During my aesthetic adventures in Singapore, I decided to take a side trip to Malaysia via bus and see some of its beautiful remote beaches. This meant waking up before 6:30am and riding a 6 hour bus from central Singapore to Mersing, but the experience I had made it worth it! The bus was air-conditioned, and getting through customs early in the morning meant we didn’t have to wait as long. Singapore’s Sentosa Island has a number of gorgeous beaches, but the ones in Mersing have the essence of unspoiled beauty.
I decided to book a $28 bus through Easy Book online to get to Mersing, Malaysia, and then took a private boat tour through Let’s Go Island Tours for 450 Ringgit to see the islands. This price was actually a bit cheaper than what I paid for private boat tours in Thailand, and includes some of the same activities like scuba diving and sightseeing. If you get to Mersing early enough, you can take a group boat tour for a much cheaper price. Since I was going to central Malaysia later that night and didn’t have a lot of time, I opted for a private tour.
The private boat I rode was only myself and the captain, so it was quite the adventure! A light storm was approaching so the waves made the boat a bit rocky, but the captain expertly navigated the waters. Our first destination was Lang Tengah Island, where I stopped for Pina Coladas and got to see the Batu Batu Resort area. It was quite beautiful, but the beachfront was actually very small and the weather conditions made it difficult for swimming. However, I still enjoyed walking around and seeing the beach huts and palm trees. I even saw a baby lizard!
After spending about an hour here, the captain took me to another beach at Besar Island behind the resort area that was completely private. It looked like something out of a movie or anime, and I had it all to myself!
Swimming here was definitely the experience of a lifetime. You can see in the third picture that the sky is dark because the storm was approaching, but I fortunately had over 2 hours to swim and explore this beach. The tour was extremely laid back and I could choose where I wanted to be. I was so happy to spend some time alone (besides the captain) on this island!
The interesting thing about Mersing is boats don’t always leave exactly on time; the boat companies all pay close attention to the tide and then set the departure time. Due to this factor, I would recommend staying 2-3 days on these islands so you have enough time to see them. I was able to see a lot on my private tour, but I wished I could have additionally seen Tioman or Rawa Island, which are extremely popular to stay at.
When it started to rain, we headed back to the Mersing Harbor where I waited for my bus to Kuala Lumpur. This was yet another 6 hours bus ride that I booked through RedBus for $15, but I ended up having it all to myself! I don’t recommend booking 2 buses in one day because it’s a lot of travel and it’s nicer to stay on an island in Mersing, but I was on a tight schedule. If I come back here again, I will be sure to take more time in this area.
In the end, the driver dropped me off right at my hostel and I got to see a lot of Malaysia! We went from the border of Singapore, all the way up to Kuala Lumpur. The scenery went from monkeys on the side of the road to bright flashing lights in the center of the city. It felt great to be in a foreign world once again!