INTRODUCTION
Kelantan is a state in the north-east of Peninsular Malaysia.
Kelantan is the most deeply conservative of all Malay states and has with just one interruption been governed by the opposition Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam SeMalaysia or PAS) since 1958. The party's green flag with a white full moon flutters throughout the state. Highways seem to have more signs with quotes from the Koran than actual traffic instructions; many signs are written in Jawi, the old Arabic script for Malay; and even Chinese women tend to wear headscarves.
While Malays make up 94% of the population of 1.4 million and there is also the usual smattering of Chinese and Indians, Kelantan is also home to the Orang Siam, a group of 7000-8000 Buddhist Thais. The Thais have lived in Kelantan for centuries, and Kelantan was a part of Siam until it was ceded to the British in 1909.
DIRECTIONS TO KELANTAN
By plane
Kelantan's only airport is the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR) at Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu. Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia provide flights to/from Kuala Lumpur while Air Asia also has flights to/from Johor Bahru.
By road
- To/from other parts of Malaysia
Kelantan can be accessed by road via the East-West Highway which links Gerik in Perak on the west coast, and Jeli in Kelantan. Federal Route 8 connects Kota Bharu with Central Pahang via Kuala Krai and Gua Musang. You can also enter Kelantan on the East Coast main road (Federal Route 3) which runs from Johor Bahru in the south to Kota Bharu via Terengganu and the eastern part of Pahang. Use this road if you are heading to the Perhentian Islands.
- To/from Thailand
Road users can enter Kelantan from the southern Thai province of Narathiwat at Rantau Panjang (across the Golok River from the Thai town of Sungai Kolok), and Bukit Bunga near Jeli in the western part of the state.
By bus
- To/from other parts of Malaysia
Long distance express buses connect Kota Bharu with Kuala Lumpur, Penang (via the East-West Highway), and the other East Coast towns of Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan. See the Kota Bharu page for details.
A local bus runs twice daily between Gua Musang in Kelantan and Kuala Lipis in Pahang where there are connections to Jerantut for Taman Negara National Park. Buses depart Gua Musang at 1030 and 1530 and from Kuala Lipis at 0800 and 1300. Local buses also run from Pasir Puteh in the eastern part of the state to Jertih and Kuala Besut (for boats to the Perhentian Islands), which lie just inside Terengganu. To Gerik in Perak, there is one trip a day via the East-West Highway, leaving Kota Baru at 0630 and Gerik at 1230.
- To/from Thailand
There are no direct bus services into Thailand. Catch a local bus to Rantau Panjang, and cross the border to Sungai Kolok where there are bus connections to other destinations in Thailand. See the Kota Bharu page for details.
By train
The main railway stations in Kelantan where express trains stop are:
- Gua Musang: Tel: +60-9-9121226
- Pasir Mas: Tel: +60-9-7909025
- Tumpat: Tel: +60-9-7257232
- Wakaf Bahru (for Kota Bharu): Tel: +60-9-7196986
To/from other parts of Malaysia and Singapore
Kelantan is linked to the rest of Peninsular Malaysia by the East Coast railway line, also known as the "Jungle Railway". The line starts from Tumpat in the north of the state and passes through Wakaf Baru (the nearest station to Kota Bharu), Kuala Krai and Gua Musang in the southern part of the state before it enters Pahang.
The Ekspres Wau links Tumpat with Kuala Lumpur daily, pasing through Jerantut (for Taman Negara National Park). The Ekspres Timuran goes to/from Singapore, also stopping at Jerantut. There are slow local trains to Gemas, Negeri Sembilan where the train joins the main West Coast trunk line, and even to Singapore.
To/from Thailand
Although there is a railway branch line running from Pasir Mas to Rantau Panjang on the Thai border, there are no passenger train services into Thailand or even to Rantau Panjang. Catch a local bus to Rantau Panjang, cross the border to Sungai Kolok where the are trains to Hat Yai and Bangkok.
For more details, check KTMB's website.
By boat
Passenger boats and vehicular ferry services run across the Golok River between Pengkalan Kubur north of Kota Bharu, and Tak Bai in Narathiwat Province in southern Thailand. See the Kota Bharu page for transportation details to Pengkalan Kubur.
GETTING AROUND KELANTAN
By road
Good roads link the main towns of Kelantan.
By bus
Bus transport in the state is handled by Syarikat Kenderaan Melayu Kelantan (SKMK), a subsidiary of the Transnasional Group. Local buses link Kota Bharu with all main towns in Kelantan.
By train
Express trains (Ekspres Wau and Ekspres Timuran) make stops at major Kelantan stations, namely Tumpat (the terminus) Wakaf Baru (for Kota Bharu), Pasir Mas, Tanah Merah, Dabong (for Bukit Stong waterfall), Kuala Krai and Gua Musang. Local trains stop at almost every station and halt on the East Coast line and constitute a major mode of transport for locals living in the interior of the state.
Check the KTMB website for more details.
SHOPPING
Kelantan is famous for its Malay arts and handicrafts (mainly batik). The state's most instantly recognizable symbol is the wau bulan ("moon kite"), which has been adopted by Malaysian Airlines as its logo.
List of things to buy:
- Songket - Silk cloth woven with gold or silver threads. Songket Bazaar is located at Kampung Penambang, north of Kota Bharu.
- Batik - Printed cloth with very colourful pattern and motifs.
- Silver - Silverware, jewelry and brooches in the form of Wau Bulan (moon kite) or Wau Kuching (cat kite).
- Keropok - Fish crackers are available in raw or ready to eat packaging.
- Woodcarving - Handicrafts made from wood; eg, a pair of decorative fork and spoon.
- Wayang kulit (shadow play) puppets - Characters from famous Hindu epics. More info on wayang kulit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang
- Local souvenirs can be found at Bamboo Fort Bazaar in Kota Bharu.
CUISINE
Eat
Kelantanese cuisine has several specialities rarely seen elsewhere in Malaysia. The dominant themes are the heavy use of kerabu, a catch-all term covering various herbs and vegetables and often served as an accompaniment to dishes, and the multiple uses found for coconut, which can be found in almost every dish.
- ayam percik - grilled chicken with coconut milk sauce
- laksam Kelantan - the local version of the ubiquitous noodle soup, here served herbs, rolled-up flat white noodles and a rich white fish and cococut gravy
- nasi dagang - a mix of white and brown glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk, mild-tasting in itself but served with lots of tasty curries
- nasi kerabu - spiced yellow rice akin to the Indonesian nasi kuning, served with a vast assortment of fresh herbs and fried coconut. Note that in most of the rest of the country, nasi kerabu means rice that has been dyed a shocking shade of blue!
Popular desserts and snacks include akok berkedut (wrinkled cake), bahulu (cakes) and keropok ikan (fish cracker).
Drink
Fresh coconut is RM1.
ACCOMMODATION
There are many guesthouses & homestays (RM15-RM80/night), in town and around the beaches.
JUST OUTSIDE KELANTAN
- Rantau Panjang - border town with Thailand, shopping for Thai products
- Pantai Cahaya Bulan
- Pantai Bisikan Bayu
- Pantai Irama
- Pantai Seri Tujuh
- Perhentian Islands (Terengganu)
- Taman Negara (Pahang) - Malaysia National Park, world's oldest rainforest
- Pulau Kapas - a small island off the coast of Terengganu, weekend get-away for the locals
