Pantai Teluk Ketapang

Indulge In Fish Fried In Batter

Pantai Teluk Ketapang is quite a popular destination for the ICT (Ikan Celup Tepung) or fish fried in batter. ICT is quite a sought after Terengganu fish snack eaten with a chili sauce in the afternoons and people flock here to also enjoy a nice view of the sea. Apart from fish, other seafood snacks fried in batter and the Terengganu staple, keropok lekor and keropok keping are also sold at the string of warongs that make this beach a leisure destination for food.

One of the most breathtaking sights in Terengganu is that most beaches stretch for miles on end without a hill or promontory to break the continuity. After all, Terengganu has the longest stretch of beach in Malaysia at 244km long.

Pantai Pandak Cendering

Long And Quiet Stretch Of Sand And Surf 

This beach even has a song being named after it, called Chendering. It was composed in the early 60s (or before Malaysia was formed) by a famous composer called Jimmy Boyle. It lies 6km south of Kuala Terengganu and is known for its rocky section on one end and a long continuous stretch on the other.

Pantai Batu Rakit

Quaint Fishing Villages 

Take the road from Kuala Terengganu past the airport on the right to Merang (3645) and look for the small coastal road T145. This road is quite scenic and takes you along the beach past rustic kampong houses under the shadows of scores of coconut trees. Follow your instincts and stop by at the roadside where the beach is just a short walk away. If you happen to be there at the right time, you can find some fishing boats and fishermen mending their nets on the beach next to scores of fish traps laid out to dry. The boats are brightly coloured and make stunning photos. The beach stretches for miles and with a camera in hand, shoot away at the sweeping views of the beach and the boats.

Pantai Kelulut

Dine With An Island View

A beautiful stretch of beach 21 kilometres south of Kuala Terengganu. There are plenty of restaurants here with a magnificent view of Pulau Kapas in the distance. Quite popular among locals too. Enjoy your food while overlooking the water and spot fishermen catching fish in the distance if you’re lucky. When you dine here at night during the squid jigging season, you will see a string of twinkling lights on the horizon, like a floating city. These are fishermen catching squid using lights to attract the squid. Quite a sight.

Pantai Bukit Keluang

Under The Shadow Of Undulating Hills

Located in the district of Besut, this beach is rocky and shadowed by hills with a few caves whose inhabitants are nocturnal animals, mainly bats. The landscape is unlike any other found on any Terengganu beach or for that matter anywhere else in Malaysia. As the name suggests, the beach is at the foot of Bukit Keluang (Bukit is hill in English) and you get a stretches of rock terrain and sand.

One can have a breathtaking view from the top of Bukit Keluang which you can hike via a wooden walkway that winds around the contour of the rocky cliff edge and leads you to the top. You will also see some caves on the face of the cliff where bats inhabit. Once you’re at the peak, you’ll be mesmerized by a panoramic view of the sea with Pulau Rhu and Pulau Perhentian in the distance. Although the vista is very often photographed, who knows you may capture something more spectacular with the changing sky light and weather. In the distance too you will see the winding promontories that break the monotony of normally straight stretches of beach so often found in the rest of the state.

Pantai Penarik

Rustic And Exotic

One of the most beautiful beaches in Terengganu that is dotted with hundreds of swaying coconut trees and rustic sleepy fishing kampungs. Serene and breathtakingly beautiful, the beach stretches for miles. From the shore, you can see Bidong and Redang Islands, which is a short boat ride away from the Merang Jetty.

If you linger and explore the length of the beach, you may come across some fishermen either going out to sea or just returning with a boat full of their fresh catch. Sometimes, the fishermen do not go all the way out but cast their nets a few metres from the beach. This is quite a rare sight for any visitor and you can ask around when is a good time to witness fishermen’s activities and wait with patience. After all, if you’re on vacation, there is no hurry to go anywhere else. So, live and enjoy the experience of what Terengganu is all about.

