Though it’s just a short trip, Nur Zarina Othman samples the best of the capital city
LONG walks on the beach, beautiful sunsets and laid-back island life are my kind of holidays in Terengganu. However, for this I only have 24 hours to spend in its capital, Kuala Terengganu.
Sure, one day is not enough to experience a city, let alone one that is as charming as Kuala Terengganu.But here I am with two friends trying to make most of our time in this coastal city.
NOON TO NIGHT
Before we check into TH Hotel and Convention Centre in Seberang Takir, 13km from the city centre, we make a quick stop at Pasar Payang.
Locals come here to buy their daily provisions but tourists — like us — flock to this market for Terengganu’s finest products.
On our way to the upper level of the market, we bump into a woman stacking up on comforters at the foot of the stairs for her colleague to load them into a waiting van.
“Are they cheap?”, one of us asks. The reply we get includes the name and location of the shop.
Following the directions, we see what Pasar Payang has to offer — from batik and songket to crafts and crockery. All at bargain prices.
Our best purchase must be the brass crockery — something hardly seen in the modern kitchen. I thought that this golden pot is made of solid brass but it is actually a brass-plated clay pot — great for cooking rendang and dodol which take a long time.
Shopping makes us hungry so we head for Restoran Mat Binjai on Jalan Sultan Sulaiman.
Waiters send different types of dishes to your table. Eat only what you want, and pay only what you eat.
The restaurant serves classic Terengganu dishes. After two grilled fish and local favourites — rambai skin dish and budu (a fish sauce made of fermented seafood comprising mainly anchovies, served with chillies and lime) — we check into our hotel.
After a couple of hours of lazing in our room, we head out with a purpose — to enjoy a body massage. From the front desk worker, we find ourselves at the new business area called Dataran Austin — a commercial centre that has outlets selling clothes, shoes and stationery. But it does not have a massage parlour.
We drive to the city centre and there are quite a few massage parlours there. We choose one located near Pantai Batu Buruk. Ninety minutes later, we’re back in the car,revitalised after our massage, deciding on dinner.
Since it’s only 6pm, we choose to drive further from the city. With the help of Waze, we are set for a drive to one of Kuala Terengganu’s hip joints where youngsters go to enjoy the food and the beach — Dapo Pata (it’s actually the Terengganu way of saying dapur pantai, literally beach kitchen) in Kampung Pantai Tok Jembal at Gong Badak.
It rained earlier but it stopped when we get there. The sun is just setting. Outlets at Dapo Pata are located by the beach and they are just getting reading for business. There’s barely any activity but we do not mind the quietness. We find a nice outlet with a rooftop seating that faces the beach. The calm after the rain works in our favour.
It’s not much of a dinner but a cuppa with keropok,fries and sausages.
From Dapo Pata in Gong Badak, we drive to Gudang Makang on Jalan Kota Baru-Kuala Terengganu. There we go easy with our meal choices. Gudang Makang is another hipster food court housed in a former warehouse. After a quick bite, we head back to our hotel, a drive that takes just 20 minutes.
NIGHT TO NOON
Our stay in the Studio Suite is a pleasant one. Though the hotel is near the airport and commercial areas, it is quiet.This gives us a good rest as we will be heading back to Kuala Lumpur the next day.
But our 24 hours are not over yet. Not wanting to waste time in the room, we check out after breakfast and drive around Kuala Terengganu.
Yes, that means heading back to Pasar Payang. But instead of spending time (and ringgit) at the wet market again, we head to Kampung Cina, Kuala Terengganu’s Chinatown.
Though it is not huge, the village is big in personality with pre-war shophouses along a narrow street.
As we still do not have enough of Terengganu, we decide not to take the East-Coast Highway but the scenic coastal road instead.
At Marang, we stop for lunch before heading to Dungun, then on to Kerteh and Kemaman before we cross the Terengganu-Pahang border.
