Kuantan, Malaysia - Swiss Garden Resort & Spa

The 4-star Swiss Garden Resort & Spa is located about 15 km (10 miles) from Kuantan's city centre and just besides the Duta Village Beach Resort. A standard room at the Swiss Garden starts from RM270 (USD84) compared for a chalet at Duta Village, which starts from RM200 (USD62). However, you get a much better stay for the extra you pay at the Swiss Garden.

Standard rooms at the Swiss Garden are large enough to fit a family of four. The rooms have pleasant interiors with facilities that you would expect from a 4 to 5-star resort. There is a large swimming pool and a pleasant seafront but does not have the best beach in the area. The restaurant here serves Western and Malaysian dishes and would give my personal compliments to the chef.

Swiss Garden Resort & Spa

Beach in front of Swiss Garden

Beserah Beach

Kuantan, Malaysia - Duta Village Beach Resort

The 3-star Duta Village Beach Resort is about 15 km (10 miles) from Kuantan's city centre. This beachfront resort is located along Jalan (Road) Beserah and next door to the 4-star Swiss Garden Resort & Spa. Accommodation here comprises of hotel rooms starting from RM150 (USD47) and wooden chalets starting from RM200 (USD62).

I'm not much for complaining but the resort including the rooms seem somewhat rundown and could do with better maintenance. Furthermore, there is not much choice in the restaurant's menu whether Western or Malaysian dishes. The only reason I've stayed here a couple of times is during the weekdays you practically have the whole place to yourself.

Wooden chalets at Duta Village

Room inside the chalet

The swimming pool

Beach at Duta Village

Kuantan, Malaysia - Beach at Beserah

Beserah is a fishing village situated along a stretch of road about 10 km (6 miles) from Kuantan. The village is well-known for its batik, local handcraft, fresh seafood, salted fish and fish crackers called 'keropok lekur'. It is also a popular holiday destination with the Duta Village Resort, Swiss Garden Resort and De Rhu Beach Resort located within the village. 

The beach at Beserah stretches for miles and miles. Contrary to the marketing hype in the tourist brochures and travel websites, many areas of Beserah beach are unfortunately littered and not well maintained. The only area of the beach that I know (from my personal experience) that is well-maintained is in front of the 4-star Swiss Garden Resort.

Road to Beserah

Beach at Beserah

Another view of the beach

Sunset in Beserah

Kuantan, Malaysia - Beach at Teluk Tongkang

Teluk Tongkang is beach cove located about 1 km (half a mile) from Teluk Cempedak. The cove is accessible from Teluk Cempedak by a narrow wooden platform or walkway. The walk is interesting and pleasant, passing along the fringes of a tropical rainforest. Be prepared to meet a few macaque monkeys at the entrance of the walkway on the Teluk Cempedak side. 

Like Teluk Cempedak, the beach at Teluk Tongkang is sandy white and slopes gently into the sea. Teluk Tongkang is practically deserted on weekdays, making it a great place for a quiet and secluded beach but near enough to civilisation i.e. Teluk Cempedak. However, forget the idea of a quiet beach at Teluk Tongkang during the weekends and public holidays.

Walkway between Teluk Cempedak and Teluk Tongkang

Fringes of the rainforest

Teluk Tongkang from a distance

Quiet beach of Teluk Tongkang

Kuantan, Malaysia - Monkeys at Teluk Cempedak

Walking towards the wooden platform (walkway leading to the beach at Teluk Tongkang), there are monkeys roaming freely along the fringes of the rainforest in Teluk Cempedak. They are macaque monkeys and are a common sight in the area. They tend to stay within the rainforest and come out only up to the fringes waiting for visitors to throw tidbits or scraps of food. They are  accustomed to humans and are no bother to anyone if left undisturbed. Sad to say some humans can't be likewise to the monkeys.

