Things to do in Kuantan

No seriously. He ain't kidding. 

Kuantan is a pretty small despite being the capital of Pahang so there aren't many attractions in town besides outdoor recreational activities and shopping. To be honest, you would need less than 3 days to go through all the attractions in Kuantan. Notice the emphasis on 'in' because if you're willing to go about half an hour or so out of town then there'll be a lot more things to do. If you include out of town activities, you have a week's worth of activities! Anyway without any further ado, here are my top picks of things do in Kuantan!


1. Teluk Cempedak (TC)

Wanna sea me shell out of ocean puns? 

Known by the locals simply as TC, it is a popular spot for just relaxing and taking in some fresh breeze. There are two parts to the beach, the main part being the most crowded part as all the fast food restaurants and stalls are there and the second part which is just across a bridge. Both are equally beautiful and picturesque so you can take your pick. 

TC has a lot of restaurants and stalls for food and other miscellaneous items(picnic mats, floats, toys, etc). For food, I'd recommend eating at the fast food places there(McD, KFC) or the restaurants on the way down to the beach. For breakfast and early lunch, you can try Hoi Yin, Katong for dinner and if you're looking for a bar; Ranch Pub(cheapest beer in town). Avoid going on weekends(esp. at night) because you'll get stuck in a jam beacuse as previously stated, it's one of the few things to do in town.

A word of caution though; monkeys are commonplace in TC but they are especially concentrated near the bridge where you'll often see visitors posing for photos and feeding them. I would advise against this as they will try to snatch food and shiny things if you don't secure them properly in your bag. If you aren't carrying any food or shiny stuff, it should be fine but still be careful.

P.S: The Taman Teruntum Mini Zoo is nearby but it's pretty crappy imo; not many animals, the animals look ill & enclosures are kinda small. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but it's free so no harm in going if you're curious.

GPS Coordinates

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal)		Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)
Latitude	3.812215	Latitude	N 3°48'44.1"
Longitude	103.371949	Longitude	E 103°22'20.8"

2. East Coast Mall (ECM)

Self proclaimed as and truthfully is "The Most Happening Place in Kuantan". Fittingly, this shopping mall, the biggest in town, is just opposite one of the biggest hotels in town, Zenith Hotel. It is even more popular than the beach(for locals at least) as strolling through malls is something of a national pastime here in Malaysia. It's the biggest mall in town and people from nearby towns like Kemaman often come here during the weekends. They have local & international clothing brands, a cinema, a karaoke place, a supermarket, and numerous restaurants. It's a pretty good place to just kill time if you've got nothing else to do. It's already titanic as it is but I hear there are plans to add another block in 2017. 

GPS Coordinates

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal)		Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)
Latitude	3.818870	Latitude	N 3°48'44.1"
Longitude	103.326346	Longitude	E 103°22'20.8"

3. Royal Pahang Golf Club

I come from a family of golfing nuts and I'm a golf player myself so naturally I felt the need to include my home course here. It's located opposite the Taman Teruntum Mini Zoo. Among the facilities are a TV room, swimming pool, gym and games room(a drinking spot really). The course itself is a fairly straight forward 18 hole golf course situated beside a beach. If you're only planning to play 9 holes, go for the second nine as it's more scenic. On hole 10, you'll be playing beside the ocean on hole 9 and 18 you'll be able to see a view of  the clubhouse with a backdrop of lush green hills. Sometimes, dogs from the beach run into the golf course but their harmless. In fact, monitor lizards are much more common(no, seriously). If you're lucky, you might even be able to catch a glimpse of a hornbill, kingfisher or woodpecker!

GPS Coordinates

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal)		Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)
Latitude	3.807629	Latitude	N 3°48'27.5"
Longitude	103.365908	Longitude	E 103°21'57.3"

4. Bukit Pelindung

If you enjoy hiking or just love nature, look no further than Bukit Pelindung!  This where most people in town go to have a leisurely walk or exercise. Even the local school sports teams and competitive marathoners and cyclists come here. There are two pathways; a tarred road for the casual walks and a jungle trek which leads to TC. It's pretty cool for most of the day thanks to the tall trees along the pathway. You can even drive up the hill with a car too but that would take away from the whole walk through nature thing. Ya' know? Anyway, when you reach the peak of the hill you'll be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the whole town. I would include a photo but that would kill the surprise so yeah, go check it out!

