An overnight stay in the very lovely Kuala Terengganu

September 03, 2019

An overnight stay in the very lovely Kuala Terengganu

After 2 nights of silence and solitude in the breathtaking Pulau Kapas, I decided to extend my trip for another night and drop by Kuala Terengganu. Kuala Terengganu is the capital of the state of Terengganu. I have been to Malaysia multiple times but it was my first time so high up on the East Coast. Terengganu, to me, gave a much different appeal compared to the other states I have already visited. Historically, not a lot of migration has taken place here, giving it an almost homogenous Malay population. As such, it was rich and full of Malay and Islamic influence.

Aside from the popular Perhentian Islands, and to some degree Pulau Kapas, the general consensus I received from locals was that Terengganu was not as frequented by foreign tourists as most other states. This paved for a very authentic and raw feel, and I enjoyed my very short stay in the capital tremendously. Being someone commonly mistaken as Malaysian Chinese, I was constantly spoken to in Malay. I found this amusing, as in most of my experiences in the country, most would approach me either in English or Chinese, and with a better (albeit very basic) command of Malay than Mandarin, I was so relieved.

A beautiful mosque by the Marang bus station.

At the Marang bus terminal, I had to approach 2 counters to get a ticket back to Johor. It was the eve of Eid and of a week long holiday in a few states (Terengganu, Kelantan, Johor), and bus tickets were selling out really quickly. The counter staff thankfully spoke great English, and I bought a ticket from a very friendly man who was amused that I have gone all the way up here. Like in Larkin terminal, he asked for my passport for identification. He also pointed me to the myBas service, a local bus linking the town to the state capital.

The myBas service.

A ride to KT was priced at RM2.50.

Leaving Marang behind.

The bus ride was akin to Singapore. There were bus stops along the way and locals would flag the bus from these shelters. Passengers would press a button indicating they would alight at the next stop. We paid the bus driver in cash, during boarding. It was also a great platform to see the surroundings. We passed by the houses, many in a very Malay inspired style, and the endless series of suraus and mosques. Before long, we were at the outskirts of the city, passing by Kraftangan Malaysia and a local university and very soon, the bus terminal.

Bus stations along the way.

Reached KT!

"Selamat Pagi! Aku tak orang Malaysia, saya di sini holiday. Tolong aku? Kampung Cina di mana?" A couple of this line in broken Bahasa (hey at least I tried right, and without google translate) to very helpful locals and I arrived in Kamping Cina, Chinatown. I have already thrown away the budget and decided to stay here, at the heart of all the tourist action.

Passed through the under renovation Pasar Payang.

It was really colourful.

Reaching Chinatown.

A terrace at my hotel. You could see the "I LOVE KT" signage behind the foliage!

A hot shower and a much needed phone charge later (I didn't manage to charge any of my devices in Kapas. Other campers hogged the shared power plugs, and electricity in the campsite ran for only 5 hours every night), I went on an exploratory stroll. KT's Chinatown holds a UNESCO world heritage status and is labelled as a 'living Chinatown'. Unlike other Chinatowns in the world where the Chinese have long assimilated and integrated with the dominant local culture, or where the local Chinese have branched out of the quarters, or where Chinese culture is very evident all throughout the country, this town is still the centre of the local Chinese commerce and way of life. The Terengganu Chinese being such a small minority here compared to more sizable populations elsewhere in the country, the contrast with the outside was visible.

Stunning architecture!

I did not find much information on the city, at least in English, online and this was listed as one of the main tourist attractions. There was an abundance of Chinese shops and food, modern cafes, a temple, the obligatory Chinatown arch and well decorated alleyways. These narrow corridors had themes ranging from the pionner Terengganu Chinese to sea turtle conservation. It was also very near the waterfront and the Pasar Payang market, an area collectively known as Pulau Warisan. Contrary to its name, it is not an island and is part of the mainland. Pasar Payang was under renovation and major upgrading and locals told me they have temporarily been relocated a few blocks down. Despite being a busy part of town, there was still a laid back charm and with the friendly locals, amazing food and interesting things to see, was a wonderful welcome.

The Chinese temple.

There were many interesting exhibits in alleyways!

