Miserable in Mersing Malaysia 😖
When we think of travel, we often picture beautiful landscapes, cultural discoveries, and unforgettable experiences.
However, not all journeys turn out as idyllic as we hope. Our trip through Mersing, Malaysia, painted a starkly different picture than the one we had envisioned.
In this candid account, we share our encounters with the less appealing aspects of Mersing, from persistent odours to disappointing attractions.
Highlights
- Getting to Mersing
- Limited Accommodation Options
- A Seaside Disappointment
- Unremarkable Dining
- Getting to Tioman Island
- All Hotel Options in Mersing
- Cheap Flights between Kuantan & KL
- Our Complete Borneo Itinerary
- Useful Accessories for the Tropics
Getting to Mersing 🚍
Mersing is the gateway to Tioman Island, which is a very popular destination for travellers to Malaysia.
… but first you have to deal with the gateway.
We had a pleasant coach ride down to Mersing from Cherating, on a very comfortable Adik Beradik coach.
The 240 km trip took around 4 hours, including a 20-minute stop along the way where we could eat and use the washroom. The toilet here was basic but adequate.
Cherating to Mersing Coach stop – “Tandas” (toilet) in the background
An Unpleasant Sensory Assault 🤢💨
Our arrival in Mersing was less of a gentle welcome and more of a full-frontal assault on the olfactories.
The air hung heavy with an unmistakable stench, a noxious cocktail that seemed to emanate from every nook and cranny of the town. From the harbour’s murky depths to the unapologetically open drains, this pervasive pong clung to us like a particularly persistent limpet.
It wasn’t just a fleeting whiff; it was a constant, nose-wrinkling companion that made even the briefest stroll a test of endurance.
Chinese Temple in the center of Mersing
A Room with… well, a bed, I suppose?
After a pleasant coach journey from Cherating, we arrived, ready to face our accommodation.
Mersing isn’t exactly brimming with five-star resorts. The options are, to put it mildly, limited, and often fall short of expectations. It is not a very large town (see map of Mersing), so it wasn’t difficult to find the Embassy Hotel. We’d pre-booked the hotel online, a decision I now view with the kind of retrospective horror usually reserved for bad haircuts or questionable fashion choices.
At a princely €16 for a double, it was certainly cheap.
Was it worth it? Only if you consider a night spent in a state of perpetual mild alarm to be good value. The bed was less a bed and more a mattress with an ancient, dubious-looking sheet and a blanket that had clearly seen more life than I care to contemplate.
An under-sheet? Don’t be so absurd!
When I inquired about another sheet, I was met with a look that suggested I’d asked for the moon on a stick. “Housekeeping is closed,” came the pronouncement. Right. Because a clean sheet is a luxury reserved for daytime hours, apparently.
Both the room and the adjoining bathroom were… grubby is perhaps the politest word. And the lock on the door? It inspired about as much confidence as a chocolate teapot. Let’s just say a good stiff breeze would have rendered it entirely redundant.
We were so uncomfortable with the state of the bed and bathroom that we decided not to undress or wash there.
To add to the ‘ambiance’, the ground floor of the Embassy “hotel” doubled as a rather lively drinking hole for the local gentlemen. Not ideal, perhaps, if you’re a lone female traveller seeking a quiet evening in.
The Allure of… Littered Paths 🗑️
You generally hope for a spot of culture or natural beauty when exploring a new locale. Mersing, however, had other ideas.
The town boasts a smattering of attractions that, in practice, proved to be underwhelming.
Take, for instance, Taman Rekreasi Hutan Bandar. This green oasis, as it was supposedly, felt less like a promising park and more like a forgotten corner of a rubbish tip. The “lush landscapes” were obscured by a depressing amount of litter and paths that looked as if they’d been maintained by a particularly disinterested badger.
Then there was the Mersing Museum, an establishment presumably designed to enlighten visitors about the town’s rich history. Instead, it offered a meagre collection of exhibits and displays so lacklustre, you could almost hear the tumbleweeds rolling through. It was less a celebration of local heritage and more a gentle suggestion that perhaps history wasn’t Mersing’s strong suit.
A Day at the Seaside? 🚮 More Grit than Glamour
Coastal towns, by their very nature, are supposed to offer the soothing balm of a beach.
Mersing’s Pantai Air Papan, once heralded as a local treasure, was regrettably far from a serene escape. Instead of pristine sands and the gentle lapping of waves, we found a shoreline liberally peppered with litter and debris. Any dreams of a tranquil ambience were abruptly shattered by the stark reality of neglected maintenance and a casual approach to environmental care.
One felt a distinct lack of enthusiasm from the beach itself, as if it, too, had given up hope of ever truly sparkling.
Dining Dilemmas and a Culinary Reprieve 🤔
A significant chunk of any travel experience involves the joy of culinary exploration. Our gastronomic journey in Mersing, however, was less an exploration and more a desperate search for something that didn’t leave us feeling vaguely disappointed.
While local delicacies were advertised, our encounters were largely defined by unremarkable flavours and dining establishments that seemed to lack any real culinary ambition. The local seafood, touted as a highlight, left us underwhelmed with its preparation and presentation..
After much wandering through the stench-filled streets, we stumbled upon a rather decent Indian restaurant on Jalan Ismail. The staff were friendly, which, by that point, felt like a beacon of hope in a sea of mediocrity. There were also a few bakeries dotted about, which proved a godsend for a quick breakfast before making a dash for the ferry terminal.
Sometimes, all you need is a perfectly adequate pastry to restore a modicum of faith.
Indian Temple off the Main Road
Finding the Silver Lining (…barely) 🌳✨
Despite the litany of disappointments, we did try to make the best of a sticky wicket. We attempted to salvage our trip by seeking alternative activities and attractions beyond the town itself.
Exploring the nearby Endau-Rompin National Park offered a glimpse of something genuinely worthwhile. Its untouched natural beauty provided a stark, almost jarring, contrast to the rather unappealing features of Mersing itself. It was a proper, unspoiled slice of Malaysian wilderness, proving that some places still care about looking their best. Engaging with a few locals also allowed us to unearth tiny pockets of authenticity amidst the prevailing dissatisfaction.
It wasn’t quite a full redemption, but it was something.
Lessons Learned 📝🧐 Research & Reality
Our experience in Mersing taught us the importance of thorough research and realistic expectations when planning a trip. While glossy travel brochures and online reviews can paint a rosy picture, they often fail to capture the unfiltered reality.
It’s essential to be informed about the potential downsides of a destination, so you can make well-informed decisions and mentally prepare for any challenges.
Our tale of misery in Mersing serves as a rather pungent reminder that even in less-than-ideal situations, there are indeed lessons to be gleaned and memories to be forged – even if those memories are primarily of holding one’s breath and yearning for a proper bed.
Tip: If like most folks you’re travelling to Mersing in transit to Tioman, better to go directly to the afternoon ferry – there are few if any morning ferries.
Onwards to Tioman! ➡️🏝️😃
With Mersing firmly in our rearview mirror, the ferry terminal became our singular focus.
The following day, we were practically champing at the bit to depart for the more secluded reaches of Tioman island. We yearned for the promise of white sand beaches, dense jungle, and the uncomplicated joy of a beachfront cabin.
After Mersing, we felt utterly deserving of it. And perhaps, just perhaps, a place where the air didn’t constantly whisper of questionable drains.
If you enjoyed Mersing Malaysia, check out our East Malaysia & Borneo adventures. You may also like:
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