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Kelantan [1] is a state in the north-east of Peninsular Malaysia.  Map of Kelantan in Malaysia
RegionsKelantan Darul Naim means "Land of Lightning". This state is managed by 10 administrative jurisdictions: Kota Bharu, Pasir Mas, Tumpat, Pasir Puteh, Bachok, Kuala Krai, Machang, Tanah Merah, Jeli dan Gua Musang. Cities
Other destinations
UnderstandKelantan is the most deeply conservative of all Malay states and has with just one interruption been governed by the opposition Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam SeMalaysia or PAS) since 1958. The party's green flag with a white full moon flutters throughout the state. Highways seem to have more signs with quotes from the Koran than actual traffic instructions; many signs are written in Jawi, the old Arabic script for Malay; and even Chinese women tend to wear headscarves. While Malays make up 94% of the population of 1.4 million and there is also the usual smattering of Chinese and Indians, Kelantan is also home to the Orang Siam, a group of 7000-8000 Buddhist Thais. The Thais have lived in Kelantan for centuries, and Kelantan was a part of Siam until it was ceded to the British in 1909. TalkThe Kelantanese dialect of Malay is famously incomprehensible to outsiders, so much so that Kelantanese and non-Kelantanese alike jokingly refer to it as German (pronounced gher-man with a hard G, but yes, it means German). The Orang Siam also speak a dialect of Thai called Tak Bai, but this is also quite different from standard Thai or even the forms generally spoken in southern Thailand. Get inBy planeKelantan's only airport is the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR) at Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu. Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia provide flights to/from Kuala Lumpur while Air Asia also has flights to/from Johor Bahru. By road
Kelantan can be accessed by road via the East-West Highway which links Gerik in Perak on the west coast, and Jeli in Kelantan. Federal Route 8 connects Kota Bharu with Central Pahang via Kuala Krai and Gua Musang. You can also enter Kelantan on the East Coast main road (Federal Route 3) which runs from Johor Bahru in the south to Kota Bharu via Terengganu and the eastern part of Pahang. Use this road if you are heading to the Perhentian Islands.
Road users can enter Kelantan from the southern Thai province of Narathiwat at Rantau Panjang (across the Golok River from the Thai town of Sungai Kolok), and Bukit Bunga near Jeli in the western part of the state. By bus
Long distance express buses connect Kota Bharu with Kuala Lumpur, Penang (via the East-West Highway), and the other East Coast towns of Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan. See Kota Bharu page for details. A local bus runs twice daily between Gua Musang in Kelantan, and Kuala Lipis in Pahang. Local buses also run from Pasir Puteh in the eastern part of the state, to Jertih and Kuala Besut (for boats to the Perhentian Islands) which lie just inside Terengganu.
There are no direct bus services into Thailand. Catch a local bus to Rantau Panjang, cross the border to Sungai Kolok where there are bus connections to other destinations in Thailand. See Kota Bharu page for details. By trainThe main railway stations in Kelantan where express trains stop are:
To/from other parts of Malaysia and Singapore Kelantan is linked to the rest of Peninsular Malaysia by the East Coast railway line, also known as the "Jungle Railway". The line starts from Tumpat in the north of the state and passes through Wakaf Baru (the nearest station to Kota Bharu), Kuala Krai and Gua Musang in the southern part of the state before it enters Pahang. The Ekspres Wau links Tumpat with Kuala Lumpur daily, pasing through Jerantut (for Taman Negara National Park). The Ekspres Timuran goes to/from Singapore, also stopping at Jerantut. There are slow local trains to Gemas, Negeri Sembilan where the train joins the main West Coast trunk line, and even to Singapore. To/from Thailand Although there is a railway branch line running from Pasir Mas to Rantau Panjang on the Thai border, there are no passenger train services into Thailand or even to Rantau Panjang. Catch a local bus to Rantau Panjang, cross the border to Sungai Kolok where the are trains to Hat Yai and Bangkok. For more details, check KTMB's website. By boatPassenger boats and vehicular ferry services run across the Golok River between Pengkalan Kubur north of Kota Bharu, and Tak Bai in Narathiwat Province in southern Thailand. See the Kota Bharu page for transportation details to Pengkalan Kubur. Get aroundBy roadGood roads link the main towns of Kelantan. By busBus transport in the state is handled by Syarikat Kenderaan Melayu Kelantan (SKMK), a subsidiary of the Transnasional Group. Local buses link Kota Bharu with all main towns in Kelantan. By trainExpress trains (Ekspres Wau and Ekspres Timuran) make stops at major Kelantan stations, namely Tumpat (the terminus) Wakaf Baru (for Kota Bharu), Pasir Mas, Tanah Merah, Dabong (for Bukit Stong waterfall), Kuala Krai and Gua Musang. Local trains stop at almost every station and halt on the East Coast line and is a major mode of transport for locals living in the interior of the state. Check KTMB's website for more details. SeeDoBuyKelantan is famous for its Malay arts and handicrafts (mainly batik). The state's most instantly recognizable symbol is the wau bulan ("moon kite"), which has been adopted by Malaysian Airlines as its logo. List of things to buy:
EatKelantanese cuisine has several specialities rarely seen elsewhere in Malaysia. The dominant themes are the heavy use of kerabu, a catch-all term covering various herbs and vegetables and often served as an accompaniment to dishes, and the multiple uses found for coconut, which can be found in almost every dish.
Popular desserts and snacks include akok berkedut (wrinkled cake), bahulu (cakes) and keropok ikan (fish cracker). DrinkFresh coconut is RM1. SleepThere are many questhouses & homestays (RM15-RM80/night), in town and around the beaches. Stay safeRespectMore than anywhere else in Malaysia, in Kelantan it's important to respect local mores, especially if you head out into the countryside. It is not necessary or expected for non-Muslim women to wear a headscarf (though it would certainly meet with approval), but both men and women should wear clothing that covers all or at least most of their legs (no short shorts), and women should wear blouses or dresses which cover their torso. Long sleeves are preferable for women, and outfits which show the shoulders or midriff should be avoided. The watchword is modesty. Tourists dressed in shorts and skimpy tops are really out of place in this state. Get out
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