Pulau Aur

Pulau Aur

Overview

Pulau Aur, known in English as Aur Island, lies about 65 km east of Mersing, Johor, Malaysia. It is part of the Johor Marine Park. Its corals, lagoons and offshore pools make it a tourist attraction. It has for many years also always been a frequent stopover point for fishermen.

There is also a smaller island close by, Pulau Dayang, which is separated from Pulau Aur by a narrow channel of about 400m width at the narrowest point. Both islands are home to Singaporean diving companies, divers reach the island by chartered boats from Mersing or Singapore.

Due to its overwhelming distance from the mainland of Peninsula Malaysia, Pulau Aur offers the clearest of waters and the most exciting dive sites in this part of the country. Marine life commonly seen by divers include Manta-Ray, Barracudas, Whitetip Sharks, Rays, Napoleon Wrasse, Jacks, Trevally, Yellowback Fusiliers, Turtle, Angelfish, Titan Trigger Fish and Bumphead Parrotfish.

The Pulau Aur weather is affected by the monsoon winds that blows from South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca. The northeast monsoon blows the wind from South China Sea from November to March and this is the time when the east coast states have heavy rainfall.

Sea activities at this time are very much confined and the main activities at this time is usually the maintenance of boats and fishing related equipments as well as kite flying.

Accommodations

The accommodation in Pulau Aur is basic but all rooms with air-conditioning and attached bathroom, clean and well maintained. There are few resorts in Pulau Aur, namely Bluewater Holidays Resort, Penawar Beach Resort, Atlantic Bay Resort, The Diver's Lodge and Aur Mawar Resort (Sibukang Bay Resort). Delicious oriental food is prepared by the local staffs throughout your stay.

Beer and soft drinks are available over the counter for a minimal fee. Some of the resorts has no built in meals outlet but guests will be able to select from a mixture of western and local food from nearby restaurants within walking distance.

Attractions

The beach of Batu Kembar is simply the best place to be for relaxing and frolicking under the sun. As an alternative, you can also walk to the nearby Teluk Ba'ai (where Atlantis Bay Resort is located) which also offers great beach experience.

For a better beach experience, you can doing the island-jungle trail walk to Batu Kembar and Teluk Ba'ai which should take you no more than 1/2 hours. Also the beautiful beach of Pantai Pasir Putih on Dayang Island is just a boat ride away across the water channel separating these two islands.

Worth to visit some small villages dot the coast at Pulau Aur if you have never seen the traditional Malay fishing village but the only access to these 'kampongs' is by trekking or by small boat.

If you're dive, you can make several recreational wreck expeditions. It's a tremendous experience for all of you onboard. Weather will be excellent and the wreck will be filled with marine life. Sharks, Giant travellies, Mirror of Batfishes and so much colour. Trip covers wrecks within the recreational dive limits. Basically World War II remains and older.

Dining

A delicious and sumptuous meal served in buffet style at the resorts' restaurant in Pulau Aur. Delicious oriental food is prepared by the local staffs throughout your stay. Most resorts on the Island should be able to accommodate the dietary needs of vegetarians as long as they have advance notice. For other special dietary requirements, check with the resort first.

There is a large sundeck sitting area perfect for sipping a drink while enjoying the tropical sunset.

Diving

Pulau Aur is fast becoming one of the leading dive destinations of the world with the richest marine environment in the Indo-Pacific Basin. The incredible bio-diversity of marine life coupled with beautiful islands with white sandy beaches and clear warm waters keep the divers coming back for more.

From schooling hammerhead sharks, huge schools of barracudas and various turtles to the bizarre frogfish or ghost pipefish, there is always something to fascinate the diver. In Pulau Aur, the coral reef ecosystem is reported to support aquatic organism numbering more than 50 genera of coral and more than 200 species of fish. Each time a marine bio-diversity survey is conducted in the Malaysian tropical sea, the species list increases.

Dive centers in Pulau Aur are well equipped and are certified by relevant agencies for maintaining their standards of safety and professionalism. Scuba diving courses endorsed by certifying agencies like PADI, NAUI, SSI and BSAC.

Transportation

Pulau Aur is not easily accessible, at least when compared to its neighbouring Pulau Tioman or the more popular islands of Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian off the coast of Terengganu. While these popular islands offer very frequent passenger boat services, Pulau Aur does not. If you are thinking of visiting Pulau Aur on weekdays, there might not be any scheduled boat departures for that purpose, unless you are willing to charter a boat from Mersing Jetty, which is too costly.

The most common transport to the is the slow ferry that departs on Friday's late in the night from Mersing Jetty and only arrives at Pulau Aur next morning after around 4 1/2 hours! The big passenger ferry is normally chartered by dive outfits based in Singapore and often up to 50 divers arriving from across the causeway when the clock strikes twelve.