You'll arrive on Tioman in the little kampung of Tekek by plane or by boat. Tioman Island is located off the shores of Johor state in Malaysia. It's the largest in a group of 64 volcanic islands. The legend goes, that Tioman is the final resting place of a fabled dragon princess who had turned herself into the island. The story is, that the princess was on the way to Singapore from China and had stopped by the area to admire its charms. She became so enraptured with its beauty that she decided not to continue with her journey and turned herself into Tioman, remaining to be a place of shelter and comfort to passing travellers.
 
The island is about 24 miles from the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, with three of its peaks rising to about 1,000 metres (some 3,000 feet) and visible far out in the South China Sea. Much of its 44 square miles is covered with tropical rain forest. A narrow coastal strip is partly cultivated, and on it are found small villages and settlements, with a local resident population.
 
Tourists came to sunbathe on its lovely beaches and splash around in its warm, equatorial waters. As scuba diving became a more popular and accessible sport, Tioman also became a popular diving destination stop off. The growing influx of divers led to the Pahang State Fisheries Department establishing a full-time marine park centre in Kampung Tekek where underwater activities are closely monitored by park rangers to ensure that conservation rules are adhered to. These restrictions have contributed towards the conservation of its marine environment. Recent changing climatic conditions have helped as well.