Pulau Mawar & Teluk Sari – Gate To Heaven and A Stargazing Rendezvous

Forming the whole southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, Johor is surrounded with coastline on its three sides – the west coast, the Straits of Johor on the south, and the east coast. Though Mersing is well-known as the gateway to nearby islands, this little fishing town has several beautiful natural attractions of its own. And one which caught my attention is Pulau Mawar.

Pulau Mawar

Located quite close to Gunung Arong, Pulau Mawar is a small restricted island that is only accessible by foot during low tide. Famous among photographers for astrophotography. I’ve seen photos of this place on the internet before, but little did I know that the place itself is a quite a beauty on its own, until I saw some photos on Joan’s blog. 

The Team

Though having visited this place in May, Joan revisit this place again in August, and this time around, she organised another round of visit to this place, together with Gunung Arong hike the next day. 

Joan was the host of the event while Kenny was the leader of the pack to guide us. Overall, there are 2 groups of hikers, one from KL and another from JB, with me and Joan being members of both hiking groups. In case you are wondering, it’s a closed event for close friends, not a public event.

Team 1 – from KL, Tutter Groups 

E.C Choi and family

Joan

Tara

Crystal

Huei Min

Terry

Seung Fei and MJ

Eric and Stephanie

Angeline

KP Lee

Team 2 – from JB, Max Mountain Club 

Kenny The Cockroach

Vambly

Crazy Joe

Momo

Ykai

Jesy

Jacklyn

Fenny

Joyce and her friends

Me

How to get there

It’s almost two-and-a-half-hour drive from Johor Bahru and a whopping 5-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. If you are traveling from Mersing, it is only a short 40 minutes drive. Mersing folks, lucky you!

To get to Pulau Mawar, you will first need to get to Teluk Sari, the entry point to Pulau Mawar.

Teluk Sari beach

Directions:

Teluk Sari | Jalan Penyabong-Tanjong Resang, 86900 Mersing, Johor (GPS: 2°36'37.2"N 103°46'35.5"E)

From google map, it says “Jalan Penyabong Carpark Opposite Pulau Mawar”, but don’t confuse it with Pantai Penyabong, another beach northwest of Teluk Sari. Apparently, Jalan Penyabong-Tanjung Resang is a 10km stretch of road connecting Kampung Penyabong (where Pantai Penyabong is) with Tanjung Resang (near Gunung Arong). 

We initially thought our campsite was located at Pantai Penyabong, but this beach is actually about 7km northwest of Teluk Sari and Pulau Mawar.

Previously known as Pantai Pasir Lanun (Pirate Sand Beach), as pirates from South China Sea stopped by and settled down due to its calm sea water and availability of water supply. The name was later changed to Pantai Penyabong, deriving “menyabong ayam” which means cockfight, due to the cockfighting activities conducted by the pirates.

Teluk Sari covers the whole stretch of beach from Tanjung Gemok to Pulau Mawar. There’s a connecting bridge from Kampung Teluk Sari to Kampung Mawar. The carpark location shared above is in between Kampung Mawar and Pulau Mawar, near Batu Pak Yong.

Map of Teluk Sari

Our plan was to reach Teluk Sari before 4pm, then walk to Pulau Mawar, and return to Teluk Sari where we would camp for a night before hiking Gunung Arong the next day. We set our time of visit at 4pm as this is when the tide is low during the date of our visit. So, always check the tide schedule prior to your visit to avoid disappointment.

The Shoal

Walking towards the mangrove forest

The journey to Pulau Mawar is not a clear, straightforward one. Walking on the emergent sandbar (due to the low tide), we first passed by the mangrove forest, before going into the jungle trail. I would definitely get lost if not for Kenny guiding us, as the trail is not marked. 

The tide was ebbing

Mangrove forest right in front

We visited during low tide, so the shoal heading towards the mangrove forest was dry. We were basically walking on dry sand the whole time without having to get wet. As the tide schedule differs from time to time, one may have to walk on the shoal when the water level reaches shin level.

Tide is still ebbing, and we can cross to this rock yet

Nice view

Dead jelly fish

Mangrove Forest

We then reached the mangrove forest, where I stopped for quite some time to admire its beauty and also (of course) to snap a few photos. It’s been a while since I last brought my Sony a6000 to a hiking trip, and I was excited to get a few good shots with it.

Mangrove forest

It's low tide, so the roots are clearly visible

Close up

Taken with my Sony a6000

Signature Stone Arch – The Gate of Heaven

After the mangrove forest, Kenny guided us to a jungle trail.

