Although most Tioman travelers probably enjoy not having to worry about what to make for dinner while on their holiday break, not everybody is able to eat restaurant food every day. Those troubled with allergies, for instance, prefer to prepare their own meals from scratch. Others may not have the budget to eat out, or perhaps can't take spicy food. Still others simply prefer dishes from back home.


Your average supermarket/
grocery store in Tioman

Whatever your reasons, all those who fit that second category will be pleased to hear that each of the villages in Tioman offers at least one or two supermarkets that sell everyday items such as cereals, canned food, bottled water, fresh vegetables, tea, milk etc. Most, if not all basic groceries are available.

That said, you will notice that the majority of the grocery products stocked will be slightly higher in price than the supermarkets back on the Malaysia mainland. This applies particularly to vegetables, fruit, basically all perishables. The reason for this is quite obvious: all of these fresh groceries need to be shipped in by ferry and it has to remain chilled. And since most power in Tioman is from generators, refrigeration is relatively costly.

Speaking of costly, if you're staying in one of the Tioman upmarket resorts, always make sure you have enough bottled water handy. Just buy a few 2L bottles in the nearest supermarket before heading back to your resort, because some of the exclusive resorts, particularly those in the south of Tioman, are quite remote, which tends to drive up the prices charged for food and drinks, especially bottled water.

Tip: If you're keen for your regular chocolate fix, Snickers, Toblerone, KitKat and the like, expect to pay a premium, because chocolate is considered a typical western indulgence and so prices of all chocolate offerings are high. Still, if your craving for chocolate is pummeling your sense of fair pricing, then at least get the chocolate bars that they keep in the supermarket fridge, because most chocolate starts tasting a bit musky after sitting on the hot supermarket shelves for a while.

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