Monkeys in Teluk Cempedak

Lone monkey on the walkway

Monkeys grooming each other

Kuantan, Malaysia - Beach at Teluk Cempedak

Being situated within a bay, the waves and undercurrent at Teluk Chempedak are not as strong compared to other beaches directly facing the South China Sea. This makes the beach popular, especially with children. But don't take it for granted during the Northeast Monsoon (November to March), when the waves and undercurrent can be rough and therefore unsafe for swimming.

The beach does not plunge but slopes gently into the sea, and therefore safe for children and non-swimmers. During the day you can see fishing boats passing through the bay, and at night lights shining from the boats. During windy days, kite flying is a popular activity. There is a wooden platform that you can walk from Teluk Cempedak to another beach at Teluk Tongkang.

Beach at Teluk Cempedak

Rocks along the beach

The beachfront at Hyatt Regency by Paulwee

Kuantan, Malaysia - Teluk Cempedak

Teluk Cempedak is a beachfront area located about 5 km (2 miles) from Kuantan's town centre. Teluk Cempedak means "Jackfruit Bay" in Malay but I have never seen jackfruit trees or the fruit being sold here - but there are casuarinas and pine trees. This is a popular spot with the locals but from my experience, gets crowded on weekends and public holidays, especially in the evenings.

Teluk Cempedak is a pleasant area to be during the weekdays. The beach here is sandy white but some areas are rocky. There are restaurants and food stalls serving local and Western dishes. Out of all places, there is even a McDonald's and KFC here. There is also the 5-star beachfront Hyatt Regency, popular with foreign tourists and Malaysians from out of town.

Beach at Teluk Cempedak by Malekhanif

Along the beachfront

KFC at Teluk Cempedak

The Hyatt Regency

Kuantan, Malaysia - Land Travel to Kuantan

Kuantan's airport is about 15 km (9 miles) from the city. It's a medium-sized airport but handles few flights. The only airlines with scheduled flights to the airport are Firefly (Penang and Singapore) and Malaysian Airlines (Kuala Lumpur). Since Kuantan is only 3-4 hours by land from Kuala Lumpur, land travel seems to be the most popular mode of transport.

The Karak Expressway and East Coast Expressway connects Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan. You can travel by car or have the option of several express bus companies offering services between the two cities. Whether by car or bus, it is always a pleasant journey passing through scenic mountains, oil palm plantations, small laid back towns and kampungs (villages). 

Signboard to Kuantan

Along the Karak Expressway

Tunnel through the Karak Expressway

Road through rural Malaysia to Kuantan

Kuantan, Malaysia - Nightlife in Kuantan

A common pastime with the Kuantan locals at night seems to be eating out with family and friends - think of it, eating out at night is a popular pastime throughout Southeast Asia. Being a coastal city, Kuantan offers great seafood. There are the few bars and Chinese karaoke joints but you won't find any girlie bars here. There are also the shopping malls, often closing around 10 p.m. Otherwise, nightlife in Kuantan is very much a calm and sober affair.

Along Jalan (Street) Tun Ismail at night

State Mosque

Restaurant (below) in the town centre at night

Kuantan, Malaysia - Largest City in the East Coast

Kuantan is the largest city on Peninsular Malaysia's East Coast. It is a city of slightly more than 600,000, but looks more like a 'large town' with mainly low-rise buildings and a scattering of taller buildings not more than 15 floors. Kuantan is the capital of the state of Pahang and due to its strategic location in the East Coast, it is the regional hub for commerce, trade, industries, transport and tourism.

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Kuantan is a developing city with new buildings popping up, a busy sea port, expanding suburb and industries established in nearby industrial zones. Then there are the shopping malls (not as many compared to Kuala Lumpur) and hotels of various star ratings. But life here has a laid back atmosphere with exception of the early morning and late afternoon rush hour traffic. Kuantan also has a nice beach!

Road sign to Kuantan

Jalan (Street) Tun Ismail in Kuantan

Kuantan's city centre

Beach in Kuantan by Paulwee

Vistana Hotel