Let’s talk ecological paradise! Tioman Island, right off Peninsular Malaysia’s east coast, is the ultimate destination for holidays filled with natural wonders. Known as a marine park, the island is home to a great number of coral reefs and marine life and is quite famous in the diving community. Covered by pristine rainforests, the island also offers warm sand beaches, pristine rainforests, and waterfalls.

Of course, we would never skip such a destination so we hopped on a 2-hour ferry to Tioman Island and stayed at a lovely boutique hotel right in front of the beach: 1511 Coconut Grove. Here you’ll find our honest review from our stay with them!

1511 Coconut Grove

Location

This charming boutique hotel is located on Tioman Island, 32 nautical miles off the mainland, right in front of Juara Beach. You can get here by taking a ferry from the cities of Mersing (Johor) or Tanjung Gemuk (Pahang); the ferry from Mersing takes around 2 hours to Tioman Island. Then you need to take a 30-minute 4WD taxi ride to the other side of the island, to Juara Beach. Near the hotel, you’ll find the Juara Turtle Project and the Lubuk Teja waterfall.

The Rooms

1511 Coconut Grove provides beach-front chalet accommodation, inspired by traditional village home architecture, with stilts, a thatched roof, and a private balcony. Chalets are available as King or twin Seaview; Family, King and twin Garden view, and the Tower Chalets. We stayed in a King Seaview Chalet so this is the one we will focus on in this review.

The chalet looks small but it’s actually quite spacious and comfortable. The decoration is simple but we loved the beach vibe you get from entering the room. The private balcony is just a few steps away from the sand and has its own hammock which is where we spent most of our time, reading, talking, and enjoying the sea breeze.

The room is air-conditioned and counts with an electric kettle, complimentary tea and coffee, an additional fan, and a private bathroom with a shower. Rates here start at 80 euros a night, which is a good price on Tioman Island. There is no room service unless you ask for it during breakfast time.

Unfiltered Room Photos

The Space

Regarding the space, 1511 Coconut Grove offers a main restaurant where all the meals are served and where you can enjoy some live music during dinner time! Cards, Uno, and a few other board games are also available and we think the vibes here are unmatched! The hotel also offers bikes and motorbike rentals, as well as snorkeling and diving trips.

Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel and it was great! Considering that we had no service at all on this side of Tioman Island, having good reliable wifi was a must.

On a separate note, we lived an awesome experience while staying at 1511 Coconut Grove. Late at night, they knocked on our door to let us know that the baby turtles at Juara Turtle Project were ready to be released into the sea and that we could go watch it! It was one of the most magical moments we have ever experienced and we learned a lot from the professionals that run the place!

We also got to hike to a nearby small waterfall and the whole way up from the hotel to the waterfall takes only 40 minutes, so there are plenty of activities to be done in the area.

The Food

Breakfast is served daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM. They have a set menu from which you can choose your breakfast option, with a few Asian and mostly American/English options. Cereals, milk, and juice are available at your convenience. If you don’t have breakfast included, all of the options cost only around 3.5 euros.

Lunch and dinner are also offered at their restaurant with a good variety of á la carte dishes and prices are very affordable. Dinner for two there cost around 8-20 euros.

General Rating

Note: we base our ratings on same-level accommodations in similar locations, therefore we’ll never compare a Hostel in Asia with a Hostel in Europe or a guesthouse with a 5-star resort.

Conclusion

Waking up to sunrise right in front of the beach and spending our days swimming, hiking, and biking around the area is most definitely how we imagine a great holiday. We do recommend timing your visit to 1511 Coconut Grove between July and October though, so you can experience the turtles being released into the sea.

Juara Beach itself is not a good place for snorkeling, so if you’re looking into diving and snorkeling, you should expect to pay something around 45 euros for a day trip to a better spot. This was a downside for us, as well as the limited breakfast options.

Overall, we think 1511 Coconut Grove is the best option at Juara Beach, offering a real taste of life at Tioman Island: great nature, good food, and lots of relaxing time at the beach.

This was a sponsored stay.

Find more reviews of our favorite hotels here!