Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
270
Custom Made Wooden Yachts In ternational Ship yard
A bdullah bin
Muda's family has been building ships by hand for generations. Now Mr. Abdullah is an
old-timer, but he gets ar ound, balancing on the planks that surr ound the dr y-docked
hulls of his latest masterpieces. H e makes fishing boats in w estern and Asian styles, as
well as luxur y yachts
—
all handmade, all fr om wood. Although Mr . A bdullah doesn't
speak any E nglish, he'll let y ou explore the boats on y our own and ev en tell y ou how
much money he's getting for them. You'll weep when you hear how inexpensive his fine
work is. Ask y our hotel's concierge to call befor e you plan to head out, to make sur e
they're open and that Mr. Abdullah is in.
3592 Duyong Besar.
&
09/623-2072.
Free admission.
Istana Maziah
Probably one of the least ornate
istanas
in Malaysia, this lovely yellow
and white r oyal palace, built in 1897, is today mainly only used for state and r oyal
ceremonies. I t is not open to the public, but y ou can catch glimpses thr ough the
gate. Tucked away down the narrow winding street is its neighbor, the Masjid (mosque)
Abidin.
Jalan Masji.
State Museum
The buildings that house the museum's collection were purpose-
built, designed by a member of the Terengganu royal family, a renowned architect who
also built the nearby Aryani resort. It reflects the stunning Terengganu architectural style.
Atop stilts and with high sloping r oofs, the thr ee main buildings ar e connected. I nside
are fine collections that illustrate the histor y and cultural traditions of the state.
Bukit Losong.
&
09/622-1444.
Adults RM5 ($1.45/90p), children RM2 (60¢/35p). Sat-Thurs 9am-5pm.
TERENGGANU'S HANDICRAFTS
Chendering,
an industrial town about 40 minutes' drive south of Kuala Terengganu, is
where you'll find major handicraft pr oduction
—
factories and sho wrooms of
batik
and
other lovely items. All these places ar e located along one str etch of highway, but all ar e
too far apart to walk. Plan to hire a taxi by the hour to shuttle you between them; they're
about a 5-minute hop between each if you're driving. Also, while you're in the area, stop
by the
Masjid Tengku Tengah Zahara,
which is only 5km (3 miles) outside of the town.
This ornate mosque is more commonly referred to as the “Floating Mosque,” as it is built
in a lake and appears to be floating on the top .
Noor Arfa
Noor Arfa is M alaysia's largest pr oducer of hand-painted
batik.
This for-
mer cottage-industry business now employs 200 workers to create ready-to-wear fashions
that are esteemed as designer labels thr oughout the country. There's also a shop in to wn
at Aked Mara, A3 Jalan Sultan Zainal Abidin (
&
09/623-5173
).
Lot 1048 K Kawasan Perindustrian Chendering.
&
09/617-5700.
Free admission. Sat-Thurs 8am-5pm.
Suteramas
Suteramas specializes in
batik
painting on fine quality silks. At this, their
factory showroom, you can buy their latest creations or just watch them being made. Not
only do they dye the cloth, they make it fr om their own worm stock.
Zkawasan Perindustrian Chendering.
&
09/617-1355.
Free admission. Sat-Wed 9am-5pm.
Terengganu Craft Cultural Centre
Operated by the Malaysian Handicraft Devel-
opment Corporation, the Craft Cultural Centre, also called Budaya Craft, not only sells
handicrafts, but also has blocks of war ehouses where artisans create the work. See
batik
14
