Johor Islands Compared: Rawa, Besar, Sibu & Aur

The quick answer: choose Rawa for powder-white sand and a polished resort stay, Besar for the widest choice of resorts and budgets, Sibu for a laid-back family break with the shortest boat ride, and Aur if you are a diver willing to travel far for big-fish encounters. All four belong to Johor’s Sultan Iskandar Marine Park off the east coast. Rawa, Besar and Aur are reached from Mersing jetty, while Sibu’s boats leave from Tanjung Leman further south. None of them is a casual day trip in the way Sentosa is: you book a resort or a dive package, and the resort arranges the boat. Here is how they compare.

Johor islands at a glance

	Rawa	Besar	Sibu	Aur
Mainland jetty	Mersing	Mersing	Tanjung Leman	Mersing
Boat ride	About 30 min	About 30 min	About 20 min to the main resorts	Several hours
Best for	Couples, beach lovers	Groups, mixed budgets	Families, slow breaks	Experienced divers
Stay type	Two resorts	Several resorts and chalets	A few eco and dive resorts	Basic chalets, dive trips
Day trips	No (resort stays only)	Through resorts or registered operators	Through resorts	No, too far

Pulau Rawa: the postcard island

Rawa is tiny, under a quarter of a square kilometre, but its curve of white sand and clear, shallow water make it the island most people picture when they think of Johor. There is no village and no public day-trip access; the island is shared by two resorts, both associated with the Johor royal family:

• Rawa Island Resort runs its boat from a private jetty next to the Mersing ferry terminal, about 30 minutes in good weather. According to its own FAQ, it requires a minimum stay of two nights, does not offer day trips, is cashless, and stays open all year, while recommending March to October for the best weather.
• Alang’s Rawa is a smaller, more boutique option with a handful of rooms, about 25 minutes by speedboat.

Rawa is about doing very little: swimming, snorkelling off the beach, kayaking and long meals. With so few rooms, it books out early on long weekends and school holidays. Note that some smaller islands nearby, such as Pulau Harimau and Pulau Mensirip, popular stops on island-hopping trips, have been closed to visits since September 2025 for reef recovery.

Pulau Besar: the most choice

Pulau Besar (once known as Pulau Babi Besar) is the closest of the bigger islands to Mersing, roughly 30 minutes by boat. It is much larger than Rawa, with a spread of resorts and chalets running from comfortable mid-range to simple. That variety makes it the easiest island for groups with different budgets, or for families who want a few more options for meals and activities.

Not every Besar resort has a detailed official website, so read recent reviews and confirm your booking, boat time and meal plan directly with the property. Snorkelling trips around the island are arranged through resorts or registered operators.

Pulau Sibu: the relaxed family choice

Sibu is actually a cluster of islands, of which Sibu Besar is the largest, at about six kilometres long. Unlike the other three, its boats leave from Tanjung Leman, a jetty south of Mersing, and the ride to the main resorts is short, around 20 minutes. Sibu has a quieter, eco-resort character, with dive centres and nature-focused stays, and it suits families and people who want to switch off.

Seasons matter here. For example, Rimba Resort states that it opens between Chinese New Year and the end of November, so it is closed through the height of the monsoon. Other Sibu resorts set their own dates, so check before you plan a December break. Because Tanjung Leman is a separate jetty, allow around three to three and a half hours from Singapore including immigration, depending on the queues.

Pulau Aur: for serious divers

Aur sits roughly 70 km or more east of Mersing, one of the farthest islands in the marine park. Getting there takes several hours by boat from Mersing, and many visitors arrive on organised dive trips or liveaboards. The reward is diving that many regard as among the best in southern Malaysia, with the chance of manta rays, barracuda, reef sharks and turtles. Accommodation on the island is basic, in small family-run chalets.

Aur is not for a relaxed beach weekend or for young children. Treat it as a dive expedition: book through an established dive operator that handles the boat, permits and safety, and leave plenty of slack in your plans for weather delays.

Other islands worth knowing

• Pulau Tinggi, reached from Tanjung Leman, has a striking volcanic peak, dive sites and a turtle hatchery.
• Pulau Pemanggil, far out near Aur, is known among anglers and divers and has very basic facilities.
• Tioman is the big one, but it belongs to Pahang, not Johor. It has villages, many more places to stay and ferries from Mersing or Tanjung Gemok. See our Tioman Island guide.

Rules and fees to know

• Marine park fee. Visitors to Malaysia’s marine parks pay a conservation charge. Under the Department of Fisheries’ official rates at time of writing, non-MyKad holders pay RM30 per adult and RM15 for children aged 6–12 and seniors. Your resort or operator will tell you how it is collected; bring cash.
• Registered operators. Since 2022, water activities around Mersing must be booked through operators registered on the district’s Mersing Tourism Operating System (MeTOS).
• Island closures. Since September 2025, diving, snorkelling and visits have been suspended at Pulau Harimau, Pulau Gual, Pulau Mensirip and the Mertang islands. Besar, Rawa, Tengah and Tinggi remain open.
• Rubbish. From 1 January 2026, visitors to Malaysia’s marine parks must take their rubbish back to the mainland.

Monsoon: when the islands close

All of these islands face the South China Sea and the northeast monsoon. The Malaysian Meteorological Department’s monsoon season usually runs from about November to March; the 2025/26 season started on 13 November 2025 and ended in late March 2026. During the roughest months, from about November to February, seas can be dangerous, boats are cancelled, and many resorts close or cut back. Johor’s tourism authorities have closed the Mersing islands to visitors during past monsoons, and in December 2023 the maritime agency had to rescue tourists stranded on Rawa.

Policies differ by resort: some close for months, while Rawa Island Resort says it stays open all year. Whatever your island, the safest season is roughly March to October. If you book in the shoulder months, ask the resort what happens if the boat cannot run.

Getting to the jetties from Singapore

Island boats run to fixed times set by the resorts, and they rarely wait. The usual plan is to book the island first, then the car:

1. Confirm your boat time, check-in time and which jetty you need: Mersing for Rawa, Besar and Aur, Tanjung Leman for Sibu and Tinggi.
2. Allow about 2¾ to 3½ hours from Singapore to Mersing, more on Friday evenings and holiday weekends.
3. Pack passports where you can reach them, and keep dive bags and coolers together for the boat transfer.

Luxway SGMY drives to both jetties. A private car from Singapore to Mersing starts from SGD 220 one way for a Toyota Innova, per car, including tolls, checkpoint fees, fuel and parking, with the same price in both directions; for Tanjung Leman, we will quote on WhatsApp. If you are heading to Tioman via the northern terminal, see our Tanjung Gemok page and the Mersing to Tioman ferry guide. For more about the town before or after your boat, read things to do in Mersing.

Book your island transfer

Send us your island, jetty, boat time, pick-up address and the number of passengers and bags, and we will suggest a pick-up time that leaves room for the checkpoints. Read how booking works or Whatsapp us. No deposit; pay the driver on arrival.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 14 October 2026