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� Kuantan � State
Mosque � Teluk Cempedak Beach � Kuantan River Cruise � Shopping �
� Beserah � Balok � Cherating � Chendor Beach �
Kuantan
Kuantan is the state capital and is the main gateway to the east
coast. situated near Kuantan River mouth and facing the South China
Sea and it is located roughly halfway from Singapore to Kota Bharu.
Although not a large city, it has a personality quite unlike that of
other cities in the country.
Kuantan is believed to have been established since the 1850s and in
its early days it was known as Kampung Teruntum (Teruntum Village).
It is situated around the mouth of Sungai Teruntum which is in front
of the current hospital and has been established by Hj. Senik and
his follower. Their primary economic activities is fishing and small
businesses.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, settlement of
Chinese miners and traders saw the early establishment of the
township in Kuantan and the opening of nearby tin mines such as in
Gambang and Sungai Lembing. As happened to other states in the
Peninsular, rubber plantations attracted Indian settlers as well. In
and around this quaint town there are attractions.
Places of Interest
There are also 3 parks within the town. There are the Gelora Park,
Teruntum Mini Zoo and Agriculture Park at Indera Mahkota. A small
park located in front of the Hospital is named Esplande Park. Here
it is possible to take a river cruise from the small jetty. Other
tourist attractions include the State Mosque (Masjid Negeri) and the
Teluk Cempedak beach. Kuantan is also known to tourists for its
nearby waterfalls. The most established one is Sg. Pandan Water
Fall. Two other waterfalls are Sg. Berkelah Water Fall and
Jerangkang Waterfall.
State Mosque (Masjid Negeri)
Kuantan�s State Mosque or the Sultan Ahmad Shah Mosque, with its
impressive dome and its minarets are in a pastel shade of blue and
green. It is a beautiful and the most prominent structure in the
capital.
 Teluk Cempedak Beach
This delightful beach is only 5 km from Kuantan. Teluk Cempedak is
an excellent beach for sailing, surfing, jet-skiing and sunbathing.
Souvenir and handicraft shops are all within walking distance. This
place is packed during weekends with family, couples or tourist
groups. The currents can be quite strong; hence caution should be
taken if you decided to swim in the sea. It has claimed a few lives
before.
Food is easily found here � some seafood restaurants, bistros and if
you like fast food, McDonald is just around the corner to cure those
hunger pangs. There is a row of pubs, karaoke bar and night clubs
near the beach. Life at this juncture begins only at night.
Beyond the main beach, there are excluded bathing spots. Ardent
sun-lovers can jungle-trek through the TC Forest Reserve into
idyllic Pelindung beach. An alternative route will lead you to the
Teruntum Park which has a mini zoo-children and adults alike will
have fun and relaxation. Close by is the Royal Golf Club for golf
enthusiasts.
Two world-class hotels are located here.
Kuantan River Cruise
One of the best way to have a complete view of Kuantan is to take
the Kuantan River Cruise. The Kuantan River Cruise would take you
through the scenic landscape of a 500-year old mangrove forest
reserve that spreads along the Kuantan River. I would strongly
suggest you to take the cruise in the evening to enjoy the cool
breeze and beautiful lightings from shore. The cruise would depart
from Jetty Shahbandar, at Jalan Besar.
Shopping
The main shopping facilities in Kuantan include Berjaya Megamall,
Kuantan Parade, Kuantan Plaza, Teruntum Complexs and Kuantan Square.
Kuantan and its surrounding areas is also a good place to check out
how batik printing is done, and to buy some local souvenirs to bring
home � ranging from trinkets to cloth to the state�s famous fish
crackers (keropok). For Malaysians, some recommended buys are salted
fish, dried / roasted cuttlefish, satay fish, anchovies, dried
shrimps, dried mussels, scallops, prawn crackers etc. Salted fish is
great for porridge & anchovies are great for soup.
The only 5-star hotel in Kuantan is Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort
while the 4 star hotels include MS Garden Hotel, and the Mariana
Beach Resort
From Kuantan to Cherating
From Kuantan if you travel north along the coastal road you will
come across these noteworthy places
Beserah
About 10 km from Kuantan is Beserah, A fishing village town that is
well known for its seafood and grill fish restaurant. here the catch
is taken to the processing areas where it is turned into the area�s
most famous product - salted fish.
There is also a batik factory and many cottage industries, producing
items from seashells as well as snacks like the popular keropok
lekor.
 Balok
Going further up bout 15 kilometers north of Kuantan city is Balok.
Here you expect of an idyllic seaside setting with a white sandy
beach the blue sea on one side and swaying trees on the other. The
sea is generally quite shallow but the area is great for
windsurfing.
There are several resorts on the 15km beach, and some
are windsurfing friendly while others are not. Most of the
activities revolve around the hotels located at the beach.
Stay at one of the international-standard hotels or resorts here, or
just drive up for a day trip of sea, sun and surf!
Note
Beaches in Kuantan have a flag post erected. At normal times, the
red flag will be at half mast. This indicates that the beach is safe
for swimmers. On the other hand, if you spot a fully raised red flag
flying, you better refrain from the beach. The tides & waves will be
high & dangerous for any beach activities. The period from end of
November to January is the monsoon season for East Coast of
Malaysia.
 Cherating
Situated 47 km from Kuantan is Cherating, with It's nique with its
rustic atmosphere and warm hospitality of the village people. It is
one of the most popular hangout place for beach-combers. There are
many small private own chalet and a few major hotels. The first club
in South East Asia of Club Med is located in Cherating at the South
China Sea. And because it's the first, they got the best spot,
although the whole region has fine sandy beach.
After Club Med came the other resorts. like: the Legend, the Impiana
Hotel, Holiday Villa and the Residence Inn. All of them are
beautiful hotels/resorts. It's a mixture between traditional and
modern resorts. It has budget shacks by the sea, a handful of bars,
some good restaurants and windsurfer breezes.
Along the beach of Cherating you can't miss the abundance of mini
markets, evening food stalls and a few self-styled "art galleries"
offering opportunity for tourists to learn about local handicrafts.
Among the more popular handicrafts that are found in Cherating is
the batik printing, and Pandanus leaves weaving just to name a few.
A hands on experience is always welcome from the village folks that
will be more than happy to impart their knowledge to you and also
allow you to purchase your self-made product.
Chendor Beach
About 10 km away from Cherating is the famous Chendor Beach. Here,
from early July to September, you can watch green turtles or
occasionally giant leatherback turtles lumber ashore to lay eggs. It
is a ritual well worth experiencing. Besides the turtles, Chendor
Beach offers fine bathing spots. The beach is attractive since it is
not very crowded as other beaches,
The Cherating Turtle Sanctuary and Information Center was built in
1997 and opened to the public in June 1998, is set up to provide
protection, nesting and breeding of turtles, and also provides
information and educational activities on turtles. It is situated on
0.33 hectares of land at Cherating beach.
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