The village of Paya is probably the best Tioman has to offer. At least until you seek tranquility, untouched underwater life and the opportunity to spend an active holiday at any time, from walking along the pier watching schools of fish to snorkelling on Tioman's most colourful coral to kayaking or following trails through the jungle to the surrounding beaches.
Paya has its own large jetty where the Paya Beach Jetty is located. Ships from the mainland also head here from the ports of Mersing and Tanjung Gemok. Boat taxis will take you to nearby villages like Genting, Tekek and ABC for 40 myr.
Instead of a road, there is an asphalt walkway that runs through the village.
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Dive centres, Malay and Chinese restaurants serving fresh seafood and smaller shops offering the most basic food and drinks.
Beach in Paya
The local beach stretches less than 1 kilometre from the southern to the northern tip of the village and is virtually uninterrupted except for the jetty. Golden fine sand, palm trees and trees and even during the ongoing high season, complete tranquility.
The sea is absolutely calm and the waves only appear from the boats passing by. The depth is a maximum of 2 metres at high tide, which unfortunately means that at low tide the sea recedes to 5 metres from the shore and the depth is then less than 30 centimetres.
Be sure to put on your snorkel and see what's floating around you under the surface.
The local beach is abnormally lively. About 2-3 metres from the shore, you can already observe all sorts of colourful fish , including sharks that are a metre long. Don't be afraid, they're much more afraid of you.
If the beach's underwater life isn't enough for you, take a walk to the northern end of the beach where the islet of Pulau Tumuk is located. On the northern part of the islet is a huge coral reef full of life.
Renting snorkeling equipment such as goggles, snorkel and fins is not a problem. For 10 myr, the Activity Center at the Paya Beach Spa and Dive Resort, for example, offers them.
Things to do in Paya
Besides the aforementioned beach and snorkeling, we can recommend the following activities.
Trek to Genting
Trek towards the village of Genting. First you need to trek a trail leading through the jungle. However, it is well signposted, or rather you follow a tarmac road the whole way. Sometimes you have to climb a bigger step in the form of a boulder in the path, sometimes you have to climb a fallen tree and once you have to squeeze through a small hole in the rock. You will be rewarded with deserted coves on the Genting coast. This section takes about 30 minutes.
If you continue further south, after passing the luxury boutique hotel Melina Beach Resort, you will encounter a rocky shoreline. About two kilometres of beach mixes fine golden sand with large granite boulders. The coastline here looks just like the Seychelles. Huge boulders divide the coastline, creating dozens of smaller beaches. There is also the natural open cave of Gua Gelamin.
We recommend taking plenty of water. Refreshments are available at the aforementioned Melina resort, but local prices are double those in Paya.
Trek to Bunot Beach
The opposite direction north from Paya will take you to another beach, namely Bunot Beach. The trip is much shorter, but just as interesting.
Not so interesting is the separate beach, which is wide enough, but there is nothing much here except sand and thus loses its picturesqueness.
Take a trip here in the morning at high tide, or plan your trip to return after 5pm at low tide. Then you don't have to take the trail back through the jungle, but you can go by water.
Don't leave things unattended on the beach in the afternoon. There are a bunch of monkey macaques coming down from the jungle and they love to steal anything they can.
Kayak along the coast
You can rent a two-seater kayak for 40 myr per hour at the Paya Beach Hotel and Spa. I recommend paddling north towards Bunot Beach, which is separated from Paya by a rocky shoreline. Besides, you can stop for a while at the islet of Pulau Tumuk and even from the kayak watch the many colorful fish below you.
Hotels in Paya
Paya doesn't have many options for accommodation. This also makes the resort relatively quiet and unless it's sold out, you'll have the best part of your stay on Tioman.
Paya is home to the very popular and highly recommended Paya Beach Spa and Dive resort. It offers both beach huts with incredible views especially at sunset, as well as huts on the pier with a small lake inhabited by 2 metre varanians, and classic rooms lying by the pool. A buffet breakfast is included, and you can buy lunch and dinner buffets every day. The property accepts Visa and Master Card.
The second accommodation is located further south, right by the pier. This is the Aman Tioman Beach Resort. This is a large building and not a sprawling complex. It is mainly used by divers.
The remaining offerings go to the Udive Paya and Paya Debloc Village guesthouses offering only a room with bathroom facilities.
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Tioman.
