Beware of falling
coconuts! Beachcombing Along the
East Coast of Malaysia
By Mike Jacobs
Evenings are magical at the new mosque in Kuantan, Malaysia. Illuminated minarets and
domes rise heavenward as the chant of the Imam floats across the restless coconut palms
and the scent-laden air. To the locals it's no big deal but to overseas visitors, such
special moments are the true rewards of travel.
Wow! is the best possible description of Malaysia's still-secret East Coast. Here are the
beaches where Robinson Crusoe washed ashore, updated with all the mod cons. From the posh
pleasure terraces of the Hyatt at Kuantan (JY6500) to the crude but cute cabins on
isolated beaches (JY1200), visitors are free to roam the magnificent stretches of sand
warmed by the South China Sea.
From Kuantan to Kuala Terrangganu and up to Kota Bharu near the
Thai border, are isolated beach resorts at prices you barely notice and hardly anyone else
to share them with - most of the time. The best places to go are usually well out of town,
where balmy breezes blow and surf abounds. Markets, museums, mosques and shopping mayhem
can be saved for a cloudy afternoon.
Just outside Kuantan are vast beach and palm landscapes with fishing villages tucked amid
the trees. Boats are few, as the modern fishing industry has moved to a thriving yet
decrepit port in town, where wiggle-fresh jumbo prawns go for JY400 per kilo. The locals
dry thin fish cakes, tend goats and smile genuinely at visitors. Greetings are easily and
readily exchanged.
Exploring 500 kilometers of hot sand and cool waves has a hazard:
signs at the Cherating Beach Resort warn guests to "Beware! Danger from falling
coconuts." "Walking beneath thousands and thousands of ripening coconuts around
the gardens could be dodgy for guests so I keep my fingers crossed," says the
resort's jovial manager. So far, none have been bonked. One villager still uses a trained
ape to climb the trees and knock down the nuts for market. It's a dying art - these two
are the last local primate team, and both are getting a little long in the tooth.
Life on the East Coast is
slow, and backpackers can go a long way on one traveler's check. Cherating, just past
Snake Village at the mouth of Snake River and opposite Snake Island, is populated with
"snakes" from Europe and the US slithering around Asia for six months to a year.
Chris, who runs the hippie-style Moon Guest Cottages (JY2000/ night), is an ex-medical
lecturer from England who provides a laid-back haven for such adventurers. "Living in
touch with nature" he muses, "gives me far better things to think about."
Getting around to all the places of interest in air-conditioned buses or taxis provides a
chance to rest the sunburn. Local travel agents offer low-price excursions everywhere:
lakes, forests, caves, coral islands, rivers and native villages. Between May and
September, huge leatherback turtles lay their eggs beneath Chendor Beach.
Life beneath the waves is best seen from major
offshore islands where magnificent coral reefs in crystal-clear waters await divers and
snorkelers. Small sharks can be found around some reefs but not, as yet, around the
tourist bazaars.
Resorts which offer luxury bungalows (from around JY3500/ night) feature large gardens
with bright, exotic flora and fauna, long, blue pools with a handy bar, and palm-lined
beaches decorated by nature and the tides. Shell collecting can occupy a whole day. At one
such resort, a British executive on vacation from Singapore realized: "There are so
many wonderful places to go along the coast just like this...so I may as well stay
here." Travel writers never get such an idyllic option.
Malaysia's East Coast is "doomed" by its own beauty. As is often the case with
the best travel destinations, it will be a vacation magnet for new developments and hordes
of sun seekers. Right now it offers amenities that one day will be travel history:
isolated beaches, affordable accommodation, uncrowded roads, local prices in the shops,
and a genuine welcome to tourism.
Malaysia is a
real bargain for great food, quality accommodation and reliable transport. From Kuala
Lumpur (KL) to Kuantan, a public bus (JY700) takes four hours, while a plane (JY2500) gets
you there in an hour. An official taxi from the new KL airport can take double that and
cost twice the airfare. Or you can grab a regular cab for JY4500 all the way to your new
doorstep. Car rental is available in Kuantan (JY5000/ day); driving is on the left. The
perfect trip is to leave KL early in a hired car, and arrive at sunset in Kuantan -
leaving plenty of time for stops in between.
From Kuantan to Kuala Terrangganu and up to Kota Bharu near the
Thai border, are isolated beach resorts at prices you barely notice and hardly anyone else
to share them with - most of the time. The best places to go are usually well out of town,
where balmy breezes blow and surf abounds. Markets, museums, mosques and shopping mayhem
can be saved for a cloudy afternoon. 
Life on the East Coast is
slow, and backpackers can go a long way on one traveler's check. Cherating, just past
Snake Village at the mouth of Snake River and opposite Snake Island, is populated with
"snakes" from Europe and the US slithering around Asia for six months to a year.
Chris, who runs the hippie-style Moon Guest Cottages (JY2000/ night), is an ex-medical
lecturer from England who provides a laid-back haven for such adventurers. "Living in
touch with nature" he muses, "gives me far better things to think about." 
Life beneath the waves is best seen from major
offshore islands where magnificent coral reefs in crystal-clear waters await divers and
snorkelers. Small sharks can be found around some reefs but not, as yet, around the
tourist bazaars. 
Malaysia is a
real bargain for great food, quality accommodation and reliable transport. From Kuala
Lumpur (KL) to Kuantan, a public bus (JY700) takes four hours, while a plane (JY2500) gets
you there in an hour. An official taxi from the new KL airport can take double that and
cost twice the airfare. Or you can grab a regular cab for JY4500 all the way to your new
doorstep. Car rental is available in Kuantan (JY5000/ day); driving is on the left. The
perfect trip is to leave KL early in a hired car, and arrive at sunset in Kuantan -
leaving plenty of time for stops in between. 