Terengganu is a beautiful seaside town with a number of exciting attractions to keep you, your friends and your family entertained! Instead of just visiting Terengganu for keropok lekor and snorkeling, try out any one of these 9 attractions!
- Vist Kemaman Blue Lake a.k.a. Pepsi Blue Lake.
This lake is a former mine. The lake water turning blue (after being abandoned) is a result of calcium carbonate. There are many small particles and silt that gather at the bottom of the lake and cause sunlight to be unable to penetrate the lake water. That causes the lake to turn blue. However, we are forbidden to bathe or touch the water as it has a high acid level. So be careful not to fall into the water while taking selfies! Otherwise, only your skeleton will be left behind!
Address: Kampung Macang Setahun, 24000 Chukai, Terengganu.
- Stroll along the beach.
With a journey of approximately 45 minutes from Kuala Terengganu, visitors who set foot in Pantai Mangkuk will definitely feel calm with the village atmosphere. Surrounded by tall coconut trees, this location has its own charm. So don’t be surprised if you see many visitors stopping here to take photos. Did you know, this place is also sought after by local film producers as a filming location. Among them is a film called ‘Polis Evo’ directed by Ghaz Abu Bakar and the film ‘Pulang’ directed by Khabir Bhatia.
Apart from enjoying the breeze from the South China Sea, you can also immerse yourself in the heritage of classic Malay houses at Terrapuri Heritage Village. Terrapuri is a resort with the concept of old traditional Malay houses, some of which are even hundreds of years old. Even more interesting, all the houses here are built without nails and are easy to deconstruct and rebuild. At Terrapuri Heritage Village, you can not only stay and rest, but also explore this area with a RM25 fee. You can see 29 different classic houses that have their own uniqueness.
Address: Pantai Mangkuk – Jln Penarik – Mangkuk, Kampung Penarik, 21010 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu.
- Admire Russian mosque architecture.
The Eight-Domed Mosque is nicknamed the Russian Mosque because its architecture resembles St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, attracting the attention of the public. The uniqueness of the architecture of the mosque with the combination of colorful dome colors makes the mosque a perfect backdrop for some noteworthy pictures.
Some are willing to come from the north of the country not just to see but with the intention of also praying in the mosque which resembles one of the most famous places of worship in European countries. Visitors who previously didn’t have the opportunity to see a mosque like this built thousands of miles away in Europe can finally see it in the state of Terengganu.
Address: Masjid Lapan Kubah – 1315, Jalan Masjid, Kg, Jalan Lapan Kotak, 22000 Jerteh, Terengganu.
- Take awesome OOTDs at this beautiful bridge.
This drawbridge is actually the longest in the world and also the only one in Southeast Asia. It’s called a drawbridge because the middle area between the 2 towers can be lifted when it’s time for a ship to pass. This bridge is 630m long and looks enchanting at night. It was actually made to connect 2 areas, downtown Kuala Terengganu and Seberang Takir, Kuala Nerus.
You can go up the 2 towers (ticketed). In the tower area there is a gallery and also a restaurant. The gallery has paintings of local artists. Tickets are priced at RM30 while children are priced at RM15. If you don’t want to go up the bridge, but want to feel close to this location, you can take a boat to go around it and nearby attractions.
Address: Terengganu Drawbridge – 20000 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu.
- Swim at a crystal clear waterfall.
Lata Tembakah is located in the Pelagat Forest Reserve which is a type of hill dipterocarp forest. Several facilities are available such as chalets, campsites, suspension bridges, information centres and walkways. The clean and cold water here really makes us excited to swim! Choose to camp, swim, have a picnic and more at this waterfall and forest reserve.
Address: Lata Tembakah – Jalan Air Terjun, 22010, Terengganu.
- Hike for panoramic sea views.
We’re sure you’ve all heard of Pulau Kapas, right? But did you know that on this island, there’s a location for climbing enthusiasts known as Bukit Singa; a “hidden gem” of this famous island. Bukit Singa is named after the shape of the rock that looks like a lion’s head, but climbers rarely climb this hill, instead they choose to climb the hill facing Bukit Singa to get a clearer view of the shape of the rocks of the hill.
If you want to climb these hills, be prepared with appropriate clothes and shoes. Surely you will appreciate the beauty of nature after seeing the blue sea and sky that seems to be reachable when you are at the top of the hill!
Address: Bukit Singa – Pulau Kapas, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu.
- Take part in elephant conservation.
Elephant behaviour can be observed when visiting Kenyir Elephant Conservation Village (KECV), which is an animal conservation center, one of the attractions for the tourism industry in Tasik Kenyir. Opened in 2012, KECV houses wild local elephants aged five years old onwards which originally encroached on farms and villages. The conservation centre was created to maintain the habitat of elephants, but at the same time provide good care.
The elephant conservation center is the best place for tourists, especially children and students, to understand how elephants live as well as approach and play with these animals. It is an early exposure process for the development of the mind.
Address: Kenyir Elephant Conservation Village (KECV) – Jalan Felda Aring, Tasik Kenyir, 21700 Kuala Berang, Terengganu.
- Snap pics of heritage shophouses & street art.
Kampung Cina existed between 300 and 400 years ago and there are various interesting places of nostalgia that can be seen by visitors. The heritage site of the old community in Kampung Cina is now preserved and there are 5 lanes that are made into interesting locations for visitors to see for themselves the history of the area.
Many leisure activities can be done here. In addition to restaurants to enjoy traditional dishes while hanging out, this place is also a favorite location for photography enthusiasts to take pictures of interesting sceneries. There are lanes decorated with pictures, carvings and turtle history, antique decorations and three-dimensional (3D) pictures on the walls.
Address: Kampung Cina – 24000 Chukai, Terengganu.
- Shop for local souvenirs.
If you come to Kuala Terengganu, it’s not complete if you don’t visit Pasar Payang Central Market. Here you can shop all kinds of things, including kain pasang, terengganu silk, terengganu batik, songket, handicrafts and many more! This place is really big, if you come here you have to spend at least 2 hours. On the ground floor, you can buy cotton pillows and cooking items. .On the ground floor, you can also shop for traditional Terengganu foods such as dodol, lepat, crackers and more.
On the first floor there are places to shop for clothes, batik, silk, songket and handicraft items. It’s really beautiful and for women it’s like shopping heaven! On the first floor there are also stalls selling handicraft items such as kites, baskets, mengkuang mats and others. If you want to find souvenirs, this is the best destination in Terengganu.
Address: Pasar Payang Central Market – Jalan Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kampung Tanjung Kapur, 20200 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu.
Written by Kartini Kannan
