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Kota Bharu (also written as Kota Bahru and Kota Baru) is the capital city of Kelantan state, situated in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Often called as KB, the city is especially known as a stopover or passing point before crossing to Thailand via the southern border or popular tropical getaway Perhentian Islands.

Sultan Muhammad built the Islamic-nuanced city in 1844. It is still known as the Cultural City, as the city is considered Malay traditional culture centre.  The city was even awarded by The National Land Agency of Japan as one of the best eight cities in the world in 1993 for its unique culture and best tourist destination. Though KB—as well as other Kelantan towns—deeply embraces the Muslim culture, there are Buddhist temples nearby the city.

How to go to Kota Bharu

By plane

Kota Bharu’s new airport Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR) serves local flights to and from Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia currently fly from Kuala Lumpur only, while Firefly serves daily flight to and from Penang and KL (via Subang Airport).

How to go to Sultan Ismail Petra Airport

• By taxi: the airport is reachable by 20 minute driving from city centre. Fare is around 40.00 MYR (price is subject to change).
• By bus: hop on City-liner bus No. 9 from city centre local bus station. The buses leave hourly from 7 AM to 7 PM. The short 20-minute-trip costs around 1.80 MYR (price is subject to change).

By road

Train

Wakaf Bharu is the closest railway station to Kota Bharu, around 6,5 kilometers from the city centre. It serves a number of day trains (three shuttle and one express trains) and overnight trains (two express trains). Wakaf Bharu is located on the East Coast line, which is popularly known as “Jungle Railways”, stretching from Tumpat (one station from Kota Bahru) to Gemas. It offers sights of greeneries, mostly oil palm trees, crowding to the sides of the running trains along the journey.

Getting to Wakaf Bharu Station:

• From Kuala Lumpur: KTMB’s Senandung Wau No. 28 has overnight schedule, departing at 8:30 PM from KL Sentral and arriving at around 11:11 AM at Wakaf Bharu on the next day. To go back to KL Sentral, hop on the same train service, No. 29 departs at 09:45 AM and arrives at 7:52 PM at KL Sentral.
• From Gua Musang: all shuttle trains depart from Gua Musang, shuttle No. 70 leaving at 6 AM (arriving at Wakaf Bharu at 10:30 AM) and shuttle No. 72 leaving at 1:30 PM (arriving at 6:20 PM). To go back to Gua Musang, board on shuttle No. 71 at 04:18 AM and No. 73 at 02:51 PM.
• From Singapore & Johor Bahru (by KTMB): Trains from Singapore (Woodlands) and/or Johor Bahru (JB Sentral) are served by Senandung Timuran train No. 26, departing from Woodlands at 8 PM and JB Sentral at 08:20 PM. It arrives at Wakaf Bahru at 1:14 PM on the next day. To reach Johor Bahru or Singapore, board on the same train service No. 27, departing at 08:21 PM and arriving at 12:10 PM at JB Sentral and 12:15 PM at Woodlands.
• From Johor Bahru (by Malayan Tiger): The Japanese-donated special coached-train operates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:30 PM, and arrives at Wakaf Bharu Station at 1:11 PM on the next day. To go back, board on the train, running every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 05:18 PM; the train will reach JB Sentral Station at 07:20 AM on the next day.

(All prices and schedules are subject to change)

You can go to Wakaf Bharu Station by taking bus No. 27, running from 7 AM to 8 PM daily or get in taxi.

Bus

There are two main bus stations serving local, regional, and long distance bus. Central bus station, also called Jalan Hamzah Bus Terminal mostly covers city and regional bus, while SKMK Langgar Bus Station covers long-distance bus. Most buses arriving at Kota Bharu drop passengers at the central bus station. Central Bus Station is located at Jalan Padang Garong next to KB Mall, and Langgar Bus Station is located at Jalan Bulatan Yahya Petra, behind Tesco.

From Kuala Lumpur:

• Transnasional Coach Services: departs daily at 9 AM, 10 AM, 10:15 AM, 10:30 AM, 02:30 PM, 9 PM, 10 PM, 10:30 PM, and 11 PM. Fare starts from 30.10 MYR, travel time approximately takes 7,5 hours.
• Sani Express: departs daily at 09:30 AM and 09:30 PM. Fare starts from 40.00 MYR.
• Mahligai Express: departs daily at 09:30 AM, 09:30 PM, and 10 PM every day. Fare starts from 40.00 MYR.
• Darul Naim Express: departs daily at 09:30 AM and 09:30 PM. Fare is 41.00 MYR.
• Ekspress Sutera: departs daily at 09:30 PM. Fare: 43.80 MYR.