Pantai Kemasik

Under The Shadows Of The Rock

If you take the old trunk road from Kuala Terengganu towards Kuantan you will come across a sign that indicates Pantai Kemasik, 10km from the town of Kijal. A distinct natural formation of a set of “twin rocks” sitting at the edge of the water makes this beach one of the most photographed beaches. It has quite an interesting terrain – a vast stretch of sandy beach with an inner lagoon filled only by the sea at high tide. This is one of Terengganu’s most beautiful.

Take a stroll with your loved one, run with the kids, fly a kite or have a picnic on the wide sandy beach and immerse yourself in the beautiful scenery around you. Take a moment to appreciate the serenity and perhaps you want to be a bit meditative by just sitting at the waters edge and let the waves wash your worries away. There’s nothing so blissful than watching the blue sky and feeling the breeze on your cheeks. And if you want to climb the rocks, do be careful and make sure you have the right attire for it and take safety precautions.

Pulau Gemia

A tiny island called Pulau Gemia lies next to Pulau Kapas and is a privately owned island with a resort. Around this islet lies clear azure waters with coral reefs and rich marine life. It is also part of a Marine Conservation Park.

Pulau Tenggol

Destination For Deep Sea Diving

The southern most island in Terengganu, lying off the coast of Dungun, is Pulau Tenggol. An island not as crowded as the ones to its north, it is well known to be a magnet for experienced divers. Night diving, diving around shipwrecks and deep sea are some of the adventures divers look for here. Some parts of the seas surrounding this island are known to have strong currents. However, this does not deter the best and experienced divers who take this as an adrenalin pumping challenge.

One of the wild marine life that is sought after in the seas around Pulau Tenggol is the whale shark, a migratory shark that normally appears from August to October. As divers descend into the waters of Pulau Tenggol for its rich marine life, so do the whale sharks. And with divers always looking for new experiences and close encounters with bigger marine life, an encounter with a whale shark could be a once in a lifetime experience as they do not linger in any one location for long.

PULAU BIDONG

Island With Underwater Sculptures

Pulau Bidong was put in the spotlight at the height of the post-Vietnam War in the mid to late 1970s as a transit point for refugees who fled the country in the wake of the United States’ withdrawal. Thousands arrived on overloaded dinghy boats and were allowed to stay on Pulau Bidong while they wait to be resettled in a third country.

Pulau Bidong is a deserted island, there are no settlers nor any resorts operating here. However, what’s left here are remnants of a hospital, a school, shops and hostel like accommodation for the refugees.

This island has since been naturally rejuvenated and restored to its pristine conditions after so many years laying empty. Accessibility was restricted after the refugees left so the island could recover.

Visitors who want to snorkel, dive and have picnics on the beach can arrange for day trips here. Get the resorts you’re staying on Redang and Perhentian to make this arrangement.

An interesting facet of Pulau Bidong underwater attraction is the underwater gallery, the only one of its kind in Malaysia. Replicas of cultural artefacts and relics are placed 15 metres underwater and these include the Batu Bersurat or Terengganu Inscription Stone, tepak sireh (betel leaf and nut set with canisters), an arch, a keris and a traditional sampan.

PULAU KAPAS

Quiet And Uncrowded Beaches

A 20-minute boat ride from the Marang Jetty to the south of Kuala Terengganu, takes you to Pulau Kapas, the nearest island to the mainland. It is relatively small compared to the northern islands of Perhentian and Redang. Not many resorts are available here but one can make a day trip during the weekend if you don’t have the time. Its white sandy beaches and the serenity of the island with snorkeling and kayaking and water sports activities are what draws visitors to go for some fun.

The seas around Pulau Kapas is known as a squid breeding ground. The surrounding seas gets the most attention during the squid jigging season from March to August. Scores of boats will head to the sea around Pulau Kapas in the evenings and using lights to lure the squids to surface, the flotilla of boats can be seen from the shore resembling a lighted floating city along the horizon. And under a full moon, it can be quite a captivating sight. There are of course other areas where squid jigging takes place and if you drive along the coast at night, it is quite common to see these lighted boats.