Getting there:
 
It's considered straightforward, just pick a destination and book accommodation beforehand if you can, especially during high season . We were volunteering at Juara Turtle Project over on the East side, which isn't serviced by the ferry from the mainland but is reachable via road in around 30 minutes by 4x4.
 
The jetty at Mersing is much larger than those experienced en-route to the Perhentians and the Kapas islands, as are the ferries. 
 
After reading the Lonely Planet (I have an out of date copy!) I was expecting a choice of ferry or speed boat, but it seems that these days there is only a ferry option (35 RM per person one way), and that there is currently only one company operating due to a 'tragedy'.
 
The 'tragedy' reference on wikivoyage left me curious and I spent a little time browsing the web for more info on this. As a result my research also confirmed some issues we experienced first hand with the current ferry provider.
 
- The overcrowding problem that you may or may not be aware of on the ferry is not at all understated. Our bags were so tightly packed and crammed into the main cabin, that the extra leg room option on the front row actually resulted in less space than the other passengers . I had 3 suitcases carefully propped up against my leg for the duration of the journey, and it was a real mission for people disembarking at each stop, to try to extract their bag or case from the areas allocated, without causing an accident, I dread to think what would happen in a fire. 

- If you look into the mentioned tragedy, it turns out this dates back to 2007, where a ferry caught fire and the lack of life jackets and a combination of other factors resulted in the death of 7 people.

- The queuing system is badly organised. Not only do you have to queue to collect your ticket (if not already obtained), you then have to queue to write your name on a list, provide your passport information and obtain a boarding card in exchange for your ticket, all amidst the crowds of others doing the same. The cards are colour coded and will result in you being bundled onto the allocated ferry, although of course this is not indicated with signs or segregated areas, it's just a mad rush . If you are travelling with small children, a lot of luggage or are disabled or just fragile then be prepared for this.

- Returning from the island to the mainland, note that the ferry times will vary again according to high tide. The pick ups are normally completed from North to South of the island, but often delays will mean pick ups are amalgamated with drop off's and the lack of a queuing system at each jetty, will end your visit to Tioman as it started - in chaos! Also, get there early, as boats don't seem to follow the timetable anyway...
 
Food and drink:
 
Tioman is a duty free island, although it's still not easy to get a drink everywhere as this is a Muslim community. Tekek is the main hub on the West coast and has a couple of duty free shops if you want to stock up on cheap booze. Otherwise beer is available somewhere, you just have to track down those restaurants that serve it, or locate someone who sells it. The best part is the price, depending on the brand, it ranges from 2.50 RM (duty free shop) for a can/bottle to a maximum of 7 RM (restaurant). On the mainland you will be lucky to find it at much less than 8 RM.
 
We treated ourselves to a bottle of rum at the duty free shop, in preparation for my birthday celebrations, and took advantage of the cheap beer from the Chinese run Juara Resort, throughout our stay.
 
Everything else, other than alcohol, is more expensive than the mainland. For example a bottle of water is approx 4 RM for 1.5 litres, so we were thankful that the water over on Juara is drinkable (after filtering).
 
Volunteering:
 
Having initially planned to stay just a week, we were soon keen to extend this as we really enjoyed the project and Juara is a lovely part of the island to stay. It was also Hari Raya and my birthday, so although our days were filled with volunteering, there was some opportunity to experience local culture and also take a break.
 
Read more about the volunteer project here.