Kelantan Travel Guide: Culture, Food and Kota Bharu

Kelantan is the most traditional corner of Peninsular Malaysia, and this Kelantan travel guide is for travellers who want to see Malay crafts, performance and food at their source. Tucked against the Thai border on the north-east coast, the state is overwhelmingly Malay and conservative, with a pace that feels very different from Kuala Lumpur or Penang.

It is not a beach-party destination, and nightlife is almost non-existent. What it offers instead is a lively market culture, skilled artisans and cooking you will not find done as well anywhere else.

Kelantan travel guide: where to go

Kota Bharu

The capital is where most visitors base themselves. Kota Bharu has a walkable heritage quarter around the old royal palaces: Istana Jahar, now the Museum of Royal Traditions and Customs, and Istana Batu, the Royal Museum. The cultural centre, Gelanggang Seni, has hosted demonstrations of silat, top spinning, wayang kulit shadow puppetry and mak yong theatre; check the current schedule locally. Start any visit at the Siti Khadijah Market, the central market where women traders dominate the stalls.

Tumpat and the coast

North of the city, Tumpat district has a strong Thai Buddhist community. Wat Photivihan at Kampung Jambu has a reclining Buddha about 40 metres long. On the road to Pantai Cahaya Bulan you will pass batik drying in the sun and roadside workshops selling wau, the giant decorated kites that are a symbol of the state.

Border towns

Rantau Panjang and Pengkalan Kubor, on the Thai border, are duty-free shopping towns popular with Malaysian visitors for fabric, clothing and snacks.

The interior

Southern Kelantan is mountainous and forested. Gua Musang has limestone caves and is the gateway to Kuala Koh, the northern entrance to the national park covered in our Taman Negara guide. Near Dabong, Stong State Park has the Jelawang Waterfall, and the jungle railway passes close by.

Food in Kelantan

Kelantanese food is the main reason many Malaysians visit. Nasi kerabu is rice tinted blue with butterfly pea flowers, served with herbs, coconut, fish crackers and sauces. Nasi dagang pairs rice cooked with glutinous rice and a tuna curry, usually eaten at breakfast. Ayam percik is chicken grilled with a spiced coconut gravy, and the sweets, such as akok and jala mas, rely on palm sugar, eggs and coconut milk. Our Malaysian food guide explains more dishes to look for.

Practical tips

• Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, especially in markets and mosques.
• Many businesses close or have shorter hours on Friday, which is part of the weekend in Kelantan (Friday and Saturday).
• Alcohol is very hard to find outside a few Chinese restaurants and hotels.
• Kota Bharu is a common jumping-off point for the Perhentian Islands, via the jetty at Kuala Besut, about 1 hour 15 minutes away by taxi.

When to go and how long to stay

The north-east monsoon brings heavy rain and sometimes flooding from roughly November to January, and the sea stays rough into February or March. March to September is the most comfortable period, and it lines up with the island season offshore.

Two to three days is enough for Kota Bharu, the markets and the craft villages. Add more time if you want to ride the jungle railway or explore the interior.