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After checking out from a fun and fulfilling 3D2N vacation at Pulau Besar, I embarked right away on my second island adventure to Pulau Rawa - known to be one of THE BEST island in the world! What an awesome way to begin the week!

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Pulau Rawa, or Rawa Island is a small island own by the family of Johor State Sultan. There are only two resorts on the island - Rawa Safari (or Rawa Island Resort) and Alang's Rawa, both of which are founded by the family of Johor Sultan. I booked my 2D1N stay with Alang's Rawa which has a more casual, island feel to it. Visit Alang's Rawa Resort website here to find out more about their packages and book directly with them.

Met Alween behind this entrance to the jetty
Mersing Jetty Entrance

The only way to Pulau Rawa is by boat from Mersing Jetty. If you have read my post on Pulau Besar, you would have found out how easy it was to get to Mersing jetty from Singapore. Due to renovation works going on at Alang's Rawa office, I met their representative, Alween straight at the jetty. We have previously communicated through text exchanges to meet her at the jetty. So make sure you provide a contactable phone number while booking the package. 

At the jetty gate. Less crowded as it was a Monday
At the jetty gate. Less crowded on a Monday
All on board. Let's go!
All on board. Let's go!

The boat left on time at 12:30pm. Pulau Rawa is about 30 minutes boat ride from Mersing. We passed by Pulau Besar, Pulau Tengah and Pulau Hujung on our way to Rawa. 

Hey! I stayed there last night!

Passed by (from the right) Pulau Besar, Pulau Tengah and Pulau Hujung
Passed by (from the right) Pulau Besar, Pulau Tengah and Pulau Hujung
We are reaching!
We are reaching!

Day 1

I was heading to Pulau Rawa with high expectations after reading so much about this little gem online. As we approached the island, all I could do was hats off - I will never forget the view that greeted me especially the huge RAWA engraving on the island.

What a view!
Arrived at Pulau Rawa!

Unlike in Pulau Besar where we got off the boat at the island jetty, over here at Pulau Rawa the boat just anchored by the shore and we basically just stepped out on to the creamy white beach and walk towards Alang's Rawa Resort.

Just look how clear was the water. You can see the transformation of the seabed from corals to white sand
Just look how clear was the water. You can see the transformation of the seabed from corals to white sand

We were greeted by Sheena, a very friendly girl as she guided us to the waiting area. As they were short of staffs that day, some of our rooms weren't ready in time. But that wasn't a problem for me as Sheena entertained us by sharing some background about the island and also Alang's Rawa Resort.

Alangs Rawa Resort
Alang's Rawa Resort

Sunny and windy day. Perfect weather for the beach
Sunny and windy day. Perfect weather for the beach

Lots of fun people around here at Rawa!
Lots of fun people around here at Rawa!

As I explored around the beach, I quickly noticed the stark contrast in styles of Alang's Rawa and Rawa Safari, the sole two resorts on the island. Alang's Rawa has this casual, island feel to it as it is very simple and minimalistic. On the other hand, Rawa Safari appeared to be more sophisticated, with its villas and mansion-scaled resort rooms.

What's better to give you that island feel than a Baywatch surf board!
What's better to give you that island feel than a Baywatch surf board!

This A-Frame room is very suitable for those traveling in a group
This Coconut Group Room is very suitable for those traveling in groups

They have tents too if you are into camping style!

That's my room on the right. My neighbour was an awesome couple from Germany
That's my room on the right. My neighbour was an awesome couple from Germany

The room that I stayed in was the Beachfront Room. It was spacious, with a double bed and a single bed. There was no aircond, no wifi and the tap water was kinda salty.

now that's a true island life!

Oh and did I forgot to mention their mascot?

Meet Daisy of Alangs Rawa!
Meet Daisy of Alang's Rawa!

With such clear waters, the first thing that I wanted to do was to dive down and snorkel. The corals were very rich, colorful and most importantly, highly visible thanks to the unpolluted sea water.

And many fish too!
And many fish too!

Glad that I brought my GoPro to capture these beauties
Glad that I brought my GoPro to capture these beauties

GoPro Tip: Use Protune for rich colour
GoPro Tip: Use Protune for richer colour reproduction

The main attraction that I was really looking forward to was the Rawa Slide. If you search Pulau Rawa on Google, you will definitely see this red coloured slide that is built on the sea. Although it is a property of Rawa Safari Resort, no one would stop you from trying out the slide. If you ask me what is THE MUST DO in Pulau Rawa, this is it!