Kenny leading us up

A short climb to reach Pulau Mawar

Finally we are there!

But first, we would need to climb down those ladder first

A photo in front of this majestic stone arch is not to be missed, so each and every one of us took turn to be in the same frame as the “Gate of Heaven”. Yes, that’s the nickname for the arch. 

Gate To Heaven?

Gaya. Mutu. Keunggulan

At night, this is where most photographers took stunning shots of milkway, and where some of us planned to be stationed for the night for an attempt of shooting milky way. Read on to find out what happened and see the results of our photo shooting session!

Besides the signature Heaven’s Gate, every corner of the island is a perfect photo spot, so we ended spending quite a long time there, taking some model-wannabe photo. Especially with Crystal, Tara and Joan around, photo session always seems never ending. But that’s the fun of joining them, ‘cos otherwise I wouldn’t get these beautiful shots (Photo credit to Eric, Huei Min and Terry).

Stunning seascape

Mermaid pose?

Crystal said must show "S"

If you have ever been to Pulau Gemia or Gem Island in Terengganu, the rock formation here is pretty similar, as pointed out by MJ. I personally have not been there, so the excitement level would have been different accordingly to individuals. 

First time hiking with Tara

Though the place is beautiful, the amount of rubbish took me by surprise. They must have been washed off the shore during high tide and left stranded there during low tide. Oh no!

Tanjung Mawar

From the signature stone arch, we headed east to Tanjung Mawar - the eastern tip of Pulau Mawar. It’s just a short walk from the “Heaven’s Gate”, about 5 minutes by foot. Once there, we were first greeted by a tall red rock wall, which I suspect is a rock-climbing place, judging from the anchors we saw installed on the rock wall. Interesting! I shall come back in the future to try it out when I master rock climbing, but that could be like… forever? Haha.

Red cliff, anyone?

It's not visible in the photo, but we saw anchors installed

The rock wall faces the sea, and there stands another tall rock formation in the sea. As the tide had ebbed, it was then accessible by foot, and everyone else was climbing up to the top.

Photo credit: Huei Min

Wait for me, I'm coming!

Becareful of sharp, slipper rocks

Rough waves

Be extra careful as it’s not an easy climb up. The waves are rough, and the rocks are sharp and slippery. 

Half way up, and it's already quite a view

I followed suit and made it halfway until it started drizzling. The sky was completely dark, and I didn’t want to risk being hit by lightning for standing up there, so I gave up and make my way back. Everyone else does the same and we carefully descended from the rock formation and went back to the Heaven’s Gate. 

Looking slim as I retreated from the rock. Thanks Vambly for the shots

The rain gets slightly heavier but stopped by the moment I reached the stone arch, but we didn’t go back to finish climbing the rock. After all, it’s already late and we needed to get back to the campsite before the sun sets or before the tide started flowing. Slowly, we walked back to Teluk Sari.

Sunset at Batu Pak Yong

On our way back to our campsite at Teluk Sari, we once again had to walk passed the mangrove forest and then on the sandbar, and that was when we notice that the rock we passed by earlier was finally accessible by foot. The tide had ebbed to the point that we could walk on the shoal towards the rock.

Batu Pak Yong completely ebbed. We could finally walk over

Max Mountain Club (Jacklyn, Me, Vambly, Joan, Momo, Crazy Joe, Kenny The Cockroach, Jesy and Fenny)

As we walked towards the rock, the sun began to set and luckily for us, the spot turned out to be a pretty nice foreground for sunset photos. With the sky turning into the shades of purple and pink, we couldn’t resist taking more photos.

Pinkish sunset

Purplish sunset

Tutters (Crystal, MJ, Tara, Me, Joan, Seung Fei) and Vambly

#girlswhohike

According to the map, the rock is called Batu Pak Yong, but there is no information available on the origin of the name. The only information available is that the elevation of the rock is below sea level. Does that mean that when the tide flows, the rock is fully submerged and not visible? Please feel free to comment on this post or send me a message via email, if you have any information on this rock. I’ll be happy to update it here.

During my revisit in August 2020, I found out that there is another rock formation dubbed "Window of Heaven". More about the place here

Camping at Teluk Sari

It was nightfall by the time we reached our tent. As there is no water source available, Kenny had prepared 4 gallons of water for all us, mainly for cleaning and washing up. Apart from that, we also brought along some water with us, for drinking and cooking. As we could drive our car all the way to the campsite, food preparation was easy since we do not need to carry the load unlike our usual hike.

