. . . only 15 minutes boat ride from the mainland to Sea Gypsy on one of our two 32' twin 85hp engined boats.

2 Night Getaway Package

Special for Singapore Residents

What is a family chalet?

Alcohol & Snacks

Weather in General 

Tips, including the solution to Sand Flies!

Important Note for Divers

Contact Us

Boat Schedule

Our recommended route for driving to Tg. Leman

Car or Bus Service?

Bus Service Rates

Bus Schedule

Private Vehicle Hire

BECOME A SEA GYPSY & GET FREE NIGHTS!

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Low Season 2 Night Getaway Package ONLY RM497 nett, per adult, twin or triple sharing

 

Extension Nights RM205 nett per adult, per night.

 

Includes:

Boat from Tanjong Leman to Pulau Sibu, to and fro

Free Cocktail as a Welcome Drink

2 nights accommodation with -

     2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners

Tax & Service 

*Single occupancy package RM 624 nett per adult, extension night RM269 nett

There's a RM11.50 nett surcharge per adult, RM5.75 per child for boats after 6 p.m.

HAPPY HOUR* on ALL COCKTAILS & SPIRITS for parties of 10 adults or more the whole trip!

*i.e. for each cocktail or spirit drink ordered that guest will be entitled to a second drink, exactly the same, served in the same glass (figuratively speaking) when the guest has finished drinking the first drink. the second drink may not be served to any other person, it may only be consumed by the person paying for the first drink. Only guests that book as part of the group when making the reservation may be considered part of the group.

Click here for a handy currency converter http://www.xe.com/ucc/

However please note that if you wish to use Spore $ cash or personal cheques on departure the hotel rate is currently RM2.1 to the S$.

Sea Gypsy Subsidised Road Service Ex Singapore Only RM103.50 nett return, per passenger.

Bus schedule

Service from either Singapore or Tg. Leman costs RM80.50 nett one way, per passenger.

Parents are welcome to put their baby seats in the bus (every vehicle has lap straps). We will look after them on the mainland until the return trip if you don't wish to take them to the island.

Important Notes about our Subsidised Express Bus Service:

• Our Transport Manager will decided trip by trip whether it's best to go via the Causeway or Tuas, the decision is made upon the traffic conditions on that particular day. We not only use the Causeway web cam but spies along route 3, the Pasir Gudang Highway & Tuas. Likewise we may choose to go via Kulai rather than Ulu Tiram. The driver will follow the orders received by our Transport Manager and not the passengers.

• Our service is an express service and only makes one stop for the toilet if necessary. DO NOT ask the bus to stop for any other reason. The drivers have been instructed not to do so.

• The buses do not stop for smoking, phone calls (unless a dire emergency), eating or shopping so please DO NOT ask the drivers to do so.

• Somerset & Grange car park off Orchard Road or Perling Mall car park JB are the drop off points for our returning express bus. PLEASE DO NOT ASK THE DRIVERS TO TAKE YOU ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THOSE CAR PARKS. If you wish to disembark anywhere along the set route that is not a problem but drivers have been instructed not to make any detours.

• Passengers are allowed 1 medium bag each. If you are bringing extra luggage please inform us, you must book an extra seat! 

This special is ONLY for residents of Malaysia & Singapore:

25% discount* for Mums & Children up to 16 yrs old!

on all extra nights preceding or following a fully paid Friday & Saturday night with Dad.

You can utilise our subsidised bus service from or to Singapore  in order to arrive or depart seperately.

**No longer any need to go home if you're having fun because poor old Dad has to work!!**

**If Dad's away mid week Mum & Kid's can now go away and play, joining them for the weekend!!**

*Please note that during our designated low season the total discount on the room rate is 35%.

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Note: unless the words "nett" or "inclusive" are used prices are subject to 15% tax & service

SEA GYPSY MEMBERSHIP - For adults resident in Singapore & Malaysia only.

On your next visit to Sea Gyspy ask for a Membership Card

Collect chops for each Friday and Saturday night you pay for

once you have collected 3 chops you are entitled to

1 night absolutely FREE of charge!!!

You can claim these nights any time you like, any day of the week, including Friday & Saturday nights,

whether you come alone, with friends or part of a family. They are valid any time until you claim them, they do not expire.

They are, however, non transferable, even to other family members.

