DrMKZ

I just got back from Kuala Terengganu. It was a ‘bajet’ or budget trip. Total expenses for travelling was about RM 600++ (USD 210) , and we visited our big and extended family in Kuala Terengganu ( on Nadiah’s side) . Luckily, we escaped the jammed. Oh! the Hari Raya jam!

Do you know what does ‘Kuala’ means? Kuala means ‘ confluence’. It is like ‘a meeting of rivers’. No wonder the place got so busy ma..

So as you can seem it is roughly about 430- 450 km with the new road.

You have to travel through Gombak – Karak tol. ( This place is  EXTREMELY busy during the festive season, be it CNY, Deepavali and of course Hari Raya) The toll is about ~ RM 10

then from Karak you can use the Lebuhraya Pantai Timur ( LPT) to Jabor or Kuantan. This is about 3 hours drive with the toll about RM 25.

Then from Jabor/ Kuantan to Kuala Terenganu you have 3 main routes you can use..

1. The ‘conventional’ Pantai route
2. The ‘quick’ route – Jabor – Bandar Muktafi Billah Shah – Ajil route
3. Or, the newly built LPT2, from Jabor to Cheneh, then route 2. then from Kuala Dungun – Kuala Terengganu highway all the way! .. The LPT2 is still under construction, but the route is nicer ( boleh pecut la)

Roughly about 2.5 -3 hours. For newbie, I think the Pantai route is better. You can stop by shops and beaches along the way and you can buy many things, keropok lekor, keropok kering, and etc. etc.

But most of ‘Anak Terengganu’; will use Route 2. It is basically a shorter journey.

The highway is for the speed-junkie.

So the damage is~ RM 300 for travelling. RM 100 (fuel) + RM 50 ( toll + makan2) to Terengganu.

If you travel alone I guess, taking a flight is better. Air Asia or MAS ~ RM 200 return ticket. But if you travel with your family, driving is cheaper and the sight seeing is way better.

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I didn’t know there was a Chinatown in Kuala Terengganu. I though Terengganu was an all Malay town. Rarely, I see a kampung house with Chinese people. A ‘Kampung Cina Terengganu’

We went sight seeing.

An alley in one of the roads in Chinatown in Kuala Terengganu. The roads are re-paved I think.

The three weird-ly designed buliding. The old, the new, and the futuristic!

The old designed building! Probably circa 1930’s

You can see the ‘seniority’ of Kuala Terengganu

And then we went to the newly built waterfront..

The newly built waterfront! I wonder what they will do to this place. The right side, the newly developed land area commercial activities.

Pulau Duyong is just opposite to the Waterfront.

The real ‘Retro’

You see, the long term Kuala Terengganu, is the Kuala Terengganu City Center.

Yes, Terengganu is a rich state!

Kuala Terengganu City Center

and of course view from Pulau Musang, Kuala Terengganu. Arwah Ayah’s Kampung.

That is the Terengganu river.

This is near to Arwah Ayah’s house! There is a river infront of the house!
Beat that!

The view of Jambatan Manir, from of the Kampung.

Apparently houses were built next to the river banks during the 1930’s (This was taught to me by my Geography teacher!)

The# Aidilfitri1435 pic!

Allah bless Terengganu

Almost every shop has a Jawi writing written on the wall, the reason being is because the Islamic influent predominates Terengganu.

and I got to Salam the previous 13th King of Malaysia, or Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin in Kuala Terenganu. Sorry the pic is not so clear.

FYI, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin is the 17th and current Sultan of Terengganu. He served as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Umar say Hi!

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We also visited the ‘Losong Keropok Lekor Area’

Keropok di Losong

Makcik making the base for Keropok Lekor

The user end product

The packaging of the products

The accessory for your keropok lekor – ‘cicah’ keropok lekor. Those yellow tops are Jeruk ikan Tenggiri!

This is buah Setoi, is it exclusively in Terengganu?

* Thanks to Mama Jah + Pakcik Tajol, Gong Kapas, for providing us the accommodations and the list goes on.

And of the beaches, of the sand are smooth as silk. It is so fine!

And one more thing, there is a Batu Bersurat in Terengganu – The Inscribed Stone of  Terengganu

It is the first evidence of Islam in Malaysia, and it was written in Jawi.  The inscription on the stone proclaims Islam as the state religion of Terengganu. That was probably 700 years ago! in the year 1300 A.D or 700 Hijriah!   That is how old, documented kerajaan Terengganu was.