Showing posts with label About Terengganu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About Terengganu. Show all posts
FAST FACTS
Geography and Climate
Terengganu is situated in the east coast of Peninsular
Malaysia. To the north lies the Kelantan
state while the
state of Pahang
borders to its
south. Terengganu covers a
land area of
12,995 sq km with
244 km of
scenic coastline overlooking South
China Sea. With
an equatorial location
at 4 degrees 45 north and 103
degrees 0 east, Terengganu boasts a fine tropical climate, with
uniform temperatures averaging
from 23-33 degrees
Celsius and a mean
humidity of about
90%. Rainfalls are
copious, accounting to Terengganu‟s lush
rainforest and vegetation.
Generally two seasons
are distinguished: the rainy/wet
season and the
dry season. The
wet season starts November until
February, with the onset of the northeast monsoon in Peninsular Malaysia.
Other months are
dry season with
occasional wet weather.
State Capital
Kuala
Terengganu, the heritage
waterfront city, is
strategically located on
the banks of the Terengganu River.
Administrative
Districts
Kuala Terengganu,
Kuala Nerus (A New District that was form from Kuala Terengganu District in the
south ), Kemaman, Dungun, Besut,
Dungun, Hulu Terengganu
and Setiu.
Population
Terengganu has a
population of approximately 1,094,300 consisting
of 95% Malays and the rest
comprising of Chinese, Indians and other ethnics.
Working Days
Government offices and banks working days are from Sunday to
Thursday and the weekend falls on Friday and Saturday.
GETTING THERE
Air
The newly upgraded Sultan Mahmud Airport is situated approx.
18 km north of Kuala Terengganu city centre.
Taxis and car rental
desks are available
at the arrival hall.
The mezzanine level
has a variety
of souvenir shops
and cafes.
Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia and Firefly Air operate daily
flights to the Sultan Mahmud
Airport in Kuala
Terengganu from Kuala
Lumpur International
Airport, Low Cost
Carrier Terminal and Subang Airport respectively. The daily Firefly and Berjaya Air flights
from Subang Airport in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore‟s Seletar Airport offer a
convenient and time
saving way to
visit Terengganu. Berjaya Air ply
direct route to Pulau Redang both from
Subang in Malaysia and Seletar Airport in Singapore.
List of Airlines :
1) Malaysia Airlines
- Kuala Terengganu
Airport 09-666 4204/09-666 6845
2) Firefly – Reservations 03-7845 4543
3) Air Asia – Kuala Terengganu Airport 09-667 1017
4) Berjaya Air – Reservations 03-7845 8382
Road
Terengganu is
accessible via intercity expressway
networks from all major towns and cities in Peninsular
Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The new East Coast Highway
and the Simpang
Pulai Highway via
Tasik Kenyir offers
a convenient and scenic
journey. Driving by car with friends
or loved ones
can be pretty much
an interesting trip.
Aside from the
greeneries that can be
seen through out
your journey, the
fresh air and unpolluted
countryside can offer a captivating
experience. Once you
get to Terengganu
road, the beautiful beaches
and blue waters
welcomes you. Travelling
from the south through the Segamat Highway offers an
exciting trip as well. Luxury double-decker
coaches, taxis and
rental cars are
available from all major cities in Peninsular Malaysia.
GETTING TO THE
ISLANDS
Terengganu's islands are accessible by boat from several
jetty points on the mainland.
Pulau Perhentian
Kuala Besut Tourist Jetty - (2 ½ hour drive up north from
Kuala Terengganu). There are ferries, speedboats and wooden boats available
daily with morning departures start
as early as
8.00 am. The return
ticket to the
island is RM70.00 per person.
There are water
taxis available for
shuttles between Perhentian kecil
and Perhentian Besar at reasonable rate.
Pulau Redang and
Pulau Lang Tengah
a) Merang
Tourist Jetty in
Setiu – (1/2 hour drive
up north from
Kuala Terengganu)
b) Shahbandar Tourist Jetty in Kuala Terengganu
Speedboats ply daily regular services from Merang Jetty while ferry service caters
both islanders and tourists
with daily departures
from Shahbandar Jetty in Kuala
Terengganu. The
return ticket from Merang
to Redang is RM90.00 per
person while to Lang
Tengah is RM100.00
per person. Ferry
ticket costs RM100.00 per person return.
A private carrier
Berjaya Air operates direct flights from Subang Airport in Kuala Lumpur and from Seletar
Airport in Singapore. It
provides fast and convenient way for a weekend gateway in Pulau Redang without the hassle of land and sea
transfers.
Pulau Kapas and Pulau
Gemia
The entry point is the tourist jetty in Marang town, a mere
20 minutes drive south of Kuala
Terengganu. The speedboat
rides takes just
10 minutes. No wonder
as Kapas is
the nearest island
to the mainland.
