PULAUMY

Guide No. 07 of 20

Island · Johor

Pulau Rawa

White sand curving to a rocky headland with palms and beach chalets on Pulau Rawa, turquoise shallows over coral in front and another island on the horizon.
The main beach on Pulau Rawa. Photographed in 2014; buildings may have changed.Photo: Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Boat from
Mersing jetty, Mersing
Crossing
20–30 minSpeedboat
Season
All yearResorts open all year
Park charge
RM30MyKad holders RM5

Facts checked 8 November 2026 against operators and the Department of Fisheries.

The short version

Pulau Rawa is a small private island in the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park, about 16–18 km off Mersing in Johor, reached only by resort speedboat from Mersing jetty in 20 to 30 minutes.

Stays, rankedThe boat from Mersing jetty

I

Where to stay

Order is editorial, not paid. An editor sets each stay’s tier by hand; within a tier, stays follow the beach. Booking partners have no say.

Pick: our first choice on the island. Good: sound, with a catch. Listed: facts only.

PickOur first choice

1 stay
  1. 1

    Rawa Island Resort

    West beach · Main west beach, beside the resort jetty

    Snorkelling from the beach, a dive centre and a kids' room, with the boat and all meals in one package, and, the resort says, open all year. Costly for basic, generator-powered rooms, and every booking is prepaid and non-refundable.

    Read the entry: Rawa Island ResortRates on Trip.com

GoodSound, with a catch

1 stay
  1. 2

    Alang's Rawa

    West beach · South end of the west beach

    Twelve rooms, family-run, with meals, the boat and free kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel gear. Prices are per person before 18% tax and service, drinks are extra, and it closes for the monsoon.

    Read the entry: Alang's RawaBooked on the resort’s own site

II

Things to do

Not sold by our partners. Ask your resort.

  • Dives and PADI courses at Rawa Island Resort

    A PADI Five Star dive centre set up with Orca Scuba, teaching up to instructor level and specialising in families and children. Charged separately from the package

  • Hilltop walk for the view

    A short trail from the resort to the top of the island, about 15–40 minutes

  • Kayaks and paddleboards

    Launched from the main beach at both resorts. Extra at Rawa Island Resort; free at Alang's Rawa with a refundable RM100 deposit

  • Snorkelling the house reef from the beach

    Shallow reef straight off the main beach, so no boat is needed. Gear is extra at Rawa Island Resort and free at Alang's Rawa with a refundable RM100 deposit

III

When to go

  1. JanPart
  2. FebPart
  3. MarOpen
  4. AprOpen
  5. MayOpen
  6. JunOpen
  7. JulOpen
  8. AugOpen
  9. SepOpen
  10. OctOpen
  11. NovPart
  12. DecPart

Open: both resorts run, in the months Rawa Island Resort recommends. Part: Alang's Rawa is closed or closing, and water activities may stop in rough seas; check before booking. No month is fully shut.

Rawa Island Resort suggests March to October for the best weather and says it stays open all year; Alang's Rawa runs from March to November. In the northeast monsoon, roughly mid-November to January, water activities may stop, and the boats follow the tide and the weather, so sailings can be moved or cancelled. Rawa Island Resort's published 2026 rates run only to 15 November 2026, so check year-end prices when you book.

IV

Getting there

  1. Kuala LumpurBus from TBS, about 5 h 30, from RM32. Or drive 4–5 h via Ayer Hitam and Kluang.
  2. Mersing bus terminalWalk 1.4 km to the jetty, about 10 min, or a taxi for about RM10.
  3. Mersing jettyPay the RM30 charge in cash and check in at your resort's counter. Speedboat 20–30 min.
  4. Pulau RawaResort jetty on the west beach.

There is no public ferry. Each resort runs its own speedboat from Mersing jetty, 20 to 30 minutes, and includes it in its 2-night package. Mersing is about 2 hours by road from Senai airport, about 3 hours plus the border from Singapore, and 4 to 5 hours from Kuala Lumpur by bus or car. Tanjung Leman, further south, is the jetty for Sibu and Tinggi, not Rawa.

Boats, times and fares

V

Packages explained

Neither resort sells room-only stays or day trips; Rawa Island Resort requires at least two nights. Both sell 2-night full-board packages that include the return speedboat from Mersing.

  • Rawa Island Resort prices per room, nett, with service charge and service tax included. Its 2026 rate sheet (16 January to 15 November 2026) starts at RM2,820 for two adults for two nights in a Hillside Deluxe room.
  • Alang’s Rawa prices per person, before 8% SST and 10% service charge. Its weekday packages start at RM860 per person for two nights when five share a room.

Packages exclude the marine park conservation charge, drinks and, for non-Malaysians, tourism tax of RM10 per room per night. Sea sports cost extra at Rawa Island Resort; at Alang’s Rawa the gear is free against a refundable RM100 deposit. We do not sell packages. Each stay page says what its package covers.

VI

Rules and practicalities

Rawa is part of the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park, 41 islands off Mersing in six clusters, managed by the Department of Fisheries with Johor National Parks. Every visitor pays a conservation charge in cash at Mersing jetty before the boat: RM30 for adults without a MyKad, RM5 for MyKad holders, and RM15 or RM2 for children aged 6 to 12 and adults over 60.

  • No fishing, jet-skis or littering. Do not touch coral, anchor on it, or take any marine animal or plant, dead or alive.
  • Since 1 January 2026, take your rubbish back to the mainland.
  • Neither resort allows outside drinks. Rawa Island Resort also bans outside food, drones and pets.
  • Both resorts are cashless on the island: cards and e-wallets, and bank transfer at Alang’s Rawa.
  • Wi-Fi works in the restaurant and bar areas only. Rooms at both resorts have no TV, fridge or kettle.
  • There is no village on the island. The two resorts are the only places to stay and eat.
  • Another Pulau Rawa lies in Terengganu, near the Perhentians. This guide is the one off Mersing, Johor.