THE LEGENDARY RAWA SLIDE!

The slide is located at the jetty of Rawa Safari, just beside Alangs Rawa Resort
The slide is located at the jetty of Rawa Safari, just beside Alang's Rawa Resort

After seeing all these before me, I can't wait to get on it myself!

View of the beach from the top of the slide

HERE WE GO!

WARNING:

THIS IS ADDICTIVE

There are quite a lot of things that you can do here on this small island. After many rounds of playing the Rawa Slide, I took a shower and went on the Island Walk Trail for a sunset stroll.

Island Walk Trail along the East Coast of Pulau Rawa
Island Walk Trail along the East Coast of Pulau Rawa

The Island Walk Trail basically skirts around the East Coast of the island. From Alang's Rawa Resort, I headed towards Rawa Safari and went all the way straight to the edge of the island. There are lots of signboard around so it was quite easy to explore.

How I wish I could sit here and enjoy the sunset everyday
How I wish I could sit here and enjoy the sunset everyday

Skirting around the coast
Skirting around the coast

The Island Walk would eventually lead you to the jungle trekking path. I did not try the jungle trekking as it was getting dark. Will definitely try it the next time I revisit Rawa.

View of PulauBesar, Pulau Tengah and Pulau Hujung from the Island Walk Trail
View of Pulau Besar, Pulau Tengah and Pulau Hujung from the Island Walk Trail

Not sure what islands are these though
View of Pulau Gual, Pulau Mensirip and Pulau Harimau

The end of the Island Walk leads you to the Jungle Trekking Trail
The end of the Island Walk leads you to the Jungle Trekking Trail

Dinner on Rawa Island was slightly late at 8pm. The food was served in buffet style with lots of variety. They also offered cocktails and fruit juice (charged separately). The one thing I regretted was I did not try their famous, vicious Rawa Special Cocktail!

Lesson learnt:

Never resist temptation on an island

One thing I like about Alang's Rawa is that they have their dining tables all lined up in a row. So it was easier to mingle around and make new friends, especially for solo travelers like me.

So cute to have your "name card" on your dining table
So cute to have your "name card" on your dining table

Had a long and fun chat with my Rawa neighbours Stefan and Franzi from Germany. They were the coolest couple I've met! Both of them worked and saved for 5 months after graduating and now they are traveling across Asia! I have long admired the courageous spirit of Westerners to chase their dreams and what a wonderful thing it was to have friends who encourage you to do the same.

With Stefan & Franzi
With Stefan & Franzi

Midway through our dinner we were joined by Sheena, our friendly host. It was interesting to hear from her about some background history of Rawa and also how she chose to be an island girl. After 3 years working on Rawa, she is conversant in many foreign languages especially German. In short, Rawa is filled with many many cool people and plenty of positive island energy!

Day 2

Morning from Rawa Island!

I was recommended by Alang's Rawa staffs to try the Hilltop Walk which promises a stunning view of the island. It got my adrenaline going as I've never read or heard about this Hilltop Walk before. After settling my breakfast, I got myself on the Hilltop Walk in no time as I couldn't wait to see what more Rawa Island has to offer.

Began the Day 2 with lovely breakfast. Must try their omelette which is cooked upon order
Began Day 2 with this scrumptuous breakfast. Must try their omelette which is cooked on the spot

The Hilltop Walk is located at the back of the beach and you can access it by following the Hilltop Jungle Trekking path behind Rawa Safari Resort.

At the back alley of Rawa Safari Resort
At the back alley of Rawa Safari Resort. Follow the Hilltop Jungle Trekking direction
Some mild trekking before the Hilltop Walk
Some mild trekking before the Hilltop Walk
Take the stairs up on your right
Take the stairs up on your right
Steep stairs, means shorter route to the top of the hill
Steep stairs, means shorter route to the top of the hill

 From the beach to the Hilltop Walk took me about 15 to 20 minutes. A very short and easy route thanks to the well maintained paths and stairs. After the stairs, you will reach a plateau but this is not the highest point. If you are more adventurous, head right over the rocky paths and you will be rewarded by views that would stay in your memory for a long long time.

Walk up this path for more stunning views at the top
Walk up this path for more stunning views at the top

There are guide rails here, but not all the way
There are guide rails here, but not all the way
I was down there not too long ago!
I was down there walking along the rail not too long ago!
Amazing view of the cliff at the back of Rawa Island
Amazing view of the cliff at the back of Rawa Island
Watch out for moderately steep rocks ahead
Watch out for moderately steep rocks ahead
Hello from the peak of Rawa Island!

