"Far too often I hear people talking about the clear waters of popular islands like Pulau Perhentian or Pulau Redang, but I heard completely new information about Pulau Dayang. Let's just say it was love at first sight when my friends showed me pictures of this glorious hidden gem. I immediately said, “Okay, let's do this! I want to see more of this beautiful island". The next day we made it to Mersing Jetty early in the morning after a long bus ride from KL. We were ready to board for a 2-hour boat trip to Pulau Dayang. My friend had pre-arranged a speedboat service for the four of us on the boat, so after putting all our bags on board, donning life jackets for safety, it was time to enjoy the boat ride."
A view from Pulau Dayang to Pulau Aur
Pulau Dayang is 65 km off the east coast of Johor. The island is the furthest from the mainland of Malaysia's eastern peninsula. The boat departs from the jetty in Mersing and you are required to wear life jackets. The boat trip (normally) takes about 3 to 4 hours, depending on the weather at sea, to reach the island.
The journey to reach this paradise takes much longer compared to islands like Pulau Rawa as it is the furthest island from the mainland. Pulau Dayang is one of a number of islands under the care of Johor's Marine Park, including Pulau Aur, Lang Tengah and Pemanggil. You will enjoy the breathtaking views along the way as you pass other islands such as Pulau Rawa and Pulau Besar.
It feels good to be greeted by powdery white sand and crystal clear blue water after that rough boat ride. There are no luxury hotels on Pulau Dayang, only kampung style (village) chalets at Dayang Blue Resort which provide basic amenities (air conditioning can only be turned on at night).
The two islands of Pulau Aur and Pulau Dayang, which lie in the South China Sea, are separated by the Dayang Channel. The crossing from one island to the other takes 5 minutes and the channel is about 150 meters wide and relatively shallow.
On Pulau Dayang on the coast is Kampung Pasir Putih (meaning: the kampong of the white beach). The village does indeed have a white sandy beach and a sea of pristine crystal clear water.
White sand an a blue sea
This is the only resort on Pulau Dayang and is located on the southernmost part of the island opposite Pulau Aur. As Pulau Dayang is famous among divers, being the only resort on the island made it popular among divers as well. The resort is surrounded by blue water and is therefore called Dayang Blue Resort.
The Resort features comfortable chalets overlooking the elegant beach and can accommodate up to 300 visitors. The resort offers more than 20 outdoor bathrooms as there is no private bathroom in the rooms. An extra bed can be placed on request.
The restaurant is close to their reception counter. It serves simple local dishes such as char kue tiaw and nasi goreng. The restaurant can cater for vegetarians. In the evening you can barbecue. There is a small shop in the resort where you can buy chips, candy bars and snacks. T-shirts and towels are also available for purchase in the resort shop, but don't expect top-brand T-shirts.
Dayang Blue Resort offers 3 meals a day and snacks in the evening. Drinking water (cold or hot) is available 24 hours a day and the resort also provides juice throughout the day. Alcoholic drinks, such as beer, are not available in the resort shops, but for a small tip to the boatmen, they will buy it for you on Pulau Aur, which is more developed. Alcohol and beer can also be brought to Dayang from the mainland.
Dayang Blue Resort
SCUBA diving is Dayang's main occupation. There is a variety of fish and coral to admire. The dives are done by divers of all levels. The dive sites usually have a visibility of more than 15 meters and have a variety of fish. There are many dive sites around Dayang, the most popular of which is Reyners Rock, a huge boulder that sits on the seabed with a small portion of the rock extending out of the water. Reyners Rock is where whale sharks have been sighted and is known for its variety of coral and nudibranchs.
But if diving isn't your thing, snorkeling is another great alternative to discover the marine life! You can also rent snorkeling equipment to admire the beautiful underwater world. Tip: be careful of your environment for jellyfish!
You can also adventure up to the island's towering rock formation called Letak Semalu. This stretches almost the entire length of Pulau Dayang. The trail is not extremely difficult, but there is a steep climb on part of the walk. Bring walking shoes to keep you comfortable! I'm not kidding when I say the rock is extremely steep to climb, but don't worry, there is a fixed rope that you can hold onto.
The sea around is home to Black Marlin, the fastest fish in the world. Pulau Dayang has attracted anglers from all over the world for this fish. Ideal fishing spots are available all over the island.
Apart from this, the evenings can be spent playing beach volleyball on the beaches of the resort.
The island is closed during the monsoon season, which runs from November to mid-March. The wind is strong and the sea is rough, which is why there are no ferry services. You can visit this island between April and September. Within these months, the visibility of the water is great and then you can see the coral reefs clearly.
Pulau Aur and Pulau Dayang are a few tens of meters apart. In 1999, Pulau Aur came to
in the news because an Australian fighter plane crashed in the middle of the jungle. It participated in a joint exercise between Great Britain, Australia and Singapore. There were two fatalities in this accident.
