Kota Bharu

The heartland of Malay culture, with its central market, royal palace museums and traditional kites and shadow puppetry, plus distinctive Thai Buddhist temples nearby.

Kota Bharu is the capital of Kelantan, Malaysia, located in the northeastern corner of the Malay Peninsula near the mouth of the Kelantan River, with Thailand to the north. Known as the "cradle of Malay culture", it preserves traditional crafts, wayang kulit shadow puppetry, kites and spinning tops more completely than anywhere else, and with the Islamic party PAS in power for many years, it has a strongly religious atmosphere. The heart of the city is the royal quarter: the Central Market, Istana Jahar, Istana Batu, Istana Balai Besar, the Islamic Museum and the World War II Memorial are all within walking distance and can be covered in a day. Two classic routes lead out of town: northwest to Tumpat district for a tour of Thai Buddhist temples such as Wat Phothivihan with its reclining Buddha, the dragon-boat temple and Wat Machimmaram; and northeast to Pantai Cahaya Bulan (Moonlight Beach), the old Kampung Laut Mosque and batik workshops. To the southwest, the border town of Rantau Panjang has the Beijing Mosque. Mar–Sep has the best weather, while the northeast monsoon from Nov–Feb brings heavy rain and flooding, with rough seas at the beaches. Flights from Kuala Lumpur take about 1 hour, and you can also cross the border from Sungai Kolok in Thailand. Plan on 2–3 days; the city is also a transit point for the Redang and Perhentian islands. Dress conservatively; Friday is the weekly day off, when most museums and government offices close, while Sunday is a normal working day, so plan your itinerary accordingly.

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Itineraries