Fantastic Malaysia Travel - Trengganu Villages

The village of RANTAU ABANG,
43km from Marang, is no more than
a collection of guest houses strung
out along two kilometres of dusty
road. However, it has made its name
as one of a handful of places in the
world where the increasingly rare
giant leatherback turtles comes to
lay their eggs. These turtles return
year after year between May and
September to the beaches of
Rantau Abang to lay their eggs.
Specific nesting areas and
hatcheries have been established
along the beaches, and fenced off
from the curious onlookers to protect
the hatchlings. When the hatchlings
break out of their shell, they are
released into the ocean. The
hatchlings then scurry to the waters
under the supervision of the
authorities. Visitors are asked to
hatchery and not to use flashlights
or camera flashes. If you have
accommodations on the island, the
guest houses will arrange for you to
be woken during the night if a
leatherback is sighted. Visit the
Turtle Information Centre on the
island for more information on the
leatherbacks.

Chukai & Kuala Kemaman
The capital of the Kemaman
district, is Chukai. This quiet little
town is famous for good coffee
and fantastic, fresh seafood,
specifically stuffed crab. Try
Tong Yuan Restaurant and
Kedai Kopi Hai Ping for their
fresh coffee, toast and kaya
(coconut jam) spread.
Just up the coast is Kuala
Kemaman, a little fishing village
which is famous for otak-otak
(spicy steamed fish paste),
satay (fine bits of barbecued
meat on skewers) and ikan
bakar (barbecued fish). The
jetty at Kuala Kemaman River is
crowded with returning fishing
boats every evening, their fresh
catch going straight to the local
restaurants!

Kijal
A little further up the coast is
Kijal, another small and quiet
fishing village sprawled along a
beautiful stretch of empty beach.

Other than traditional fishing
activities, Kijal is best known as
a vacation destination, with its
mile-long beach lined with
coconut trees wafting in the
breeze from the South China
Sea.

Kemasik
As you drive along the coastal
road heading to Kuala
Terengganu, there are long
stretches of beautiful, empty
beaches, stretching up the coast
for nearly 200km! Among these,
Kemasik is one of the best.

Kemasik takes its name from the
river running prominently
through it. It is a very basic and
typical little fishing village like
others on the east coast. The
only thing that makes this town
famous is the tranquil beach and
scenery.

Bukit Puteri
Bukit Puteri is a 200m high historical
hill, situated next to Istana Maziah. It
was used as a fortress from 1831
until 1876 to defend the state from
enemy attacks (from Thailand and
other Malay sultanates).

Some of the historical remains
visitors can see on Bukit Puteri are
cannons, a flagpole, a large bell and
a fort.

As it is the highest point in Kuala
Terengganu, visitors standing on top
of Bukit Puteri can enjoy the
magnificent views of the surrounding
areas.

*Tourism Malaysia

Mata Kuching fruit
Literally translated, Mata
Kuching means 'cat eyes'...and
by the looks of it, you can guess
kuching' fruit. The white flesh
that surrounds the black seed is
soft, sweet and juicy. Encased in
a tan colored skin that is easily
peeled, the mata kuching fruit is
a great snacking fruit any time of
the day.