JC. Princen Kelantan is the northernmost state on the peninsula’s east coast, with a land area of 14,931 square kilometres. Rustic village settlements amid wide rice fields, our Kampungs, give the impression that time has stood still here. Time has little meaning in Kelantan, whose story begins well before the New Age.
All Chinese documents point to a state in the dark of prehistoric times that even connected with the Middle Kingdom. Kelantan appeared in these records as the country “Ho Lo Tan”.
A lot of culture and tradition is alive here: you can witness when people let their giant colourful kites fly into the air, when they hum the big, heavy tops and when they practice silat, our martial art. At the Wayang Kulit, you can watch the shadow play of the silhouette puppets or go to one of the bird singing competitions, where the merbuk trills on command. Wherever there is tradition, the arts and crafts also flourish: batik, songket, our brocade, silverwork and wickerwork from Mengkuang are particularly beautiful in Kelantan.
It is a country still largely covered by untouched rainforest, part of which belongs to Taman Negara, the largest national park in Kelantan.
Tourist Attractions in Kelantan
The Kota Bharu Cultural Center
For visitors, take the time to visit the Kota Bharu Cultural Center. This place serves traditional arts and also offers related arts and crafts. Let us show how we fly a flying kite, rotate the top, provoke the correct notes of the big drum, practice our martial arts and move the characters in shadow puppets (wayang kulit). The place is in Jalan Mahmood, near the Perdana Hotel and is open daily from February to October and closed in the fasting month of Ramadan.
The Buluh Kubu Central Market
Nobody should leave Kota Bharu without seeing this market, which should be unique in size and variety. It is a festival for every photographer, and motifs from here have already won prizes. You can also try or do anything: eat grilled spicy chicken, buy a bowl of Kelantan silver or watch the market women spread their fresh garden products. It would help if you always went there in the morning or the morning because there is the usual long lunch break after lunch.
The Royal Folklore Museum
This small but informative state museum is now in an old palace, the Istana Jahar. Sultan Muhamad, the Second of Kelantan, built this for his grandson Long Kundur in 1887. The fine wood carvings of the building worked out down to the smallest detail, are a fine example of the skill and style of the Kelantanese people. Old photographs, documents, and exhibits on the country’s development will cast a spell on the viewer.
The Kampung Laut Mosque, Masjid Kampung Laut
The mosque in Nilam Puri is probably the oldest in Malaysia if you believe the information and traditions. It originally stood in Kampung Laut and was dismantled there piece by piece because the constant waters of the nearby river slowly destroyed its foundation walls. It was then faithfully rebuilt in its current location without using a single nail.
Padang Merdeka, The Independence Square
It was once the city’s parade ground and is known as Padang Merdeka: Kota Bharu also has its large Dataran Merdeka, its independence square in memory of August 31, 1957.
The Wat Photivihan, Sleeping Buddha
Wat Photivihan, or Wat Yamu, is a Thai temple in Tumpat District, Kelantan, Malaysia; located north of Kota Bharu near the village of Jambu is a shrine with what is said to be the longest reclining Buddha in Southeast Asia.
The Moonlight Beach, Pantai Cahaya Bulan
This extensive beach area is about 10 km north of Kota Bharu. The beach, which is densely overgrown with casuarinas, is a popular spot for picnics and leisure activities by locals. Here you can even rent comfortable beach bungalows and spend a few days. On the way to Pantai Cahaya Bulan, as the beach is called here, you should stop at one of the many rural handicraft shops: You can buy nice things made of batik, songket, or copper for a reasonable price, as well as maybe take a little dragon home with you as a souvenir.
Dasar Sabak beach
This is the historic beach in this region of Malaysia because this is where the Japanese landed and occupied the country in 1941 before they made their way to Singapore to conquer it. The beach is only 13 km away from Kota Bahru.
The Irama Beach, Bachok
The beautiful beach of melodies, as it is translated, is located 25 km south of Kota Bharu and is considered the most beautiful in the entire state.
Bisikan Bayu Beach
This beach is also called Pantai Bisikan Bayu in Kelantan, which means “beach of the softly whispering breeze.” Palm trees and casuarinas line it and provide shade and coolness. The water is clean, and the warm white sand invites you to do nothing.
Gunung Stong, Mount Stong
It can also be seen from afar Kelantan’s highest mountain, the great Gunung Stong, at 1422 meters, a quite considerable chunk. There is a cave on the mountain, the Gua Ikan, called the fish cave. The name is derived from a lonely rock nearby that looks like a fish. Expeditions are often undertaken in the cave because a story from when the Japanese occupation still circulates that someone is said to have hidden a great deal of gold here from the occupiers.
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