INTRODUCTION
Kota Bharu (also Kota Bahru or Kota Baru) is the state capital of Kelantan, on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. There is little of interest in the town itself; most travellers simply pass through on their way to the Perhentian Islands.
Kota Bharu is a very socially conservative city in a state ruled by the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS). Be respectful of the cultural and religious sensibilities of its primarily Muslim inhabitants. There is no need for non-Muslim women to wear a tudung (kerchief over the hair), but both men and women should consider wearing clothing which covers their legs and torso completely, and if you are a woman, also consider covering your arms. Tourists dressed in shorts and skimpy shirts seem out of place on the East Coast of Malaysia. Also, be prepared for breaks to be taken in many places, including the Pasar Malam (Night Market) during Islamic prayer times.
DIRECTIONS TO KOTA BHARU
By air
Kota Bharu's small but new and efficient Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR) in Pengkalan Chepa currently receives flights from Kuala Lumpur (provided by Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia). Flights to Johor Bahru are on again, off again. Advance bookings especially for Air Asia can be very cheap.
Getting to/away: The airport is 15 minutes from the city centre by taxi. You can also catch an SKMK bus from the local bus station in the city centre.
- Malaysia Airlines: Mezzanine Floor, Kompleks Yakin, Jalan Gajah Mati, 15050 Kota Bharu. Tel: +60-9-7483477 (ticketing), +60-9-7448066 (general)
By train
Kota Bharu's main railway station Wakaf Bahru is some 5 kilometers away from the city center. Nightly sleeper trains running on the "Jungle Track" connect to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore (around RM70 for an air-con 2nd-class sleeper); alternatively, you can take a local train to Gemas to enjoy the view and change there. Or you can hop on a bus to the Thai border at Sungai Golok and continue by rail from there. To get to the city, take bus 27 (RM1) or a taxi (RM10).
- Jungle Train leaves at 6.20am from Wakaf Bharu Station to Jerantut/Taman Negara.
- Express Wau to Kuala Lumpur depart at 6.00pm
- Express Timuran to Singapore depart at 07.00pm
Transfer service from hotel(s) at RM15.00/person.Call : +012-988 5068 for reservation.
By bus
Buses connect Kota Bharu to all major cities in peninsula Malaysia. Most long distance buses leave from the southern Langgar terminal, while local and regional services converge on the Central terminal; connect between the two in 10 minutes on bus 39 (RM0.50). A basic Transnasional bus to Kuala Lumpur will set you back RM33, with luxury VIP buses running around RM50-60.
THINGS TO DO
See
Kota Bharu itself offers many museums near Independence Square (Padang Merdeka). The most amazing building however is the central market. It is an octagonal building in the centre of town and houses a very colourful and active market every day. Nearby is a plain square which turns into the local food market in the evenings.
Great temples to visits in the nearby Kota Bharu Town: Wat Pothivihan (huge reclining Buddha), Wat Mai Suwan Khiri (dragon Boat & standing Buddha), Wat Machimarran Varran (sitting Buddha), and Wat Serova Buddhist Temples (Goddess of Mercy - Kuan Yin).
- Cultural Show at Culture Centre 3 times a week @Saturday 3.00pm-4.45pm & 8.00pm-11.30pm, @Monday 3.00pm-4.45pm, @Wednesday 3.00pm-4.45pm & 8.80-12.00pm.
- River cruise along Sungai Galas down to Dabong (2hours).
- Caves Explorer at Gua Ikan,Dabong.
- Stong Waterfall,reputed to be the highest in Southeast Asia, drops from a height of about 990 metres.
- Mount Stong State Park,One of the main attractions at the state park is Gunung Stong@Mt.Stong (1,422 meters), a dome-shaped granite complex more than 500 million years old.
- Nenggiri Rafting Adventure -The selected leg of the journey covers approximatedly about 50 km, departing from Kuala Betis / Gua Cha and ends up at Kampung Star.
Do
- Go to the day and night markets. Have Nasi Ulam for lunch at the day market and Ayam Percik at the night market, or get whatever else strikes your fancy.
- Walk around the downtown area.
- Bicycle around Pengkalan Chepa area (airport), see old WW2 British pillboxes near beach at Pantai Sabak. For history buffs only but no beach anymore due to erosion.
- Go to the beach, either PCB Beach or Bachok Beach. PCB Beach has batik shop, best is Citra Batik about 500m from the beach. Also eat fried seafood at PCB Beach with coconut water.
SHOPPING
- Batik - hand printed clothes, buy from Citra Batik at PCB Beach or at the KB Mall in town (higher prices but mor econvenient). By own designer.
- Silverware - at the touristy museum in Kota Bharu town.
CUISINE
Eat
Kota Bharu is full of delicious Kelantanese food, a unique cuisine influenced by Thai and Indian styles, among others. Lots of goodies are to be found in the pasars and in coffee shops throughout the city.
Among the local specialties are :
- Ayam Percik, chicken which is roasted over a wood fire and combined with coconut/peanut sauce and delicious local herbs and greens;
- Nasi Ulam, rice with fragrant, fresh-picked leaves and shoots, traditionally dipped into budu (fish sauce), sambal belacan (shrimp paste with hot pepper, et al.) or/and tempoyak (fermented durian sauce);
- Murtabak, savory or sweet crêpes; and a wide variety of Kuih (little cakes). Murtabak Raja is the famous one on Jalan Bayam.
- If you visit around Hari Raya time, don't miss the chance to try Tapai, which is sweet fermented cassava or rice, wrapped in tapioca leaves. If you like tea, wash everything down with Teh O (tea with sugar) or Teh Susu (tea with sweetened condensed milk).
- Kerepok Lekor Losong, fish paste sausage originally from Losong village and is the benchmark. Fried or boiled.
- Durian puffs, at Kubang Pasu wet market in the mornings (for durian lovers with strong stomachs only. These pastries are sold at wet market with fish around, but delicious). Buy from the lady at the corner, not in the middle of wet market.
- Morning Satay, same lady, but not so delicious. Just for the experience.
Drink
- Coconut water from the fruit, then scrape and eat the flesh
JUST OUTSIDE KOTA BHARU
From the airport, train station and city you can take a taxi to Kuala Besut or Tok Bali for ferry connections to the Perhentian Islands (45-60 min; theoretically only RM25 but good luck paying much less than RM 50). If you want to stick to public transport, you can take bus 3 to Pasir Puteh (RM3.00) and connect to bus 96 to Kuala Besut (RM2.00).