Boat, tours and accommodation services
are available at the jetty. It
costs RM40.00 per person for a return trip by speedboat to
either Gemia or Kapas Island.
Pulau Tenggol
Kuala Dungun Jetty
is situated 1 hour
scenic coastal drive
south of Kuala Terengganu. The
journey to the island takes
approximately 45 minutes
with speedboat that costs RM120.00 per person.
Getting to Kenyir Lake
Taxis are available
either from Kuala
Terengganu Airport or
from the taxi terminal in Kuala Terengganu city. The
journey takes approximately 1 hour to reach
Pengkalan Gawi Jetty.
Alternatively, there is
daily direct bus
service from Hentian Putra in Kuala Lumpur to Pengkalan Gawi Jetty at a
cost of Rm 80 (6 to 7 hour drive)
Travel to the east coast to forget Kuala Lumpur’s fast pace, hectic traffic and people on the move. The relaxed pace makes it an ideal place to visit and there are resorts where it’s possible to relax and even get a drink.Travel here with an open mind and you’ll be pleasantly surprised as to just how content people are with their way of life.
Just to confuse those who drive through Terengganu, the state-of-the-art petroleum and petrochemical industries around Kerteh, Kemasik and Kijal are what drive the Malaysian economy. Terengganu is possibly the state with the most contrasting landscapes and lifestyles.
All along the Terengganu coast, long stretches of yellow beaches have been home to fishing communities for eons. Some of the region’s earliest traders visited coastal ports and by the 18th century, Kuala Terengganu was well established, exporting pepper, gold, tin, camphor and sugar. Ships brought in Chinese and Indochinese silks that were re-exported by local merchants. The trade continues today from these ports but with petroleum the principal export. The petroleum industry contrasts markedly to traditional ones like batik, songket and Duyong Island’s boat building yards.
Kuala Terengganu, the state capital has an old world feel. Many merchants trade Malay textiles, metalwork and woodcraft from the waterfront district of Kampung Cina. Located at the mouth of the Terengganu River it’s best explored on foot or trishaw – don’t miss the large market. Apart from the city’s attractions like the museum, palaces and mosques, craft industriessuch as silverwork, textiles, kite making and brass work are located in and around the town.
Those looking for a beach holiday are best to head to islands like Perhentian, Redang and Kapas. While known to many divers, they are still blimps on the radar screens of international jetsetters. Dive centres are located on all and accommodation is in mostly small, locally run but comfortable chalets. Redang is a little differentas it has a large resort and now direct flights from Kuala Lumpur make access easier.
There are two main islands in the Perhentian Group – Big (Besar) and Small (Kecil). Malaysian and Singaporean divers travel here to appreciate the rich marine life and calm waters. Divers would be disappointed if they didn’t sight turtles, reef sharks and many fish species. Access is via boat from Kuala Besut, 20km. away on the mainland.
Redang is further south and access is viaMerang (not to be confused with Marang). Redang is a marine park of nine islands with some excellent reef dives. There is a Fisheries Department turtle breeding programme on Pinang (not Penang) Island just off the main island. Kapas Island is reached via a 6km. boat journey from Marang, arguably the most picturesque fishing village along the coast. Just 20km. south of Kuala Terengganu, Marang is the quintessential fishing village and well worth visiting.Kapas can be visited as a day trip but several small resorts are recommended.
Tenggol is another great diving island off Dungun that has comfortable accommodation and good facilities. The dive season for the east coast is from May to October as the monsoon at other times makes access difficult. Back on the mainland, international resorts are located near Kijal (Awana) and Dungun (Tanjung Rhu). There is a very good coastal golf course at Awana Kijal.
Roads on the east coast are mostly straight and sparsely settled apart from small villages. There is a more direct inland route south from Kuala Terengganu to near Kuantan but it’s not as scenic as the coastal road. Motorists need to drive carefully as cattle, chickens and kids also use the road. The road journey from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu can be done comfortably in five hours so the east coast is a good weekend escape. Alternatively fly to Kuala Terengganu and have your resort meet you.
Along the coastal roads there are several picturesque fishing villages lining beaches or river mouths. Some worth investigating include Marang, Dungun, Chukai and Kg. Sungai Ular where a popular delicacy keropok (prawn crackers) is produced in many – look for roadside stalls and signs. While the locals are used to tourists, traditional values are important to many and visitors need to be respectful of these often conservative lifestyles. This really is not the place to polish up on that all over suntan and it maybe difficult to get a beer, but be resourceful – take a six pack from home. However, for those who want to learnsomething of their Malaysian home (batik, spinning tops, kite flying, etc), the locals are delighted to share their culture by .
For Foreigner that wish to know more about Terengganu or any of it State in Malaysia can go to
www.expatkl.com It a website that are maintain by Those expatriate that work in Malaysia Enjoy!!