 

We thought it was time to reward all our regulars for their continuing support -

this membership translates into a saving almost 30% over two weekends.

 

So cheers & see you at Sea Gypsy!

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PRIVATE VEHICLE HIRE IS AVAILABLE FOR RM460 nett ONE WAY, PER VEHICLE.

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Click here for a handy currency converter http://www.xe.com/ucc/

However please note that if you wish to use Spore $ cash or personal cheques on departure the hotel rate is currently RM2.1 to the S$.

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The weather on Pulau Sibu is very different from Singapore's although it's only 2.5 hours north as the crow flies.

I live in Johor Bahru overlooking the straights of Johor from Monday to Friday. I sit on the 13th floor and watch the weather over Singapore and JB.  I love watching the storm clouds gathering and the rain storms as they make their way around the island and across to the mainland. It never ceases to amaze me how different the climate is here and on the island. We have to keep signs up asking guests to conserve water because we have so little rain from March till October.  So what's the weather like?  Blue skies and sunshine all the way.  Flat seas and a nice breeze. Perfect!!

 

By the way if you do a search for weather in Johor the web site that almost always comes up takes it's reading from downtown JB so it constantly tells you rain with a chance of storms. Ignore it!    

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Following route 3 you do not have to go through Kota Tinggi as there is a by pass. If you wish to fill up with petrol or if you have children and they need to ‘go’ we suggest that you go through Kota Tinggi and use one of the service stations there. The toilets all cost 20 cents, take your own toilet paper!  This will only add about 15 minutes to your journey. 

Keep following the signs to Tanjong Leman, Pulau Sibu and Mersing.

 

*About 40 minutes north of the Kota Tinggi turnoff, at average speed, you will see signs for Sibu Island Resort (not us but they own the jetty), Tanjong Leman and Pulau Sibu. It is a right turn (through a check point onto the Tenggaroh Plantation).

 

From the turn off to the beach takes approximately 20 minutes, keep following the signs to Tanjong Leman & Pulau Sibu, there's one left turn & one right turn.  Keep following the road leading to the car park and jetty, do not turn off at the first car park sign to where our loading area used to be a hundred years ago but going straight to the car park barrier.  It costs RM 8 per night to leave your car there and RM 4 per person to use the jetty (keep the ticket as they like to try and charge you again on the return!).

 

*There is now a sign to Tanjong Leman at the Sedili turn off, 13km north of Kota Tinggi. You can follow this route if you like, it is very pretty BUT there is a long stretch of narrow windy plantation road, complete with free roaming cows, where you will NOT get ANY mobile signal and the pot holes are quite bad at the moment. It is not very busy so if you should break down you could get stuck for a while. NEVER use this route after dark. If you wish to follow this route here are the directions:

 

Turn right at the Sedili Junction, go 21km to the traffic lights

 

Turn left and cross the bridge, after which you will enter Tenggaroh Plantation, go 22km to a T junction, turn right.

 

Go 1km and you will see the right turn to Tanjong Leman, it’s another 11km to the jetty car park.

The Pros & Cons of Car versus Bus Service

Obviously if you don't have a car the bus service is brilliant and at only RM 103.50 nett per passenger, there & back, it's an absolute bargain.

The down side is that both S'pore & Malay Immigrations & Customs insist that you disembark the bus, taking all your luggage with you and make you walk through the formalities. No problem if you've got just a small hold all, not so funny if you're coming for a week and you've brought dive gear with you.

Speaking of dive gear, luggage space is obviously limited so you may end up with a bag on your lap.

There is no flexibility over times and you have to get to and from Somerset & Grange car park.

The up side is you can sleep in the bus and snore your way through the journey. 

You can enjoy a drink prior to the journey.

You don't have to worry about getting lost (if you've forgotten to take our directions!).

If you're nervous about driving in Malaysia you don't have to.

Would I use the bus service if I had my own car? My considered opinion after 10 years of running the bus service is, as an adult I wouldn't think twice about taking the bus if I didn't feel like driving. If I was taking children and I had the choice to use my own car I probably would for the ease of not having to walk through Customs & Immigrations, for the unlimited luggage space and to be able to choose whatever boat time I liked.

However, as stated at the beginning, it's a brilliant service and very easy to use.

The boat ride is just under 20 minutes, life vests are provided and must be worn by law. It is important to understand that our boats only run when we have guests arriving or departing, it is not a ferry service. you must prebook your boat time when making a booking.