I had read about a KITE bas service online and returned twice only to have missed 2 services to the floating mosque. The information I was referring to online was outdated and I was not able to find other recent details in English. So, I took the long way back to Chinatown, passing through the bustling jetty and Bukit Puteri. A souvenir vendor said no one was allowed to take a hike up the hill that day.

The KITE bus whose timings I couldn't figure out.

Many gorgeous mosques around.

It was already late into the afternoon and I decided to make the most of my remaining time by going to the Crystal Mosque. GRAB was a life saviour and for both of my rides with them, the drivers were extremely friendly, knew English, suggested more places to check out and shared fascinating tidbits on life in the city. The Crystal Mosque was almost sparkling in the late afternoon sun and after another round of asking for directions in broken Malay, I reached the boat tour counter. The staff thankfully spoke great English and had the updated KITE bas timetable. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to catch the last bus back.

The river cruise route.

The ticket included a meal voucher at a restaurant, just a stone's throw away from the river cruise jetty,

The river tour was very interactive and was conducted in Malay. It started with the guide asking us where we were from, and most were domestic tourists from KL. Being the only foreigner, I was requested to sit right at the front for the guides to translate the information to me in English and to answer any queries I might have. We had a nice little chat too. Amazing!

The start of the cruise with the TTI signage and the sparkling Crystal Mosque at the background. Really lovely view!

We passed through numerous fishing villages and ship builders, the all too familiar Pulau Warisan and the main highlight, the Terengganu drawbridge. It was a very grand and impressive piece of architecture, and the boat took a short pause for us to take photos. After that it was back to the jetty.

We passed through villages..

.. and the modern parts of the city.

The highlight! Again, really stunning!

The river cruise and Crystal Mosque were part of the Taman Tamadun Islam, or the Islamic Civilisation Park. From the descriptions online, I did not think that it would appeal to me but I was wrong. It was a sprawling park, well maintained and nicely curated, showcasing many replicas of Islamic landmarks from all over the world. Very family friendly too, with families cycling and walking around. If I had more time, I would have gladly explored more but regrettably was only restricted to the Crystal Mosque area.

The delicious noodle dish I chose. I didn't know what to order from the selection of Malay dishes. Again, basic Malay was very very useful, and the lady was very hospitable, occasionally adding in English descriptions. The meat seemed to be mutton. Not very gamey, well cooked!

After dinner, I took a walk by the water front, coincidentally meeting my guides for the cruise again and stopped at the Crystal Mosque. I love Islamic architecture with the domes and crescents and this one was really pretty. I took a short time sitting by the mosque, taking a breather. With the setting sun and river at the background, it was lovely. Unknown to me, I was seated next to my would be GRAB driver which made for a great laugh and another fantastic ride into the city.

The majestic Crystal Mosque. From this angle, it exuded an almost Taj Mahal vibe.

My driver recommended a short visit to the already closing market and it was durian season.
"Can I take picture?"
"Lima ringgit (RM5)" the vendor said with an unhappy expression.
Then after a second of an awkward pause, he and everyone around laughed and they ushered me to have a closer look.
Really friendly and humorous people! Amazing!

Far from the hustle and bustle of the day, Kampung Cina was starting to quieten down for the night. Cafes were still open and not crowded (!!), so I had a very nice dessert in a cosy and very aesthetic cafe. Perfect way to end the day's excursion.

I was out at 0530 the next morning, the streets still dark and empty. I was headed to Fauzi Nasi Kerabu, a recommendation from one of the GRAB drivers. I decided to walk and having almost no traffic and no daytime heat, it was a cooling and convenient walk. The store already had some customers at such an early hour and was so worth waking up for. Again, knowledge of basic Malay helped and I chose the smoked chicken. It was served on a plate of blue rice, crispy salad, half a salted egg and this amazing sauce. At 7, the queue already reached the streets.

They had daging and ayam. I went with chicken.

Yummy and delightful nasi kerabu. This dish in itself is a reason to come to KT!
While paying, I also had some kuih, some sort of a seafood in an oval fishball kind of texture, to go. A relatively acquired taste, I would say.

After that very delicious breakfast, I took another stroll around the city. I bought some Malay kuehs which I absolutely love. One looked like kueh dadar with its green rolled casing but it tasted a bit different and better. Very soon, it was back for a shower and the walk back to the bus terminal. Goodbye Kuala Terengganu. It was a pleasure!