GPS Coordinates

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal)		Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)
Latitude	3.830465	Latitude	N 3°49'49.4"
Longitude	103.363042	Longitude	E 103.3608643

5. Bukit Gambang Waterpark

I've only been here once and overall, it was pretty fun but nothing spectacular as far as water parks go. It wasn't very big when I went there but since they have opened up a zoo and night safari which I have a feeling should be nicer than the Mini Zoo in Kuantan. From Kuantan, the drive to Gambang should take you about half an hour.

GPS Coordinates

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal)		Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)
Latitude	3.710448	Latitude	N 3°42'37.6"
Longitude	103.051586	Longitude	E 103°03'05.7"

(It's like 3.30 am right now and my eyes hurt =_=||| so I'll add more later.)

Kuantan Breakfast Places 2

1. Alliance Bank Nasi Lemak(Halal)

Open: about 7.30 a.m- 2 p.m

Address: Jalan Beserah, Kuantan, Pahang 

This stall is located behind Alliance Bank and Ten Ten. There are two stalls there, make sure you go to the one on the right side. They sell really nice nasi lemak, meehoon goreng, nasi dagang and fried chicken. Their nasi lemak and nasi dagang and meehoon and basically everything is a lot better than most. They also get their sambal (chilli sauce) just right. They're usually very packed and sell out early so make sure to go as early as possible.

2. Nasi Dagang Tanjung Api(Halal)

Address: 45, Jalan Tanjung Api, 25050 Kuantan, Pahang

Tel: 

Operating hours: 7.30 a.m- sometime in the afternoon

GPS Coordinates: 

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal) | Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)

Latitude: 3.810294                         |  Latitude: N  3°   48′   37.0″

Longitude: 103.343860                  |  Longitude: E  103°   20′   37.9″

Google Maps: 

Located at the intersection between Jalan Selamat and Jalan Tanjung Api. his unnamed stall has one of the best nasi dagang in Kuantan. Their nasi dagang, fish, and gravy is great.  Their serving is average and their prices are quite reasonable. A packet of nasi dagang with a piece of fish is about RM2.50. Usually they will be sold out by 11 am so if you want to eat here, I suggest getting there early in the morning.

3. Restoran Bombay

Address: 71, Jalan Mahkota, Kuantan 25000, Malaysia

Tel: 09-514 4081

Operating hours: 

GPS Coordinates: 

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal) | Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)

Latitude: 3.8045317                       |  Latitude: N  3°   48′   16.31″

Longitude: 103.3259629      |  Longitude: E  103°   19′   33.47″

This restaurant is yet another favourite of my parents. It is owned by Hamid Bros, one of the more well known millionaires in Kuantan. The nasi briyani here is excellent. They also have a morning set menu which is good value for money. The atmosphere is great cause it's clean air and conditioned unlike most of my other recommendations.

4. Restoran XYZ

Address: 1-27, Jalan Seri Setali 2, Taman Tunas, 25300 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

Tel: N/A

Operating hours: Afternoon

GPS Coordinates: 

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal) | Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)

Latitude:             3.8444371           |  Latitude: N 3° 50′ 39.97″

Longitude:          103.3361729       |  Longitude:  E 103° 20′ 10.22″

My personal favourite porridge shop. You can choose from a variety of dishes like fried/

steamed fish,salted egg, pork belly, etc etc to eat with your plain porridge. It's basically like 

Nasi Campur(Mixed Rice) but with porridge instead of rice.