 

From Tanjong Leman Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday:

2 p.m. & 6 p.m.

From Tanjong Leman Friday:

2 p.m. & 6 p.m. & 9 p.m.

From Tanjong Leman Saturday:

9 a.m. & 2 p.m.

From Tanjong Leman Sunday

2 p.m. & 5 p.m.

 

If you have any special requests for boat times please ask, we try and be flexible if at all possible. The reason for no posted mid morning boats is because the Dive Base frequently use both boats for diving & snorkeling trips.

 

Please note: our boat drivers wait 15 minutes or so for late comers. If you miss the your selected boat and ask us to send a boat back to Tg. Leman to collect you before the next scheduled boat service the charge will be RM120 in addition to the regular boat fare to cover the cost of the fuel. We do not guarantee that a boat will be available due to Dive Base activities.

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Regular Chalets:

Our regular chalets have a king sized bed frame with 2 single mattresses made up separately under one large mosquito net. We can put an extra bed or cot into the chalets, some of them can take a bunk bed. All extra beds & cots have mosquito nets.

Families with babies & young children, let us advise you which type of chalet would suit you best.

Family chalets:

Our purpose built family chalets have two bedrooms. One with a king sized bed for two adults, the other with 2 sets of built in bunk beds that can take up to 4 children, or 3 children and a maid. There is no connecting door between the bedrooms but both rooms connect to a large bathroom and a private verandah.

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Tips, including the solution to Sand Flies:

Sea Gypsy's Home Made Sand Fly Remedy NOW AVAILABLE only RM69 per bottle. Ask for it on arrival!

-     Have about RM 50 in change with you for paying the jetty fee of RM 4 per person and perhaps a drink if waiting at Tanjong Leman. If you're driving you'll need another RM20 for tolls.

-     Pack everything into black garbage sacks and then put the black sacks into your bag. Even when the sea if flat the bottom of the boat can be wet. We provide plastic bags to pack those last minute wet swimsuits, etc. into.

-     Have a bag with a change of clothes and a small towel in your bag (or leave them in your car) so that if you get wet on the boat ride home you won’t be sitting in wet clothes for the car journey.

-     Practically the only footwear you need is a pair of flip-flops. If you’re energetic and like to walk or run a pair of trainers would be handy.

-     Swimsuits, sarongs, sun hats, T-shirts, shorts, cotton tops and skirts or dresses is the only clothing required. Leave the glad rags and the jewellery at home. The mosquitoes come out at sun up and sun down (only bothersome for about an hour) so you may like to bring long pants and a long sleeved cotton shirt if you don’t like to use mosquito repellent. We recommend Off (which we also sell in our shop), the herbal ones sound great but don't appear to do the job. Citronella oil not only smells delicious but is great for dabbing on wrists and ankles for those among you that will always attract an insect no matter what time of day.

-     Start taking large quantities of Vitamin B and eating as much garlic as possible one week before your trip as this will change the aroma of your sweat and make you unattractive to mosquitoes (apparently!?).     

-    Oil is the answer to the Sand Fly. Repellants, no matter what they may claim, really seem to have no effect. Oil stops them completely. It is irrelevant what oil, cooking, baby, etc., but we recommend sun oil to avoid being cooked. Do not substitute it for your regular sun lotion simply put it on over the top. The best tip in the world for Sand Flies is to buy a bottle of spray on tanning oil, pour a little out, add a small bottle of Tee Tree Oil and a few drops of liquid disinfectant (e.g. Detol). Spray this on and no sand fly will touch you! The recipe comes from Australia, where they really know about sand fly problems, and is known as bush oil over there. (Amazing what I've been finding out since my children started boarding school in Perth!)

Note: This is a great tip if you are traveling anywhere in the world that has Sandflies. My first encounter was in West Africa about a hundred years ago (or so it seems). Don't forget the mainland jetties are quite often the place where you get attacked and not the actual beach that you are going to. If in doubt put the oil on your feet and ankles before you get there.

P.S. Some recent guests from New Zealand said they expected to be greeted with swarms of Sand Flies, as encountered in the South Island back home, and almost didn't come. They asked me to point out that for most people the Sand Flies are not noticeable and much of the time they are not there at all!

Alcohol & Snacks

For all Dan's Nasty Dive Base information & rates click here