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Tioman Island For The Top Ten

When we read that Tioman Island, off the east coast of Malaysia, was making top 10 lists of the world's best islands back in the 1970s, we wondered why we'd never heard of it before.

But it seems Tioman had already had its 15 minutes of fame even then: Way back in 1958 it was used as the "Bali Hai" location for the film "South Pacific." (Ask your parents. Or grandparents.) Yet we've seen the name pop up a couple of times recently, so we suspect they're trying to bring back the good times.

These days you can get a ferry there from the mainland Malaysian coast or get a flight from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore; there are a few different accommodation options though it's all still pretty low-key. There's great scuba-diving both on reefs and wrecks and a bunch of relaxing beaches, so it seems like there's reason enough to try it out. At best, it'll be a fantastic summer vacation spot and at worst, it'll be a time travel trip back to what was hip in the '70s.

Related Stories:
· Tioman Island [Official Site]
· A Little Known Island Gem [The Age]
· Malaysia Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: yunmeng]