5. Restoran Taj Makmur

Photo sourced from cocoeriley.blogspot.com

Address: Lorong Tun Ismail 6, Sri Dagangan, 25000 Kuantan, Pahang

Tel: 09-515 9482

Operating hours: 7 am to 10 pm

GPS Coordinates: 

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal) | Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)

Latitude: 3.8131627                       |  Latitude: N 3° 48′ 47.39″

Longitude: 103.3276107                |  Longitude: E 103° 19′ 39.4″

Part of a chain of the many many Taj restaurants in Kuantan. Their roti canai is okay but their 

fish curry is positively heavenly. I've also heard many people praise their nasi briyani with 

curry but I've never personally tried it.

NOW ON BLOGLOVIN'!!

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Kuala Lumpur(KL)

Kuala Lumpur has its origins in the 1850s, when the Malay Chief of Klang, Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar Raja Abdullah, hired some Chinese labourers to open new and larger tin mines for tin prospectors. The tin prospectors settled in Ampang, and formed gangs within themselves. The two largest Chinese gangs, the Hakka-dominated Hai San and the Hokkien-dominated Ghee Hin, frequently engaged in warfare to gain control of tin production in the town. The incessant warfare between the two factions brought tin mine production to a standstill, prompting the British, who ruled Selangor as one of the Federated Malay States at the time, to appoint a Chinese Kapitan (headman) to administer Kuala Lumpur. Around the 1870s, the third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur, Yap Ah Loy, emerged as leader, and became responsible for the survival and subsequent systematic growth of this town. He began to develop Kuala Lumpur from a small, obscure settlement into a booming mining town. In 1880, the state capital of Selangor was moved from Klang to the more strategically advantageous Kuala Lumpur. KL is now the capital of Malaysia and covers an area of 243 square kilometres. It is also home to the the Parliament of Malaysia and the world's tallest twin towers, the Petronas Twin Towers.

KL is considered a part of which state?
It is a federal territory meaning it's a part of Wilayah Persekutuan.

Kuantan Dinner Places

1. Katong

Address: No. 35 Teluk Cempedak Kuantan, Pahang 25050

Tel: 09-5679945

Operating hours: 7.30pm- ?? (Also lunchttime but only open for 3 hours or so from about  1 pm)

GPS Coordinates: 

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal) | Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)

Latitude:          3.8126010               |  Latitude: N 3° 48′ 45.36″

Longitude:       103.3720031         |  Longitude: E 103° 22′ 19.21″

If you're a fan of curry fish head, then Katong is a MUST. Their curry fish head is the best one that I've eaten so far and you can hardly ever go wrong ordering practically anything.Although be prepared to wait for at least half an hour or more depending on how many people are before you because they are slow. You can book a place but Katong practices a first come first serve basis so they only serve whoever comes first. They are a little pricy and stingy with the serving but the curry fish head is totally worth it.

Nice dishes: Curry fish head, kailan, omelette, beef rendang, prawns in garlic sauce

Rating: 9/10

2. The Cottage Restaurant

Address: 63 Haji Abdul Aziz 25000 Kuantan, Pahang

Tel: 09-516 1069, 012-928 2128, 012-988 1939

Operating hours: 7.00pm-??

GPS Coordinates: 

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal) | Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)

Latitude:          3.8096705               |  Latitude: N 3° 48′ 34.81″

Longitude: 103.3301065           |  Longitude: E 103° 19′ 48.38″

Cottage is another local favourite and for good reasons. Their food are all home cooked dishes and they taste amazing!! It's amazing how they make simple dishes taste so spectacular. The problem with them is that they are quite cut-throat so be prepared to be charged. The shop also smells quite a bit especially during the monsoon season but it's bearable.

Nice dishes: steamed fish, fish ball soup, ngaulam soup(beef soup), petai fried meehoon, fishcake and kangkung belacan(morning glory in belacan)

Rating: 8/10 

3. Alor Akar Restaurant

Address: 7695, Jalan Kubang Buaya, 25250 Kuantan

Tel: 09-5680720, 016-952 7811

Website: http://www.alorakar-seafood.com/

Operating hours: 5.30pm-??

