Popular Beaches around Kuantan

There are three main beaches around Kuantan. Teluk Chempedak, the nearest one, boasts a long stretch of casuarina and palm trees along the shore. There is also a jungle trek route nearby. The main hotel near the beach is the Hyatt Regency Kuantan Hotel.

The Batu Hitam beach (in Malay means “Black Stones”), 10 km from Kuantan, is having a stretch of black stones on white sandy beach and is famous among the locals. One must try food here is the Ikan Bakar or grilled fish with a little soury sauce locally called asam pedas. They usually grill the whole fish with skin wrapped in some leaf. Once done, you have to remove the burnt skin and inside lies a fantastic juicy fish meat.

Cherating beach, about 50 kms of Kuantan, is famous for the location of Asia’s first Club Med resort. The nearby Kampung Cherating offers an opportunity to learn batik print on clothes by skilled locals, the mangrove river tour in Cherating and the nighttime firefly tour in Cherating are two not to be missed things. There is a turtle sanctuary in Cherating near the Club Med Resort and a 3.5kms stretch of beach is protected for them to lay eggs. Olive Ridley, Green, Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles are usual visitors of the beach. You can see tiny baby turtles and few adult ones in the turtle center. There is also baby turtle release program during June-September and you may also get a chance to see adult turtles laying eggs on the Cherating beach during night accompanied by the rangers.

There are some basic Chalet accommodations in Cherating village for tourists. There are also few resorts in Cherating, like Suria Cherating, Legend Resort Cherating etc. For breakfast you can opt for the small café on the beach selling western foods along with nasi lemak and other local breakfasts and for lunch you have to depend on the local Malay foods mostly. Dinner time you have more options, from fresh seafoods in Cherating to various types of fried rice and noodles and lots more. One restaurant, Paksu Seafood, is very popular there, but usually crowded with tourists throughout.