Are you a sun lover? Do you like to unwind yourself, take a stroll in the empty beach and bask yourself in the warm morning sun. Then pick up your bags and come to visit Kuantan, Malaysia, where you can enjoy walking on the pristine sand and playing with the waves of the tropical sea.
Teluk Cempedak is located about 10 km from central Kuantan. It is one of the earliest beach resorts in the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. The beaches in the east coast are different, better that those on the Malaysia west coast. The sand is cleaner, more refined without the messy surrounding mud and siltation. The real reasons are unknown, as there are no formal studies that have been carried out. However I believe the strong waves of the monsoon seasons make the difference. Monsoon months are between November and February. The strong wind brings along a heavy rain and the season is not suitable to visit the east coast.
Things To Do. I always love to see the sun rise in the horizon at dawn. It is so beautiful and you can watch the world unfold itself right in front of your eyes, little by little, as the dark shapes of the night brightened up. To enjoy this, take a short morning drive at dawn and wait for the sun to rise. Depending on the day of the year, it is around six in the morning. You will witness the beauty of nature, multicolor patches painted on the sky. Then you can take your time to enjoy your breakfast at the local or international hotel on the beach.
In the evening, around 4 pm, there will be more people, the locals will be coming after work with their families. You can take a nice stroll, from the rocks on the left, across the sandy beach to the granites on the far right. If you want to take a swim, watch for the sign, some times swimming is not allowed, probably due to the wave and its currents or probably due to the absence of the guard.
How to Get There. There are three ways you can reach Kuantan from Kuala Lumpur.
1. You can rent and drive. The drive is enjoyable, except for the initial part, trying to get off from the jam in Kuala Lumpur. Be sure to get the car from an established company, and not from unknown local people.
2. Take a bus from Jalan Pahang, or sometimes it is called Jalan Pekeliling. This is because the station is at the junction of the two roads. It is quite cheap, around RM15, and the bus is good and air-conditioned.
3. Take a flight from KLIA, by MAS or AirAsia. You can check for the community airline Firefly, as it operates from Subang Airport, which is nearer. Firefly operates turbo prop aircraft. Not many people like to fly to Kuantan as the total time taken is about the same as driving. The flight is about 40 minutes, but the waiting and clearance will add up to the total time.
There are a few more beaches within easy reach from Kuantan. The nearest is Batu Hitam, about 30 minutes away. Cherating and Club Med are slightly further.