GPS Coordinates: 

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal) | Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)

Latitude:         3.8223615         |  Latitude: N 3° 49′ 20.5″

Longitude:      103.3448929           |  Longitude: E 103° 20′ 41.61″

Alor Akar is definitely the most popular restaurant in Kuantan. They serve good food at a extremely reasonable price. You can hardly ever go wrong ordering practically anything. The food is above average, served at more than reasonable price and their service is fast and efficient. You have to be there before 6.30pm or you won't be able to find a place to sit.

Nice dishes: Curry prawns, beggar's chicken, pork ribs and yam, fish in Siamese sauce and butter mantis prawns

Rating: 8/10

4. Wan Satay House

Address: A31, Jalan Seri Kuantan 2, Taman Teluk Sisik 25050 Kuantan, Pahang

Tel: 09-517 1990

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wan-Satay-House/106292166134475

GPS Coordinates: 

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal) | Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)

Latitude:          3.8157853              |  Latitude: N 3° 48′ 56.83″

Longitude: 103.3348044           |  Longitude: E 103° 20′ 5.3″

This is my parents' favourite nasi kerabu shop. They serve great food at reasonable prices. Their food is a little sweeter than the usual Malay food but if you're okay with that then you'll have no problems with this shop at all.

Nice dishes: Nasi Kerabu, satay

Rating: 7/10

5. Lila Wadi

Address: A637 Jalan Teluk Sisek, Kuantan, Pahang(It is just near the Pantai Selamat supermarket.)

Tel: 012-6644054

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilawadirestaurant

Operating hours: Click on Picture

GPS Coordinates: 

Latitude and Longitude (Decimal) | Latitude and Longitude (ddd.mm.ss)

Latitude:          3.8127017              |  Latitude: N 3° 48′ 45.73″

Longitude:       103.3332375         |  Longitude: E 103° 19′ 59.65″

Their cheese cakes are to die for! So far I've tried their mango, durian and Toblerone cheese cakes and all of them were good as they could get. And they serve one hell of a punch with their tomyam soup and Korean BBQ. The shop has a nice ambiance, good food and reasonable prices. No complaints here.

Nice dishes: Durian cake, cheese cake, mango cheese cake, Korean BBQ, tom yam seafood, Garlic rice, grilled beef burger, pandan cooler(drink)

Rating- 9/10

These ratings are all just in my opinion and I might be a little biased since I grew up eating these food so I would love to hear what you guys think about these restaurants. 

See ya in the comments! 

How to Eat

        Owing to the fact that Malaysia is a multi-racial country, there are many things you need to know about food etiquette in Malaysia. Some of these include...

When eating with your hands, use your right hand and not your left.

Reason: The left hand is considered as dirty because it is the hand usually used to when wiping yourself in the toilet.

When using a toothpick, cover your mouth with your hand.

Reason: It's just polite. No one wants to see you pick your teeth.

Take only the amount you can eat. You should finish all the food that you have taken.

Reason: Each grain of rice is sacred. Plus it's a waste and a sin to waste food.

Extras: There's a Chinese saying that says that if you don't finish all your rice, you will marry a husband with many pimples.

When you want a dish that's out of your reach, ask someone to pass it to you. Don't bend across the table.

Reason: It bothers other people who are eating.

Don't slurp your noodles.

Reason: Very rude

Never stick your chopsticks into the rice. 

Reason: It resembles the joss sticks used to pray for the dead.

Push food into your spoon in your right hand using the fork on your left.

Reason: The right hand is used for eating.

If you are invited to eat at a house, take off your shoes before entering.

Reason: To keep the house clean

Don't dig for a certain part that you like. Just take whatever's on the top.

Reason: Because it messes up the food

Don't blow hot food.

Reason: One word. Saliva.

Wait until the hosts to tell you to eat or let the hosts start eating first.

Reason: They get dibs cause the organised the meal.

 

Don't cross your chopsticks. place them parallel to each other on the rice bowl.

Do not turn over a fish to get the meat on the other side. Just pull the centre bone out.

Reason: This is beacause of an old fisherman superstition where everytime you flip a fish over, a boat capsizes.

Taboo food according to race

Malays

Food that Muslims cannot eat are called non-halal.

