When she was just a girl she expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of
Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes

Rawaisland resort
Rawaisland resort

The sound of the splashing water was in the background, but my mind had numbed at the beauty I beheld before me.  D was climbing out of the ferry that had just deposited us to Rawa Island Resort, and my first thought was, “this is perhaps what heaven looks like in my world”.

Rawa Island
Rawa Island

N1 (My bossy girl) was skipping ahead of us, snapping photos of possibly one of the best beaches of Malaysia, her camera quick to capture the clear blue sky and bright blue sea, the jewel-like colors overwhelming. At that moment, I was staring, every thought I had had the day before, of leaving Malaysia and going back, completely out of my head, my entire being suddenly lost somewhere out there in the horizon, where the fishes swam peacefully with reef sharks skipping about.

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Rawa Island Malaysia

After reaching Rawa Island Resort, a three hour journey from the Johor Bahru Airport, we were carried over to Rawa Island via Mersing in a ferry, my plan was to snorkel out into the coral reefs situated about 50-60 metres away from the beach. You also have the option to hike up to the top of the island for a 360 degree view of the area, or dive (with the help of a diving company (Orca Scuba) that can be arranged when you are making the booking, or after you reach.

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Malaysia Beaches

One may pick from the different rooms available at the Rawa Island Resort – there are beachfront chalets, conveniently facing the sea, waterfront bungalows that overlook the water, a set of private villas, and hillside rooms that are slightly above the sea level and offers a beautiful view of the ocean. I shared my room with R and we got a hillside room with a balcony opening out to a slightly obscure view of the sea.

Rawa Island Resort rooms
Rawa Island Resort rooms
Rawa Island Resort rooms
Rawa Island Resort Deluxe Rooms

The decor of the room we had been given was vaguely colonial, with one double and one single bed. I picked out the single bed to sleep, and it was rather comfortable for me. Water is slightly scarce, so the bathroom has cautions attached, to not use more water than required, and a slightly old-looking geyser heated up enough water for me and R to bathe in, and also wash our dirty swimsuits, post which, we hung them outside on the balcony to dry out.

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Chasing Peacocks

After lunch, the first thing that we needed to do was to find a spot to relax, and I found a hammock which I sort of crawled into, with the help of N1 and N2, and then I sort of, might have, passed out for a while. But when the sun is shining, a balmy sea breeze blowing your way, and the final pages of the book in your hand remain unread, all you want to do is peacefully conk off.

Peacock chasing me
Peacock chasing me
It flew up
It flew up
EEP!
EEP!

I had no energy to walk up to the top of the hills to see the island, but N1 and B did, and they reported back that it was magical. I walked towards the beachfront bungalows, and got chased by peacocks on my way back.

I’m not kidding.

Rawa Island Beachfront

Rawa Island has a magnificent beach, with white sand, blue-green water, and a coral reef that’s so close that it begs to be explored. I had to dive off and swim to see for myself, and it was magical. I swam with schools of fishes, and might have spotted a reef shark (highly likely, because the following day I DID see a couple of reef sharks swimming around the marina, and took videos of it too). N2 thought he had seen a Manta Ray, but, it might not have been one.

Rawaislandresort
reef shark alert! Look at the two reef sharks swimming close to the school of fish!

Rawa Island Resort has multiple room options to pick from. The best thing to do would be to book directly through their website, and see the available packages. There are discounts provided during off-season, and I would strongly suggest checking them out before making your plan. Packages generally include three meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and alcohol can be purchased from the bar/restaurant. You will also probably have to pay for the boat transfer to/from Mersing, and as timings are restricted, you would have to be on time to get to the islands.

bar/restaurant of Rawa Island Resort
bar/restaurant of Rawa Island Resort

We had lunch, dinner, and breakfast, and the food was a combination of Malay and continental fare, served in the restaurant, buffet-style. I liked the fact that there were plenty of options to pick from, and a salad bar.

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My dinner plate

As the day slowly rolled towards its end, the sky darkened slowly. I was sitting alone, my feet dangling into the ocean, thoughts scattered into a million pieces and perhaps deep into the blue of the sea. A lone man was struggling with a bucket, dragging and pulling it towards the jetty where a boat was waiting for him.

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As the day melted into darkness, I saw the boat pull away languidly into the ocean. I couldn’t help but appreciate the song in my head, the one reverberating and echoing into the approaching darkness. One word stood out.

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Paradise.

And it was to me at that moment.

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DisclaimerPoorna Banerjee was invited by AirAsia to go to Johor Bahru. However, her experience is based on her own trips as well, and her opinions are in no way biased in any manner. Thank you Tourism Johor Bahru for arranging the fabulous stay at Rawa Island Resort.  #VacayWithAirAsia #AirAsia 

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24 Responses

  1. What an amazing place, you are not the only one that have dreamt of this place.. I too have. This place is just so amazing and the pictures are breathtaking.

  2. Amazing pictures! I’d really like to visit it someday. One question, does the resort fee include the ferry ride? Do they pick you up from the airport?

    1. The resort fee does not include rides, but they arrange it for a price – details are available on their website (I have linked it), and a good idea is to ask them about airport pick up and drop (they do provide it).

  3. Hi!
    What a nice resort to explore and stay in! The rooms look comfy and breezy with the large open windows. I must say the reef shark freaked me out a little. I might be more into hiking lol
    Great info!
    Dee

  4. Rawa Island certainly looks like Paradise. I’ve heard so much about this place and your pictures have got me yearning to go, though I might give the reef sharks a miss. Such a different side to Malaysia

  5. I can definitely see why you loved spending some time here! Somewhere with coral reefs and hikes to amazing views definitely requires a few days to experience.Thanks for making me aware of a little slice of paradise that I never knew about before 🙂

  6. Rawa Island is nothing short of a revelation. It indeed looks like a slice of paradise. The waters and the beaches are simply gorgeous.This is definitely a fresh perspective of Malaysia. A place we would love to head to when we get to Malaysia.

  7. Wow! Look at those two sharks swimming close by to the school of fish. Nice captured! I’ve never heard about this island before. Thank you for sharing.

  8. What a perfect place! Thanks for letting us know about this! We might be going to Malaysia and this is just the kind of place we would love. I think I would want the water bungalow. That water looks so amazing and would love to snorkel in it, too! Great location and resort!

  9. As I saw the 1st pic of this post.. I was blown away with the beauty this resort holds.. looks so so wonderful. Certainly shows you enjoyed ur stay. Thanks for sharing.

  10. Photo of the Day: Your capture of the reef sharks and school of fish so perfectly visible in that clear water! That shot is PERFECTION and enough to sell me on this resort. However, everything else you took note of – especially those beach front chalets – sounds exactly my kind of place. I love accommodations that minimalist and rustic but still very well appointed and Rawa Island Resort seems to be exactly that!

  11. wow. that’s a white peacock !!! amazing. I liked the colour of the sea. so calm and peaceful. I can spend an entire day simply staring at that water.

  12. I can always carry on dreaming! But this is the life I’d really like to live. I love the way you presented this piece and your pictures are stunning. Thanks for sharing

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About Me

Hi, I’m Panushwari

Welcome to my blog which is mostly about Food, Travel, Lifestyle and Beauty. I generally review restaurants and hotels in Kolkata and my work as a Restaurant Consultant and Food Critic in Kolkata allows me to maintain this blog as a showcase of my work. I am also a published author and have been a panelist at many events.

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