Kota Baharu Things to Do

Previously, the Japanese Army headquarters during World War II, this museum was set up to remind visitors of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya from 1941-45... It documents the Japanese landings on Pantai Sabak beach at Kuala Pak Amat on December 8, 1941, right up to the liberation of South-east Asia...

The Royal Museum or Istana Batu was built in 1939... Back then, the palace was used for royal weddings or to accommodate royal guest... Built during the reign of Sultan Ismail I, the building was later converted into a Royal Museum and is now used as a stroehouse for the regalia and personal items of the previous royal household... There are furniture from the royal household, silverware and photographs depictng the life of the late sultan...

The Istana Jabar was built by Sultan Muhammad II for his grandson, Long Kundur, in 1887...The intricate woodcravings ad charming architecture reflect an exceptional level of craftsmanship of Kelantanese builders... The wooden palace is now a museum showcasing the regal customs of Kelantan royalty... Exhibits include photgraphs and ceremonial artifacts...

Named after the wife of Prophet Muhammad, the Siti Khadijah Wet Market or Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah is arguably the most photographed market in Malaysia... Formerly known as the Pasar Buluh Kubu, the majority of traders are women ans they are fiercely entreprenurial... These women, with their age-old knowledge of beauty remedies derived from natural herbs found easily in this market, add to the exotic allure of the market...

At the Siti Khadijah market, often considered a paradise for everything Kelantanese, one can buy fresh produce, kain batik, scarves, prayer mats, local delicacies and many more... Stalls selling vegetables, garden produce, fruits and seafood occupy the ground floor and the building's outdoor compound... The first floor has a food court serving local dishes and kuih, dried food items such as fish crackers, salted fish, meat floss and a selection of local crafts...

The market is opened daily from 8.00am to 6.00pm... Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest days...

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The coast of Kelantan erodes so badly that big rocks have been placed around the coastal area. Further away from the beach, there is a massive tree planting project going on too (only later I discover it feels half bake, since most of the trees died).

Thus there is really nothing much beautiful beaches here per se. The sea look dirty but not littered. Not many people come here for bathing, not sure why. This place is mostly quiet at all time.

Some tourist bring the kids here and buy kites around. They look pretty colorful to me.

There are some food stalls around, so I guess a coconut drink here is not a bad idea.

There is this pathway recommended by Harry from Pasir Belanda (www.kampungstay.com), where by we could cycle (in reality we drove, lazy). We pass by fish craker making factory, then pass endless coconut trees, arriving the ex WWII bunker, then drove pass scenic lagoons and then back to the main road.

Perhaps there would be other route as well that is just as scenic, so I guess it is up to you to discover themselves.

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Kelantan is rich in Malay cultural heritage, and I will have to come back for wayang kulit (shadow puppetry), gasing (top spinning), and wau (kite flying) as my visit is hardly 3hours although this is my second visit to the Kota Bharu.

I’ll be back!!

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You can visit a batik factory and see every step of the process. Generally there is a showroon next door so you can buy the finished product. We went to Razali Batik Factory, and Verdin Batik, on the outskirts of town.

Warning: Clothing sizes in Malaysia in general are smaller than Americans are used to. For men as an example, I always buy Large shirts. But in Malaysia most of the XL shirts were too small, the couple of shirts I bought were XXL, and there wasn't as much of a selection, either.