-Pork

-Alcohol

Indians

On certain days of the week or month, they are vegetarian.

-Beef

-Pork

Chinese people can eat all food but if they are Buddhist, at certain times of the week, they may be vegetarian.

TIP: Tips are not necessary in Malaysia as it is added in to your bill as Service Tax but you can still tip the waiter if you feel like it.


Credits to We Are Food, Japanloverme, Holy Kaw! and Joannagoddard for the photos.
https://foodlibya.wordpress.com/(We Are Food)
http://www.japanlover.me/
http://holykaw.alltop.com/dining-etiquette-around-the-world-infographic
http://joannagoddard.blogspot.it/2012/04/table-manners.html?m=1

Kuantan Lunch Places

1. Lai Meng

Open: about 8 a.m- 3 p.m

Address: Jalan Galing 25250 Kuantan, Pahang

Selling fiery hot malat mee(chilli mee) and savoury mee soup, Lai Meng is the place to go for noodle enthusiasts. Their soup is great and all but what really sells is their malat mee which honestly burns your tongue as you drink the soup but it's totally worth the heat. The malat's soup is spicy, salty and wonderfully sweet but not too sweet. Tip--> you can ask them to tone down the chilli if you can't take it.

Rating: 8/10

2. GC Curry House (Halal)

Open:

Address: B132, Jln Air Putih, 25300 Kuantan, Pahang

Tel: 09-568 4454

Everything in this restaurant is pretty good. I especially like their banana leaf rice. Their vegetables and fish are usually very fresh. It's best to eat banana leaf rice in the afternoon cause that's when it's the freshest. Their roti canai, tosai and capati are really delicious too. Their currys are good but not great. Recommended for anyone who's craving reasonably priced Indian food.

Rating: 8/10

3. Jeya Corner (Halal)

Open: 8 a.m- 11 p.m daily

Address: A19, Jalan Haji Ahmad 3, Seri Pahang Business Centre, Pahang, Kuantan, 25300

I absolutely LOVE the food here. Jeya is my favourite Indian restaurant in Kuantan. All of their currys have a certain kick to it and their roti canai is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Admittedly they're a little on the high side but for the great food, it's well worth it!

Rating: 9/10

4. Muar E Kopitiam (Halal)

Open: Tue-Thurs--> 07:00-17:30 

           Fri-Sun-----> 07:00-18:00

Address: A643, Jalan Beserah, Kuantan, Pahang 25300

Tel: 09-5679324

Muar E is almost always packed to the brim but their service is really fast so you don't have to wait long for a seat to free up. Their signature dish would have to be their delicious yam rice which is only available on Saturdays and Sundays and usually it sells out very fast. They also have steam bread, my favourite being the Muar E bun which is triangular in shape and is really soft and nice. Besides that their meehoon goreng and pan mee chilli are pretty good too. Their iced coffee is also not too bad.

Nice Dishes: Muar E bun, iced coffee, Yam rice, Fried meehoon, pan mee chilli

Rating: 8/10

5. Lai Lai Square Chicken Rice

Open: 11a.m- 1a.m

Address: Jalan Kubang Buaya Kuantan, Pahang.

Tel: 017-927-2028

The chicken rice here is so popular that it sells out by as early as 1 in the morning. This is because the soup here is delicious and the chicken is fresh and tender. Come early or call before you come to check whether the chicken rice has sold out yet. 

Rating: 7/10

6. Kwong Fatt

Address: B1705, Ground Floor, Jalan Beserah Kuantan, Pahang

Tel: 09-5668358

Kwong Fatt sells the best chicken feet in Kuantan and maybe even arguably the best in Malaysia. This is my parents favourite kai kiok(chicken feet) and ngaulam soup(beef soup) shop. I enjoyed their chi yok(pork meat square) with their meehoon soup very much but lately they haven't been able to get their hands on fresh pork so they have temporarily stopped seling it. Their prices are reasonable but the older brother is quite unfriendly.

Nice Dishes: Kai Kiok(chicken feet), ngaulam soup(beef soup), chi yok(pork meat square) 

Rating: 7/10