For the town in Sarawak, see Sibu.

Sibu Island (Pulau Sibu) is an island off the eastern coast of Johor, Malaysia .

Getting there

Access to Sibu is via the small town of Tanjung Leman, about 130 km north of Johor Bahru and 72 km south of Mersing. There is no public transport to Tanjung Leman, so you need to sort out transfers with your resort (from RM 80/person return, incl. boat) or take a taxi (around RM 180 from JB). If you want to cut back on your taxi fare, take a bus to Kota Tinggi first and continue from there. Some of the resorts operate shuttle buses directly from Singapore , with a total transfer time of about 3.5 hours.

There is no Ferry from Tanjung Leman to Sibu. All the resorts on the island arrange transport for visitors. The trip takes 30 mins and costs RM 70 return.

Traveling around

The are no Roads on Sibu. The island does have 1 motorbike in the Kampong. The easiest way is to travel around the island by boat or walk. The lack of roads has kept this island uncommercial unlike some other island in the region.

Things to do

Scuba Diving and snorkeling from Pulau Sibu are excellent as the whole area was turned into a Marine Park in 1993. It is the closest island to Singapore for Scuba Diving.

The Mersing Marine Park is located in the South China Sea and consists of 13 islands including;

Pulau Harimau, Palau Mensirip, Pulau Goal, Pulau Besar, Pulau Tengah, Pulau Hujong, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Mentinggi, Pulau Sibu, Pulau Sibu Hujung, Pulau Pemanggil and Pulau Aur.

• Scuba Doo PADI Dive Center, - Located at the Cabanas Resort, it offers excellent snorkeling trips to the small islands near Sibu. For the divers there is a great selection of courses and dive sites to choose from. Cabanas PADI Dive Centre is the nearest Padi dive centre to Singapore and because the island is unspoilt by over tourism - so are the coral reefs.

You could also go for walks through the forests to explore the island. Though there is nothing much, you could still spot a monitor lizard in the wild!

Eat

There are no independant Restaurants on the island, the one that did exist 'On the Rocks' fell into the sea and was not replaced. All the resorts on the island have restaurants however most include the food with the price of their accomodation.

The food quality is excellent on the island, resorts offering a mix of Western and Malay choices.

Saturday Nights are traditionally BBQ nights on the Northwest beach where Sibu Island Cabanas and Sea Gypsy are located. Sea Gypsy offer do allow non guests to attend the BBQ, however at 80RM it was way over priced for what it was. They also charge 15% ontop of the final bill (called Plus Plus ++).

Drink

You can buy alcoholic drinks in the resorts. A beer would cost about MYR 12 in Sea Gypsy. A range of liquors and wines is also available.

Sleep

• Sea Gypsy Village Resort, . Sea Gypsy is a well established and popular eco resort catering for all pockets that thrives in harmony with the natural surroundings, which makes it well worth a visit. It is nestled in 5 acres of jungle with a pristine sandy beach completely devoid of any hawkers.

• Sibu Island Cabanas Boutique Resort, Spa & PADI Dive Centre, - Sibu Island Cabanas are currently closed. The newly renovated resort of Cabanas is situated on probably the best beach on the island and surrounded by clean and well maintained tropical gardens. The pristine stretch of golden beach is perfect for swimming and within easy reach of many snorkeling and dive spots. Facilities include hot showers, air conditioning and excellent Bar / Restaurant.

• Sari Pacifica Hotel, Resort & Spa - Sibu Island, ☎ 603-89428888 This elegant resort is surrounded by a lush tropical backdrop and features a private bay with golden powdery sandy beach and a picturesque view of Tinggi Island. All the guest villas have views of the sea and islands beyond…all with luxurious appointments fitted with large LCD televisions and entertainment units, huge comfortable beds and bathrooms with a spa bathtub for two. Sibu Island, Teluk Kambau Kecil, Pulau Sibu Tengah, Mersing, Johor, Malaysia .