From Wikitravel

Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

[edit] Understand

With over 500,000 people, Kuantan is the largest city on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. There are a number of places in and around Kuantan that are worth visiting.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Kuantan's small Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport (KUA) currently serves a few daily flights from Kuala Lumpur (40 mins, full price RM122) plus a single weekly flight to Kuala Terengganu. Unfortunately, the single weekly flight to Kuala Terengganu has been discontinued due to poor passenger loading according to Malaysia Airlines. Kuantan is also connected by daily flights (morning and evening) to Penang and Kuala Terengganu by Malaysia Airlines low cost subsidiary airline called Firefly [1]. Flights to Penang depart from Kuantan at 09:15 and 15:25 (via Kuala Terengganu). Flights from Penang depart at 06:50 (via Kuala Terengganu, departing at 08:20) and arrive in Kuantan at 13:45.

[edit] By bus

• To/from Kuala Lumpur: Kuantan is about 4 hours from Kuala Lumpur by bus. Fares are currently around RM18.00.
• To/from Cherating: Catch a Sihat Bas or Mira heading for Kemaman and get off along the main road at the Cherating turn-off. The journey may take about an hour. In Kuantan, catch the buses at the local bus station on Jalan Besar. From Cherating, walk out onto the main road and wait for any Kuantan-bound (south-bound) bus.

[edit] By car

Opened in 2004, the Karak Highway and East Coast Expressway connects Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur, and the distance of approximately 250 kilometers can be covered in 2.5-3 hours. The East Coast Expressway is served by evenly distributed stop-over areas that are equipped with toilets, sundry shops and food stalls.

[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Beaches

• Teluk Chempedak, 5 km northeast of Kuantan, is a lovely beach with facilities for watersports, including boating and kayaking. The Kuantan Hyatt Hotel is located on Teluk Chempedak itself. This is also the first and only beach that provides you with a chance to enjoy the beautiful sunrise easily because of the availability of a 24-hour McDonalds eatery! On the left side of Teluk Cempedak beach, there is a long boardwalk (built over rocks and boulders) that connects to a second beach.
• Beserah, around 7 km from Kuantan city, is a village that is famous for fresh fish every day! You can buy fresh fish at wholesale prices here.
• Balok, a beach that is famous for wind surfing, is located 13 km north of Kuantan.
• Batu Hitam is a special beach where all the stones are black or dark in colour. It is still under development.

[edit] Others

• Taman Teruntum, a Mini Zoo, is located near Taman Teruntum at the Kuantan golf course.
• Pulau Ular. There is a legend associated with this island. It is about how snakes helped the villagers to keep pirates away (Pulau Ular means Snake Island in Malay). Nevertheless, they were conquered by the pirates eventually. These events are believed locally to have happened during the 11th century.
• Sungai Lembing is where the largest underground tin mining shafts in the world are situated. Approximately 40 km northwest of Kuantan, you can get here by bus, taxi or by car. There is a good museum which has lots of information pertaining to tin mining. The building in which the museum is located used to be the residence of the manager of the tin mining company. There is an interesting "hanging bridge" (jambatan bergantung) located north of the Tin Museum. You can reach this bridge - which is a little difficult to find - by going north on the narrow, winding road at the base of the entrance to the Tin Museum. Locals and tourists alike trek up Bukit Panorama (Panorama Hill) for a glimpse of sunrise and a magnificent view of the natural surroundings in the early morning hours.
• The Panching Caves (also known as Charah Cave) are located in a limestone mountain on the Kuantan-Sungai Lembing road at the small village of Pancing. There is a large statue of a Sleeping Buddha here.
• Pahang Buddhist Association (Temple) is located just outside of town on the Kuantan-Sungai Lembing road. It has a large statue of the Buddha and a park with a pond, fish and tortoises at the rear.
• Berkelah Falls (also known by locals as the Nine Mile Waterfall) is located near the Kuantan airbase of the Royal Malaysian Air Force or TUDM (Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia) and nine miles away from Kuantan on the Kuantan-Gambang road. To get to the waterfall, take the road that runs just next to the southern perimeter of the airbase.
• The State Mosque is located in the heart of Kuantan.
• The Kuantan River esplanade - this small esplanade is located just behind the offices of the Kuantan Town Council building next to the Kuantan River.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Taman Gelora, Located about 3 km from Kuantan along the way to Teluk Cempedak, is a beautiful park called Gelora Park. Various sport activities can be carried out here including jogging, aerobic dance, tennis, beach volleyball etc. You can admire lotus flowers here too.

