SIM Card in Tioman

If you have mission-critical reasons to remain connected while in Tioman, it's good to know that there are a few ways that you can increase your coverage.

That said, the first thing to note is that, being a pretty rugged island with a couple of jungle-covered mountain peaks, Tioman may not be completely uniformly covered by the various telco networks. There are sections that are perpetual "dead zones", i.e. spots the telcos cannot extend their reach into, simply because they're just too remote or blocked by terrain.

SIM

Buying a Malaysia SIM card in Tioman, along with a Data plan is a good idea. At roughly RM 25 a pop, most SIM cards come with a few free minutes.

You can also get SIM cards with unlimited internet, but rates vary and actual use is based on Fair Use Policy. To get the details, you'll need to ask the shop before you get the SIM card.

Incidentally, the SIM card's bandwidth won't be extra generous at any point on the island, so don't expect to be able to view Youtube clips without a fair amount of buffering. However, for general email or Facebook purposes, these SIM cards are adequate.

Telco's

Telcos with a decent SIM card service are Celcom and Maxis. FYI, you'll end up paying a little more than the SIM card's value, due to mark-up and GST.

Final note, for the best download speeds, make sure you're not right at the foot of any of Tioman's hill slopes. Being some distance away from the tree-covered hills ensures there's at least some clearance between you and the communications beacon on top of the hill.