Rawa Safaris Resort Review

Rawa Safaris Resort at Pulau Rawa Island is located just off the coast of Mersing town in Johor, Malaysia. Not many people travel here due to one of the main factors which is the pricing.

You see, most Malaysians like to go to Pulau Tioman for their holidays as they need to be with a crowd of people at all times. Well, if you belong to that group, Rawa Island is not for you.

Rawa Safaris Resort Review

However, please note that you cannot simply board any boat to go there. The island is a private island and only serviced by the Rawa Safaris boats.

Pulau Rawa is not a large island so most of the activities are centered in and around the resort. This is a really great place to bring your loved ones or kids and spend some serious quality time here.


Rawa Safaris Resort has only one main wooden jetty and the island is shared by only two resorts. In total, there is one resort and one backpacker lodge which used to be called Le Club Rawa.

It was then renamed to Alang Rawa, where Alang is the name of a Johor royalty figure called Tengku Alang. Read a little more about Alang Rawa is at the end of this post.

If you go to Tioman Island, the sand there is more on the brown side and yet people still term it as white sand.

Some resorts in Malaysia dare to claim that their beaches are white sand beaches. Well, come here to see what it means. Seriously.

Rawa Safaris is also well known to the upmarket travelers and also the Singaporeans as the resort is exclusive and Eco-friendly.

The general manager of the resort practices recycling where ever they can and I had the privilege of being brought around to see what they have been doing to help the environment which I think is really great.

Check the pricing though as on low season, prices per person is about RM500.00 and above, so best to double-check online or by calling them.

Rawa Safaris Beachfront Chalets

Also any activities you wish to participate in will cost you. If you want to go snorkeling, you need to hire the snorkel and flippers.

For Scuba Divers, they have diving equipment at the dive and sports shop there but no divemaster. So one needs to be an advanced open water diver to dive in Pulau Rawa.

There are no dive lessons available. You can also rent canoes and windsurfers for some sea activity. No motorized sea sports are available.

You can also inquire about fishing trips or island-hopping around Rawa Island. Besides this, they have a pool and snooker table and a karaoke room to sing your hearts out.

The room also comes with full board and 3 meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is room service as well up to a certain hour if I recall correctly.

Sadly, the lighting was candlelight so I did not take any pictures of the food. but rest assured, you will be eating fresh seafood and really well-prepared dishes from Local to Chinese to Western.

Photos of Rawa Island Resort

However, I was told that the guest from both places is not supposed to cross over to each other’s resort space.

At one time, apparently, Alang’s Rawa only accepted foreigners who were white and turned away any Asians or locals who went there. But it has changed since.

There are only 10 rooms with no air conditioners or resort living services there. It is purely a backpacker type of lodging with natural beauty.

Rawa Safaris Resort office contact;
Rawa Safaris Sdn. Bhd.
Tourist Centre, 86800
Mersing, Johor, Malaysia.
Rawa Safaris Telephone Number: (607) – 799 1204 / 1205 / 5073
Fax: (607) – 799 3848
E-mail : rawasfr@tm.net.my
Website: http://www.rawaislandresort.com/

Final Thoughts on the Rawa Island Resort Review

If you are truly looking for a perfect beach holiday without other resorts in the vicinity, this is one of the recommended places to visit. 


But you must know that during long holidays or even the local school holidays, the island tends to get fully booked. I would just recommend going on a weekday. 


I have another article on Pulau Rawa Island and the things to do and see while staying there. I did some exploring up a hill to see the beautiful views. 


Overall, I would recommend Rawa Safaris Resort to anyone who wants a beautiful time on an island with little or no people. This place is very suitable for couples and also families.