The JB gang had a big feast that night with scrumptious dinner prepared – kimchi chicken, steamed herbal chicken, fried fish with fermented bean sauce, mushroom chicken, stir-fry broccoli, and fruits! Well, that’s a lot!

KL gang who needed to travel more hours were a little more conservative on their menu, in fear of ingredients turning bad. Tara cooked her own spaghetti, while KP Lee and E.C. Choi (and family) shared curry vegetables, sambal petai and fried nuggets. Terry and I cooked instant nasi bryani with beef rendang, and stir-fry long beans. The rest of the gang resorted to the easiest menu – instant noodles.

My dinner for the night #callmechef

Vambly was also kind enough to pack 2 portions of JB famous roasted duck, one for JB gang and another for KL gang, while Terry bought mooncakes for everyone. Kenny also prepared beer, but I was too busy shooting milky way to ever taste one. Oops! Next time Kenny, I promised!

Fun fact about Teluk Sari:
As I was googling for information about Teluk Sari, I came across the following information, regarding the origin of its name. There are 2 different stories, and one of them are related to our famous Malay warrior, Hang Tuah. I find it quite fascinating, so here’s there are, summarised for you: 

🔼 One Day At The Bay
It is said that the word Sari originated from “Sehari” which in Malay language means “one day”. There was an old saying that one will need spend the day on the bay when commuting from Endau to Mersing. Another variation to the story is that traders sailing from Kelantan, Pahang, Tanah Jawa, Banjar and other areas typically stop for a day in this bay before continuing their journey. 

🔼 Tun Teja’s Love
In 1492, a ship carrying Tun Teja from Pahang to Melaka was pursued and then attacked by Sultan Pahang troops in the sea area around Pulau Keban (now Aceh Island). According to Sulalatus Salatin (Malay History), a battle took place where Hang Nadim defeated Sultan Pahang's troops at Teluk Sari. However, according to Hikayat Hang Tuah, Hang Tuah was the one who persuaded Tun Teja to run to Melaka and he was the one instead to had defeated Sultan Pahang's troops. The name “Sari” is also derived from his keris, the famous Taming Sari. The word Sari (SAH-ree) also stands for shield as the bay is said to have protect Hang Tuah from the attacks of Sultan Pahang troops. After the incident, Tun Teja was disappointed to be informed that she would be presented to the Sultan of Melaka (Sultan Mahmud Shah) as his queen. Having fell in love with his saviour, she has initially refused to marry Sultan Melaka, before finally being persuaded to consume sirih jampi, a spell which would wipe off her love for Hang Tuah. The waters of Teluk Sari to Pulau Tinggi was a witness to the persuasion of Tun Teja's last love and affection to Hang Tuah before she agreed to consume the spell. Legend has it that the phenomenon of the stars clearly visible due to the absence of clouds between the waters of Teluk Sari to Pulau Tinggi that night had remained until today to mark the burial place of love for Tun Teja to Hang Tuah.

Though the first story seems more plausible, I actually prefer the second version which is both sad and romantic at the same time. That, and also because I definitely saw a clear sky full of stars that night.

Ending The Night With Milky Way

True to the story about Tun Teja and Hang Tuah, the skies at Teluk Sari was extremely beautiful at night. While at most places milky is only clearly visible at midnight when light pollution is at its lowest, we could actually see milky way as early as 9.30pm. 

The milkway was right above the beach where we set our tents. So, in order to capture the milky way, we headed out to the sea, which is the best spot for photography. Fortunately, we visited during low tide, and that the “sea” where we were supposedly standing on became a vast area of sandy beach. 

Our original plan was to stake out at Pulau Mawar, where the stone arch would serve as the perfect foreground for the milky way. However, with such a clear milky way right in front of our own eyes, none of us bother to walk all the way to Pulau Mawar, eventually forgetting about our initial mission. Well, an excuse for a revisit then?

First attempt

With Huei Min and E.C. Choi around to guide us on how to get a great shot of milky way, Joan and I, who both uses Sony a6000 were able to get decent shots. Even Tara was able to shoot with her Huawei P20 Pro, though the image wasn’t as sharp as those produced by DSLR and mirrorless.

Best shot of the night

I was glad that I brought along my Samyang 12mm f/2 lens, as its wide angle helps getting more object into the frame to add better contrast to an otherwise “milky-way only” shots and its manual focus helps in creating sharper photos. This lens is definitely worth every penny I paid, and the fact that it doesn’t break a bank only makes it even more worthwhile.

