Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
265
resort are its B alok Beach location, home to Cherating 's windsurfing activities, and its
Balinese spa, located in a garden courtyard with a long menu of reasonably priced relax-
ation and beauty treatments.
2656-2657 Mukim Sungai Karang, Balok Beach, 26100 Beserah, K uantan, Pahang.
&
09/544-7333.
Fax
09/544-955. www.swissgardenkuantan.com. 304 units. RM276 ($80/£50) double; from RM748 ($217/£135)
suite. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; lounge; outdoor pool; spa; watersports equipment rental;
room service; babysitting.
In room:
A/C, TV w/satellite programming and in-house movies.
WHERE TO DINE
Most folks staying in the area dine at their resorts, but if you find yourself in town during
mealtime, the absolute best place to go is the
outdoor food stalls
by the beach next to
the Hyatt Regency. It's a shor t taxi ride fr om the center of to wn, but w ell worth it. All
varieties of very fresh seafood, including whole fish, are cooked to order and are as cheap
as RM6 to RM16 ($1.75-$4.65/£1.10-£2.90) per dish. The flavors and atmosphere are
about as local as you can get.
ATTRACTIONS
Kuantan can really be seen in a day. Although there are a few fun crafts shops, the place
is not exactly a hotbed of culture. The main attraction in town is the huge
State Mosque,
which is quite beautiful inside and out, with a distinct dome, minarets, and stained glass.
Late afternoon is the best time to see it, when the light shines through the glass. You can
also have a nice walk do wn
Jalan Besar,
sampling local delicacies sold on the str eet and
shopping in the smaller craft and souv enir shops.
Attractions Outside Kuantan
Pahang is home to peninsular Malaysia's oldest rainforests, but to be honest, the best way
to experience them is thr ough
Taman Negara,
Malaysia's biggest forest preserve on the
peninsula. Overnight trips in decent accommodations with experienced natur e guides
can be organized very easily from KL (see chapter 13). A few attractions outside Kuantan
can make interesting half-day or day trips if y ou tire of the beach. For these trips, I sug-
gest you book thr ough your hotel or r esort—I couldn't find a single independent tour
operator with suitable guides, so y our resort probably has one or two they wor k with
exclusively.
Gua Charah caves
are about 25km (16 miles) outside of Kuantan. Also called Pancing
caves (they're located in a to wn called P ancing), one of the cav es in the networ k is a
temple, home to a huge r eclining Buddha. It is said that the monk car etaker, who has
grown very old, is having difficulty finding another monk who will take o ver his duties
at the caves.
Lake Chini,
12 freshwater lakes 60km (38 miles) southw est of Kuantan, claim local
legends a la Loch Ness. They say that there once was an ancient Khmer city at the site of
the lakes, but it is no w buried deep under the water , protected by monsters. Some have
tried to find both city and monsters but hav e come up with nothing (ex cept litter—it's
a problem). Boats take y ou across the lake to an
Orang Asli
(indigenous peoples) kam-
pung to see their way of life.
Just south of Kuantan is
Pekan,
which for history and culture buffs is far more inter-
esting than Kuantan. Called “the Royal City,” it's where the Sultan of Pahang resides in
a beautiful Malay-style
istana,
or palace. The
State Museum
on Jalan Sultan Ahmad has
displays depicting the histor y of Pahang and its r oyal family, as well as sunken tr easures
from old Chinese junks.
14
