Smooth drive to Kuantan
PUTRI ZANINA
THE drive was as breezy as sliding down a long chute. I was thrilled when I reached Kuantan in just two hours.
The journey by road from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan used to take about four hours but the time is cut by half when you use the super smooth East Coast Expressway.
Completed two years ago, the expressway is an extension of the Karak Highway. But, it’s not until recently that I had the chance to use it.
My husband and I would often just pack up and go to Ipoh (two hours north), Port Dickson and Malacca (two hours south) or Teluk Intan (two hours north-west).
Now, deciding to go to Kuantan for a joy ride is no longer a hassle. We can add Kuantan (two hours east) to our list of short trips from KL. Sure, others can drive to these destinations faster but we like to cruise and enjoy the view along the way.
What’s even more pleasing is that we can now go to many places near Kuantan in just about half a day and return to KL the same day.
What do we like in Kuantan? Well, Sungai Kuantan runs smack in the city and we love sitting and doing nothing at the riverfront area.
Then, there’s Telok Chempedak, one of the most scenic beaches in the country. It’s just about 10 minutes’ drive from the city centre.
Located further are Beserah, where we’ll have the local specialty of nasi kawah (rice served with beef curry dish cooked in a large kuali), Balok (for killing time at the beach) and Cherating for more beach combing.
A little known place is Pantai Batu Hitam (Black Sand Beach – yes, the beach has black sand and rocks) in Beserah. During low tide, we’ll join the locals and collect clams found abundantly among the rocks.
If you dislike a whirlwind trip, I suggest you make a more leisurely visit and spend a night or two in Kuantan. The city is a convenient jump-off point to other places in Pahang. Or you can detour from the various exits along the East Coast Expressway that lead to many of Pahang’s tourist attractions.
EXIT 803
Genting Sempah/Genting Highlands
Driving for just 45 minutes from KL will take you to fun land, high up in the clouds. There, rides and games will pump your adrenalin high while the cool weather soothes you gently. Indoor and outdoor theme parks, the golf course and casino are some of the attractions at this mountain resort.
EXIT 805
Bukit Tinggi
Drive up to the hill resort and take in the cool, fresh country air. Take long walks, play golf or enter a different world at Colmar Tropicale, fashioned along the romantic Colmar Village in Alsace, France.
It has a castle-like facade, cobblestone pavements and theme shops. A different scene unfolds at the Japanese Garden, Japanese Tea House and the Botanical Garden where gentle, cascading water is shaded by green plants and colourful blooms. At the gardens, you find absolute bliss.
EXIT 810
Bentong
Sungai Chamang near the Bentong town centre makes for a nice escape from the concrete jungle. You can kayak at the river, swim or fish. The main attraction is a waterfall that drops into a pool from a dizzying height. Then the water flows into another pool that becomes the main spot for swimming. With trees growing abundantly near the waterfall, the area looks like an enchanting garden.
When in Bentong, don’t miss its famous ice kacang with home-made ice cream. Find this at the Kow Po Coffee Shop directly opposite the Bentong bus station or at CK Ais Krim ABC at Jalan Loke Yew. Bentong is also famous for its durians.
EXIT 816
Lanchang/Raub/Kuala Lipis
Kayakers find swirling rapids from Lanchang to Raub exhilarating. At Raub, white water rafting at Jeram Besu and “flying” like a fox while hanging for dear life on a harness and sliding down ropes tied to trees are simply not for the faint-hearted.
However, over at Kuala Lipis, you’ll be transported to the past. Colonial buildings add charm to the old town, which is also the gateway to the Kenong Forest Park, dubbed Elephant Country. It’s also where tigers roam free. Rivers, caves and waterfalls dot the virgin green landscape.
Exit 816 also leads to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary where you can ride on elephants, feed and bathe them.
A private deer farm and the Jenderak Seladang and Deer Captive Breeding Centre are also in the vicinity.
EXIT 819
Temerloh/Jerantut/Mentakab/Taman Negara
Temerloh is famous for ikan patin that thrives naturally in its river. The fish, used in popular Malay-style dishes, is also bred in cages submerged in the river.
Just outside Temerloh town is the Gunung Senyum Recreational Forest with enchanting streams and caves.
The lure of Mentakab and Jerantut are the rivers for fishing and kayaking.
The Tekam Plantation Resort is located in Jerantut for a holiday in oil palm and rubber plantations and fruit orchards.
From Jerantut, you can find your way to Taman Negara. Adventure starts with a three-hour boat ride in a narrow long boat cruising along Sungai Tembeling.
Then go for more adventurous activities like shooting the rapids, caving, climbing peninsular Malaysia’s highest mountain, Gunung Tahan, spotting wild animals in the forest and walk on one of the world’s longest canopy walkways.
EXIT 827
Chini/Tasik Chini/Sri Jaya
If Scotland is famous for its tale of the Loch Ness monster, Tasik Chini tells its own sad story of a female dragon pining for its male companion that left her and never returned. While none has seen the dragon, many however are lured to visit the lake for its sheer beauty alone. From April to June or even later, the lake bursts into colours when many parts of it are covered by vast beds of lotus flowers. You can go boating upstream along Sungai Chini, visit the Orang Asli village or fish, bird-watch and trek in the jungle.
EXIT 833
Kuantan/Cherating/Sungai Lembing
Kuantan is a good base to explore many attractions in Pahang. Sungai Kuantan runs in the city and the riverbank area is popular for recreation, shopping and eating. Cruising along the river will unfold scenes of fishing villages and relatively untouched mangrove forests.
Just about 10 minutes’ drive from the city centre is the very scenic beach of Telok Chempedak. The sea is inviting and so is the forest reserve on the fringe of the beach.
A drive of about 40 minutes from Kuantan will take you to Cherating, a place with a long stretch of coastline dotted with casuarina trees. It’s home to Club Med and other resorts.
Take off your beachwear and put on your cowboy gear when you head to Sungai Lembing, dubbed the El Dorado of the East. It earned its cowboy town image from its glorious days as a tin mining centre about 100 years ago.
There you can still see the door that leads to the world’s largest, longest and deepest underground tin mine. Learn about Sungai Lembing’s history at the town museum perched on a hill.
FACT FILE
The East Coast Expressway from Karak to Kuantan runs 169km. The Karak Highway, which is linked to the expressway, is the main access to the east from the Klang Valley.
Karak Highway covers a distance of 60km. The travelling time of two hours begins from Gombak in the Klang Valley to Kuantan.
Set aside about RM60 for toll charges for a two-way trip from Gombak to Kuantan.
The expressway facilities include ample rest and service areas and lay-bys. Emergency telephone units are found every two kilometres on both sides of the expressway and they are connected to a traffic control centre that operates round the clock.
Both the East Coast Expressway and the Karak Highway are managed by MTD Prime Sdn Bhd. For details, call 03-6120 3322.