in backpackers common bathroom. For a beach resort we would expect a proper toiletries set, shower cap, sanitary pad bag and laundry bag. All those are not available. Bring your own laundry bag.

The shower is not separated from the toilet. Each time we shower, the entire bathroom will be flooded with water. Add on to the pain, there was no ventilation in the bathroom. It smells pretty bad with the high humidity weather on the island.

#4 - Lack of amenities

Comparing with my previous experience at Alunan Resort (Perhentian Kecil), this resort lacks of some amenities. All the water activities are subjected to fees. Even renting a safety vest cost us RM10 each per day which you have to return by 6pm. Unlike Alunan Resort, guests can utilize the snorkeling mask and safety vest for free. You can jump into the ocean anytime you like without additional charges.

#5 - Lack of marine life around the beach

You can't rent a snorkeling mask and jump into the beach directly and expect to see some fishes around the resort.  I swam from the front of the resort towards the edge of the beach where the river ends, I only saw 5 fishes.

You get the usual water activities like snorkeling, diving, banana boat, kayaking, etc. But those activities have to be pre-booked and pre-planned ahead. We booked for a Marine Park tour that costed RM80 each only to find out that the Marine Park is at Tekek, which we could have rented a motorbike or a car for a lesser fee. (Another misinterpretation).


If given a second chance to go back to Tioman (more specifically to Kampung Juara area), I would book my stay at 1511 Coconut Groove which is right next to the Barat Tioman Resort. It is well-kept and shares the same beach front as the Barat Tioman.


My advise is to do a thorough research especially on the costs (if budget is your concern). In our case, it was a concern and we exceed RM300 that could have spent on something better - like donating it to the Juara Beach Turtle Project.


They say what makes the trip is the company. Although we didn't enjoy the resort, we did enjoyed the trip. We looked for our own activities like stars gazing, dancing in our own balcony and taking photos at the beach. The best memories were the stories we tell to others while catching our breath laughing.


Overall the resort is a nice place and there are a lot to improve in terms of the management. I hope the management will look into it to give a better experience for the guests.


Enjoy the rest of the photos....



1511 Coconut Groove







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2 comments

Princess Neverland said...

No ventilation in the bathroom?!!! I can't imagine the smell on dear~ Technically unacceptable!

Jerine said...

Yes! And the room was a shared room for four. Imagine how wet the toilet was... it took ages for the bathroom to dry.