That's not a shooting star, that's the trail of a plane

This was not the first time I am shooting milky way, but the shots this time around was definitely sharper and clearer. My first try was at CBL, where I shot at 4 in the morning using my kit lens. A better lens certainly makes a difference, especially one known for its performance in astrophotography. 

Photo credit: Huei Min

Selfie from my camera

At the end of the day, we even managed to take some photos with the milky way, which was my first virgin experience!

Wefie from my camera

Photo credit: Huei Min

The only regret was that my mirrorless camera functions are limited, and hence I wasn’t able to try shooting star trails. I was told to shoot at a long exposure of at least 30 minutes, but I was not able to set mine for anything longer than 30 seconds. If you also using Sony a6000 and know how, please teach me! I’d like to learn.

Star Trail Photography is a type of photograph that uses long exposure times to capture the apparent motion of stars in the night sky due to Earth's rotation. A star-trail photograph shows individual stars as streaks across the image, with longer exposures yielding longer arcs. Typical shutter speeds for a star trail range from 15 minutes to several hours, requiring a "Bulb" setting on the camera to open the shutter for a period longer than usual.

Example of star trail photo taken by Yuri Beletsky

Before we headed back to our tents to get some sleep, we saw KP Lee playing with steel wool photography, and of course we had to try it for ourselves as well. 

Steel Wool Photography is again another creative photography trick by playing around with long exposure. The idea is tie a string to a steel whisk filled with lit steel wool, spin it and have the fire trail captured on camera. You need to have at least 5 seconds of exposure time to capture the spinning motion. Capturing these types of images can be extremely dangerous. Spinning steel wool that is lit can cause sparks to spray out and could cause harm to yourself, your equipment and others. You can limit your risk of causing an accident by using this technique after rain or near water (like a beach). Dry days in grassed surroundings increase your risk of starting a fire.

Photo credit: KP Lee

As the last steel wool was finished, we packed our camera gears and called it a night. It was a fun night, but adequate sleep was very much needed as we had another mission tomorrow morning – hiking Gunung Arong.

Epilogue:

The trip to Pulau Mawar and Teluk Sari was an amazing experience altogether. Not only that I was awed by the beautiful seascape of Pulau Mawar, I was also able to learn more and improve my astrophotography skills. Besides that, I was also introduced to steel wool photography, and had the opportunity to take part in it. I’ve seen such photo around, but never knew how it was created. The best experience for the night was definitely having myself in the same frame with the starry galaxy. It’s the perk of having some photographers around and I’m thankful for all the guidance they have provided!

Finally, I also learnt about the legends and historical background of the places we visited. If I wasn’t writing this post, I wouldn’t have known that the place where we camped was Teluk Sari not Pantai Penyabong. And who would have known that Teluk Sari origin is related to the famous Hang Tuah?

And then I realised, adventures are the best way to learn 

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Bonus #1: Video

If you have been patient enough to read this whole post, here’s a little reward for all of you – an aerial drone video shot (Credit to owner: Kamarul A) which I accidentally found while doing my research on Teluk Sari. It will give you an idea of how the place looks, and if you are sharp enough, you’ll be able to spot the campsite, Batu Pak Yong, and Pulau Mawar. 

Bonus #2: Nearby attraction

Have more time to spare and wanted to explore more of nearby attractions? Here’s some of the places nearby you can combined during your trip to Pulau Mawar and Teluk Sari. 

Gunung Arong 

Read more about it here.

Air Papan and Teluk Buih

A more commercialised beach town of Mersing, it is more accessible as the road signage is clear and it’s only about half an hour away from Mersing town. I’ve visited both during my Johor road trip back in 2016. Read more about it here.

Nearby islands

Mersing is the gateway to popular island off the east coast of Johor and Pahang. There are 3 main jetties in town for a ferry ride to these islands, such as: 

🔼Mersing Jetty ➩ Tioman Island, Pulau Aur, Pulau Besar, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Harimau, Pulau Tengah and Pulau Dayang

🔼Tanjung Gemok Jetty ➩ Tioman Island

🔼Tanjung Leman Jetty ➩ Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi

Looking for a guide for Gunung Arong, Pulau Mawar and Mersing island hopping? You may contact William who is an experienced guide for these places. 

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-Thanks for reading-

Related entries:

Gunung Arong – The Love of Tanjung Resang

Johor Road Trip