If you thought that the view at the peak was the best, then you should read on. No doubt at the peak you get this amazing view of the cliff at the back of the island. But what you are about to witness next is the true highlight of the entire hike.

Keep walking on over the peak until you see a plateau overlooking the sea towards the triplet islands of Pulau Besar, Tengah and Hujung. That's the spot that gives you the best view of Rawa Island.

See that plateau? That's the spot!
See that plateau? That's the spot!

This is my personal favourite view of the entire hike. Never thought I could get a bird's eye view of the beach and jetty from here
This is my personal favourite view of the entire hike.

Never thought I could get a bird's eye view of the beach and jetty from up here. Such a breathtaking view especially under this sunny weather. Totally exemplifies the beauty of Pulau Rawa. The water is so clear that you can see the corals and sea bed beneath. 

As I have to check out by 12 noon, I couldn't stay much longer and had to head back down after soaking up the stunning views. After packing up my stuff, there was still a bit of time left before lunch and I decided to explore around the beach, especially those areas that are now exposed due to low tide.

Back on the beach again!
Back on the beach again!
I'm a civil engineer and I build sand castles *Actually not built by me* I build dreams =D
These rocks were exposed due to low tide
These rocks were exposed after low tide
I wouldn't recommend snorkeling during low tide as you might accidentally damage the corals
Kayaking is also possible on Pulau Rawa
Kayaking is also possible on Pulau Rawa

Finally it's time to bid goodbye to Pulau Rawa and all the cool people here. Thanks to Alang's Rawa friendly staffs and also the hilltop hike experience, I would say it has exceeded my already high expectations for the island. 2D1N was definitely too short for me and I will surely return in the near future (if I'm fortunate enough as they are always fully booked). 

Goodbye Pulau Rawa! 또 만나요!


Travel Expenses Breakdown

Bus fare from Singapore to Mersing Jetty (one-way): $36.50 (~RM109)

2D1N Package by Alang's Rawa Resort Beachfront Room: RM653 (1 pax)


Getting there:

Location: Pulau Rawa, Mersing, Johor

From Singapore: Direct bus (The One Travel a.k.a. Five Stars) from Boon Lay Shopping Centre (6:45am) to Mersing Jetty (Please check their website for return trip option)

From Mersing Jetty: 2-way boat transfer to Pulau Rawa provided by Alang's Rawa Resort 2D1N Package

Accommodation: Alang's Rawa Resort

Johor, Malaysia

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83 COMMENTS

  1. After many times reading about Rawa, finally we went there last 2weeks 🥰🥰. It starting monsoon season and raining in the evening but it’s still worth it..definitely will revisit..hehe

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  3. hi is it true that no children allowed to alangs rawa during weekend. So we cannot stay there on weekend if we bring children right

  4. Hi, I just want to say what an excellent review! You managed to do many good activities even in just two days so Kudos to you for that. I was looking around for reviews on Pulau Rawa and yours has been really helpful (and also entertaining). Cheers!

    • Thank you for your kind words Hisham =) Yea there are lots of things to do in Pulau Rawa but have to do it by ourselves as they do not offer out of island trips. I thought 2D1N was pretty well spent haha. Do check out our reviews for the other islands as well. There are so many beautiful islands in Malaysia =)

    • Hi Nur Zalikha! They do have snorkeling gears available for rent but at the time when I was there, they do not offer snorkeling trips out of the island. But you are free to rent their snorkeling gears and snorkel near the beach any time. Corals near the beach are rich.

  5. Hi,

    Your article is useful 🙂
    may I know if the 2D1N Package by Alang’s Rawa Resort Beachfront Room goes by Pax instead of room?

      • Hi Jian,

        Sorry to ask, I do visit their website, seem like they still charge it per pax. So do you only pay for a pax for that whole room? If so, I would love to book it right away.

        • Hi Heany, yes from their latest website info, they are offering packages at per pax rate. Meaning for a 2 nights stay, depending on the room type and number of people in the room, the rate is per pax (person) rate ya. You may contact Alang’s Rawa Resort to book directly with them as we do not have their package at the moment =)

  6. Hi ! Found your article through Google 🙂 May I know that is it you made full payment for Alang Rawa Resort reservation? I emailed them for next month booking and they request so.

  7. I wish to go pulau rawa by this coming 25-Jun / 27jun. May I know how to booked the resort ? Bcz I can’t found any websites at here … hope to help ?

