Dover Court Year 6 Residential Trip – Island Life at Tioman

Some very excited students embarked on their Year 6 residential trip in Term 2.

After an early start on Monday morning, we travelled 200km north through jungle-lined roads to the ferry port of Tanjung Gemuk on the east coast of Malaysia. After a 2-hour boat journey across the calm, picturesque South China Sea, we arrived on the beautiful island of Tioman, where we were greeted by golden sands and cloudless skies.

“When we arrived on Tioman, I was excited to get to camp and was amazed that the trees and sand looked so beautiful.” said Aarna, 6JR.

Mina, 6RN agreed: “I loved how calming the ocean was and felt a sense of tranquility and happiness as soon as we arrived.” After a short walk down the beach to our accommodation and a very much welcomed lunch, we got settled into our rooms and got ready for an afternoon of activities. “We were very excited to be staying in rooms with our friends and get ready for the afternoons activities, we couldn’t wait to get in the sea.” said Hugo and Tomoki 6JR.

To complement our current unit of learning about interdependence and biodiversity, before leaving for Tioman, we had spent the two preceding weeks learning about the island, from its biodiversity and habitats to its history and culture. We even spent afternoons learning Malay to enable us to communicate with local instructors. Our trip helped us contextualise our understanding beyond the classroom and gave us experiences and learning that will last a lifetime.

“I learnt so many different things while in Tioman. I learnt all about Malaysian culture and food and thought about how it was similar and different to my own life. I also learnt survival skills like how to create different knots to build a raft.” said Tommaso, 6JH.

During our stay, we participated in a variety of activities that developed our determination, resilience and teamwork. We enjoyed turtle conservation projects, kayaking, snorkelling, raft building any much more. Our days were filled with laughter, friendship, kindness and making memories that will last a lifetime.

“I challenged myself to face my fears on this trip – from trying new foods, to swimming in the ocean. I loved every second and felt so proud after being so brave. I feel like I can take on any challenge now!” said Rhys, 6EF.

As with every residential trip, one of the main talking points amongst students is the food. We were treated to a fantastic menu of mainly local cuisine that was packed with flavour and enjoyed by all. The excitement around the possibility of a second helping of dinner caused a buzz around camp each evening.

I could not have been prouder of the way our Year 6 students represented our school and conducted themselves both during our journey and when in Tioman. Our students received recognition for their politeness and behaviour from members of the public, border security staff and instructors at Little Planet.

Here are some thoughts from our students:

“There were so many delicious foods on offer each day! I loved all the different fruits to vegetables we could try” – Rishan, 6RN

“The activities were amazing and I enjoyed lots of new experiences – I particularly liked snorkelling, as the crystal-clear waters helped me to see lots of different fish and coral.” – Grigoriy, 6RN

“Tioman was so much fun and I made so many new friends – it made me feel great!” – Julianna, 5/6SR

“It was amazing to see the environments that we learn about in school in real life.” – Nikitha, 6JH

Thank you to all Year 6 families for your commitment and engagement with our trip over the last few months to enable our students to make many happy memories.

Josh Rowe, Year 6 Year Group Leader

Find out more about our trips and expeditions at Dover Court International School here