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Salted fish or keropok (dried fish crackers) at Jalan Besar.

Shopping Centres:

• Berjaya Megamall- Largest mall in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia with lots of shops and stalls (KFC,Parkson,McDonalds,Kenny Rogers,Famous Amos,Bonia etc.)
• Kuantan Parade- Located behind Teruntum Complex (the tallest building in Kuantan)
• Kuantan Plaza-At Kuantan Walk, with Parkson as its anchor tenant
• Mahkota Square- Expected to open in March 2007
• Putra Square-Under construction

[edit][add listing] Eat

• There are many restaurants and eateries that have mushroomed around Berjaya Megamall on Jalan Tun Ismail which serve local food at reasonable prices.
• Keropok Lekor is also famous in Kuantan, especially the ones sold by Mok Nah in Tanjung Lumpur and Pak Soh 2 in Tanjung Karang on the way to Balok. The variant sold here is slighty different from the ones you find in Kuala Terengganu in that it is soft but crispy.
• Sata, fish paste and coconut wrapped in coconut leaves and barbequed; good with fresh fruit juice.
• Otak-otak, fish paste wrapped in coconut leaves and barbequed; good with beer.
• Satay, chunks of chicken or beef on a skewer, cooked over a charcoal fire. Eaten with a peanut-based dip.
• Nasi dagang
• Nasi lemak
• Malaysian Chinese cuisine, e.g. Hainanese chicken rice, wan tan mee (noodles with wan tan soup), yong tau foo (tofu, eggplant, bitter gourd etc with fish stuffing), char koay teow, (noodles fried with cockles and bean sprouts), dim sum, curry laksa (noodles in curry sauce), assam laksa (noodles in curry sauce flavoured with tamarind) etc.
• Malaysian Indian cuisine, e.g. roti canai, nasi kandar, tandoori chicken, food served in "banana leaf" restaurants etc.
• Local fruits, e.g. rambutan (a hairy-looking fruit - "rambut" means hair in Malay), mangosteen ("manggis" in Malay), duku, langsat, pomelo, jambu, guava, starfruit, jackfruit ("nangka" in Malay) and durian. Durian is an acquired taste as it is strong-smelling. It is greatly loved by Malaysians!

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• Hotel Pacific, 60-62 Jalan Bukit Ubi, tel. 5141980. Functional but tolerable two-star hotel. Rooms are RM60 and up, and have air-con and attached bathrooms.

[edit] Mid-range

• Vistana Hotel, [2]. Moderately-priced business hotel.
• Grand Continental, Jalan Gambut.
• De Rhu Beach Resort, 152, Sungai Karang, 26100 Beserah Kuantan, Pahang, Phone +609-557 9000, [3]. Nice for the family. The beds can hold 2 adults + 2 children. The rooms are big. Breakfast is included. Rooms cost from RM130 upwards.

[edit] Splurge

• Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort, Teluk Cempedak Beach, [4].
• Swiss-Garden Resort, [5]. On Balok Beach, this is an international class beach resort offering an idyllic retreat for the urbanite traveller.

[edit] Get out

• Pekan, the royal town of the state of Pahang. The Pahang State Museum is located here. You can also catch a glimpse of the palace of the Sultan of Pahang in Pekan.

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