  8. Hi! I am Desmond Cheok from Seremban. I plan to go to either one of the Island in the east coast Malaysia. After surveying all the Islands, I found that the Redang Island has the most soft, white and powdery sand and most crytal clear sea water. Other Island’s beach sand are more yellowish compare to Redang. But after viewing your blog and youtube, I discover that Rawa Island has the same white powdery beach like Redang and it is situated nearer to Seremban. It make me want to go and explore this Island first. Unfortunately I am Solo also. It is a bit hard to book a room as most of the packages are at least twin sharing. Unless I don’t mind paying more. I will check with the Alang Rawa Resort but no telephone no to call. Do u have their Tel no?

  9. Hi! I know this is sort of off-topic but I needed to ask. Does running a well-established website like yours require a large amount of work? I am brand new to writing a blog however I do write in my journal daily. I’d like to start a blog so I can share my experience and thoughts online. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or tips for brand new aspiring blog owners. Thankyou!

    • Hi Will! Yes it does take some effort to maintain it. You need to have some passion for writing blog posts and continue improving your article. But I get a huge help by using Tagdiv’s Newspaper Theme for my blog. It is a very versatile theme and enables you to design your website/blog without coding knowledge =) If you’d like to chat more about doing a blog, you may write to us through email or our contact page. I’ll be glad to share more =)

  10. Hihi, would like to check, I understand that Alang’s Rawa rooms do not have fresh water (it’s all salty water), do you know whether the other resort on Rawa provides fresh water in the rooms? And also u have any idea if the resorts in Pulau Besar provide fresh water too?
    Thank you! 🙂

  11. How im gonna booked for 2D1N at Alang Rawa accomodation? how musch does it cost? is it ALL in (meal..boat transfer etc)? is it possible that im gonna booked this pabkage with you or how?

  12. Hi, just wondering. Because we stay at Mersing so is it possible to just go there to swim and hike and go back by the last boat to the mainland?

    • Hi Sara! I’m not too sure..perhaps you could head over to the boat booking counter at Mersing Jetty to confirm. The last I heard was that they do not allow casual island hopping on to Pulau Rawa. But better confirm with the boat operator.

  13. Thanks for the wonderful read on both pulau besar and pulau rawa.
    Which would you recommend for families with young kids?
    Clear water where fishes can easily be seen not far from shore would be a must!
    Comfortable lodging with air con too 🙂

    • Hi Zinc! It’s a tough choice! Both islands have clear water and can see fish not far from the shore. Pulau Rawa is definitely more beautiful (and has the Rawa Slide!). But if you’d like to stay in an air-conditioned resort, you need to pick Rawa Safari which I didn’t stay in. It is also much more expensive. As for Pulau Besar, the Aseania Beach Resort which I stayed in has aircond and the resort is also very clean. Suitable for young kids. Value for money wise, I will opt for Pulau Besar to travel with young kids =)

  14. Hi there, I found your site via Google while looking for a related topic, your web site came up, it looks great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  15. Hello! Quick question that’s entirely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My web site looks weird when browsing from my iphone. I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to resolve this issue. If you have any recommendations, please share. Appreciate it!

  16. Hello,

    I heard many sent email to Alang’s Rawa resort but no reply even after months.Can I how you got contact them and how fast was the response came for you? thanks in advance

    • Hi! I was lucky that I received their response within 2 working days. I think it might be because they receive literally hundreds of emails per day and maybe only manage to reply to those who had chosen dates which are not fully booked. You can also try to message them through facebook.

    • Hi Junyee, there is no snorkeling package offered by Alang’s Rawa Resort while I visited there last year. However, you can rent their snorkeling gear (during my visit, it was FOC as long as you don’t damage it) and snorkel nearby the beach. There are a lot of beautiful corals just a few metres away from the beach =)

  17. Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is wonderful blog. An excellent read. I will certainly be back.

    • Hi Zen,
      Yes of course you can bring your own mineral water in your bag. But they also provide a couple of small bottled mineral water in the room. Alang’s Rawa Resort does not provide snorkeling packages outside of the island. However, you can snorkel around the beach at your own time. They do rent snorkeling gears in the resort. While I was there, the rental was free and as long as you return the gears in its original condition, they will not charge you.

  18. Hi, may I know how u go Mersing jetty from Singapore? I can’t find the location at the one travel website.

    Hope to hear u soon😉

    • Hi Rose! I didn’t experience sand fly problems at Rawa. The island was very clean and even have very few mosquitoes. But I guess that also depends on which season you visit Rawa. Hope this helps =)

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