The coastal road is the best route to get in or out of Terengganu as the drive along the coast is not only accompanied by charming kampung scenes but also a stream of stalls selling lemang in Kijal and satar in Chukai.
At Cherating, we exit the state road and enter the East-Coast Highway to reach Kuala Lumpur in three hours. All in all, it has been a pleasant sojourn in Kuala Terengganu.
BEAUTY IN BLUE
THE drive to Kuala Terengganu is a comfortable, smooth, fun and of course, stylish — thanks to the electric blue BMW 330e M Sport.
It rained all the way from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur but the car is steady even in the downpour. The windscreen wipers system has a sensor with automatic activation control. The wipers change their speed accordingly with the intensity of the rain. It helps a lot especially when I need to keep my hands on the steering wheel.
It’s not until Kijal where I refuel that the battery is fully utilised. Unfortunately, I can’t find a charging station. So, for the next two days, we solely rely on petrol.
The car comes with a three-pin-plug for an easy charging at the comfort of your home. If you’re in Kuala Lumpur, there are malls that boasts charging parking lots in support of green technology. The car can also be charged at ChargEV charging stations.
CYLINDERS / CAPACITY (CC): In-line 4 / 1,998
PETROL/ DIESEL: Petrol + Electric Motor
TRANSMISSION TYPE: 8-speed automatic transmission with Steptronic
ACCELERATION 0 - 100 km/h (s): 6.1
TOP SPEED (km/h): 225
CO2 EMISSIONS (g/km): 49
EXTRA SPECIFICATIONS:
Airbags for driver and front passenger
Central locking system with electronic immobiliser and crash sensor
Child seat ISOFIX attachments at the rear seats
Disc brakes at the front and rear, interior ventilation
Run-flat tyres and flat tyre indicator
18-inch light alloy wheels V-spoke style 658 with mixed tyres
Dakota leather upholstery
Parking assistant, for parallel and lateral parking manoeuvres
Rear view camera
Rain sensor, automatic activation control for windscreen wipers and driving lights
Seat adjustment, electric, with
memory function for driver
Navigation system Professional, with high-definition 8.8-inch display monitor, 3D map and arrow display, DVD drive, hard disk for maps and audio data, MP3 decoder, including BMW iDrive Touch Controller with direct menu control buttons, eight-function bookmarks and 2-tuner reception
PEACEFUL AMBIENCE
TH Hotel and Convention Centre Terengganu goes as local as it can to greet guests. They are first greeted by the scent of local spices before they enjoy freshly brewed coffee and tea near a check-in counter.
Located 13km from the city, the four-star syariah compliant hotel plays neighbour to Sultan Mahmud Airport. Situated on over 2.8ha of land, the hotel offers a peaceful ambience away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The hotel is managed by TH Hotel & Residence, a company wholly owned by Lembaga Tabung Haji Malaysia, which has made its presence in the hospitality and service industry with six properties in the country.
Other TH Hotels are located in Penang, Alor Star in Kedah, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Kelana Jaya in Selangor and Kuching in Sarawak.
FAST FACTS
TH Hotel & Convention Centre Terengganu
Jalan Lapangan Terbang,
Gong Badak
Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu.
Tel 09-668 6666
Fax 09-667 4000
Email sales.thht@thhotels.com.my
Website thhotels.com.my
STAY Deluxe quad, superior twin, superior king, studio suite, executive suite, presidential suite and deluxe triple.
EAT Enjoy Terengganu specialties like Nasi Dagang and Nasi Minyak for breakfast at the Coffee House. It also serves lunch and dinner.
DO Drive to Islamic Civilisation Park, Terengganu State Museum, Malaysia Handicraft Centre, Istana Maziah and the well-known Pasar Payang.
HIGHS Location. It is very near to the airport and a number of new commercial hubs.
LOWS Though there’s a huge parking area at the back of the building, it’s quite a hassle for guests checking in with luggage.