#GoJalanEastCoast
Date: 1st - 4th May 2014 (Thu - Sun)
Introduction
A 4D3N journey to Kelantan - Terengganu - Cherating (Pahang). Initial plan was only Cherating. Dah imagine beach holiday, duduk bawah pokok kelapa atas pasir, tulis puisi please. Then realised that Thursday was Labour Day for Malaysia so took an extended holiday and added in Kelantan.
Objective for Kelantan, to prove that it is a place where you can find more than delicious local food. Dan bukan sekadar tempat shopping barang Siam.
DAY 1 (Thursday)
Kami lalu belah utara, jalan Baling - Gerik. AD suka drive malam sebab traffic tak busy. Those yang pernah lalu jalan Baling - Gerik tu tahulah betapa ankernya kawasan tu. Quiet, dark road and foggy! At one point, we had to stop in the middle of nowhere because visibility was so awful, we could barely see 10 meters ahead. Fog lights almost useless, glaring white light yang some people suka modified tu pun boleh simpan je. Be extra xiăoxīn when you travel there at night!
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| Banding Lake, Perak |
But once the sun rose, it was very worth it!
P.s. Temengor Lake is the bigger lake and Banding Lake seemed to be a part of Temengor. If nak lalu sini, please time it so you'll arrive early in the morning. Sumpah cantik especially if you love pines and canopy trees!
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My first destination in Kelantan was Rantau Panjang Free Trade Zone (read: cheaper) which offers mostly goods from Thailand. Masa kecil and tak peduli baju apa asalkan t-shirt dulu, at least once a year akan datang beli stock t-shirt.
Enter from one of the free trade zone checkpoint 'pintu' (door- I saw 3 different ones), foreign tourists should look out for 'Pusat Pemeriksaan Kastam Zon Bebas Cukai', no need rajin queue panjang-panjang at ICQS Rantau Panjang unless you're heading to Thailand.
What to expect here? Panas and humid/stuffy because the shops are close to each other and full of goods. Just wear something comfortable and easy to walk in. Best if you bring along a 'porter' to carry all your shopping bags ;)
Parking is easy, charge was RM3. Try to park near the shops you want to go or near the area with lots of shops. Then, walk around!
Masa I pergi ni banyak skirts mermaid cut, princess cut, umbrella cut bagai. Baju kurung lace yang cantik only RM45 before discount. And I mean, CANTIK. Unfortunately limited colour. Good place to get cheap clothes for the kids- since they grow up so fast kan.
Spot something you like? Keep calm and bargain. Jangan buat muka excited and terus beli. Ask for the price sambil buat muka comel tanya "best price?" or "harga paling beh?". Don't buy selagi dia tak bagi discount. Haha. If you can't find a colour or cut you want, keep walking. Chances are another shop will have the stock. This is a heaven for bargain hunter I'd say.
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| Food VS Clothes |
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| My fav area. Opposite the road got (relatively) newer brick shops. |
Total spent here only RM115 for 6 items (very minimal haggling was involved).
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There's a mosque called Masjid Beijing nearby. Go straight at the intersection from ICQS (Petronas on your left) and the mosque is on your left.
See for yourself. The pic below was taken from the public toilet at the side of the mosque. Pun dah cantik.
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| also known as Masjid Cina |
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Arrived in Kota Bharu at noon. Went to search for nasi air; best described as rice in soup, it looks a bit like porridge but very much more tasty. A must have for me each time I visit Kota Bharu.
Dulu dekat sebelah Padang Merdeka ada medan selera yang jual nasi air sedaaapp tapi sekarang tempat tu dah jadi Tambatan Diraja.
First we went looking for Mak Su Nab Nasi Air but it was closed. So we went to Nasi Air Hidang Pok Sen instead. Btw, don't trust Waze location for Mak Su Nab, it'll take you to rumah orang. Padahal kedai tepi main road je.
Nasi Air Hidang Pok Sen is easier to spot as it is in town. Turned out to be very near the hotel as well.
Taste - #iLove
Price - RM13 for 2 bowls of nasi air & 2 bowls of ABC.
Ambiance - Kedai atap zinc
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| Yummy nasi air for my tummy |
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| Thirst quenching ABC but sip it before it melts! |
Check in at Habib Hotel just after 2 pm. Hotel review will be in another post but click here for other reviews in TripAdvisor.
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For dinner, abe Joe introduced Nasi Kerabu Azma Pasir Pekan. Untuk info dalam bahasa Melayu sila klik Kedai Makan Best di Kelantan. That blog also shares Google Map search of the outlets they have reviewed.
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| My 'no veggie' nasi kerabu |
Taste - #iLove
Price - RM16 for 3 plates of nasi kerabu & 4 drinks.
Ambiance - modest shop by the roadside
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With full tummy, Wakaf Che Yeh was the next destination. You Waze je, boleh jumpa. Parking kat area rumah orang, bayar RM2. Spent only RM83 on 7 items here.
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| All lighted up at night. Lalu siang boleh tak perasan. |
Aside from (more!) kain baju (clothes), batik, songket and tudung, Wakaf Che Yeh offers a multitude of bargains from fruits to household items. Pusinglah kalau rajin. If you're budak KL, think Uptown. Sama la konsepnya.
To me, price-wise for clothes comparable to Rantau Panjang but with much more nicer designs. Or maybe I didn't go to enough shops in Rantau Panjang. Panas kut shopping siang.
Balik je from Wakaf Che Yeh ni, I showered again before bed. Rambut felt sticky and bau asap :'(
End of Day 1 of #GoJalan2 edisi East Coast.
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