Though long distance buses depart mostly from Langgar bus station, but several evening buses from Kota Bharu to other cities and regions depart from central bus station. Therefore you have to pay attention on which departure point you should go to. Here are several other buses from Kota Bharu to other destinations:

• Butterworth (30 MYR, 5 or 6 hours)
• Penang (34.70 MYR, 6 hours and 15 minutes) usually stopping for about 60 minutes at Gerik. Bus leaves at 9 AM and 9 PM every day.
• Kuala Terengganu (16.00 MYR, 3 hours)
• Kuantan (33.00 MYR, 6 hours)
• Kuala Lumpur (40.00 MYR, 9 hours)
• Johor Bahru (65.00 MYR, 12 hours)
• Singapore (13-14 hours)
• Melaka (55.00 MYR, 10-11 hours)
• Seremban (48.00 MYR, 10 hours)
• Ipoh (35.00 MYR, 7 hours)

Other destinations include Alor Setar and  Gerik.

Tourist attractions in Kota Bharu

Kota Bharu is famous for its local delicacies and the showcases of Malayan culture in its beautiful museums, such as Istana Jahar, and wayang puppet show. Not to miss as well are the traditional markets, offering well-made handicrafts and food, making them great cultural sightseeing spots.

Istana Jahar, Muzium Adat Istiadat Diraja Kelantan (Jahar Palace, Museum of Royal Kelantanese Traditions)

Istana Jahar is most arguably as the best museum amongst many other museums in Kota Bharu, reflecting the grandiose traditional yet one-of-a-kind wooden palace. It showcases Kelantanese important rituals, such as circumcision, wedding nights, and funerals, as well as handicrafts and silverwares. The luxurious wood-carved palace that was built in 1887 also houses traditional weapons such as keris at Malay Weapon Gallery.

Istana Jahar opens daily, except Friday, from 08:30 AM to 04:45 PM. Admission fee for adult is 3.00 MYR and 1.50 MYR for children.

Muzium Kraftangan (Handicraft Village and Craft Museum)

Muzium Kraftangan, popularly known as Balai Getam Guri in local language, is a fine craft museum from the traditional embroideries, silverwares, to batik. What specifically makes the museum unique is the craft demonstration, by which you may view artists weaving songket or drawing batik.

Besides viewing the delicate handicrafts, you can also purchase souvenirs at the gift shop and taste the local cuisines at the restaurant in the ground floor of the museum, called “Balai Sulur Gadung”.

The museum is located at Jalan Sultan Kota Bharu Kelantan, and opens daily, except Friday, from 08:30 AM to 04:45 PM.

Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah (Siti Khadijah Central Market)

Named after Islamic’s prominent prophet Nabi Muhammad’s wife, Siti Khadijah Market is a local wet market, offering daily necessities, such as cooking ingredients to ready-to-eat food, notably nasi ulam and ayam percik, famous Kelantan delicacies.  The market is held every day in a green octagonal building with surprisingly well-arranged and clean stalls. Siti Khadijah Market is located at Jalan Hulu, and operates daily from 8 AM to 6 PM.

Gelanggang Seni (Cultural Centre)

Cultural Centre reflects its name in the many traditional activities, ranging from simple games to martial arts shows, namely gasing (spinning tops), rebana ubi (giant drums), kertok (smaller coconut-made drums), pencak silat (martial arts), and wayang kulit (shadow puppetry). The centre holds cultural show three times a week:

• Saturday at 3 PM - 04:45 PM and 8 PM - 11:30 PM
• Monday: 3 PM - 04:45 PM
• Wednesday: 3 PM - 04:45 PM, 8 PM – 12 AM (wayang kulit show)

Buddhist Temples

On the northern part of Kota Bharu, a bit outside the town, lie several Buddhist temples which are especially very crowded during Vesak festival.

• Wat Pracacinaram: situated just outside Wakaf Bharu train station, the temple is a bright-coloured red, gold, and sapphire triple-layered roof. It also offers separate male/female herbal steam bath for RM5.00
• Wat Pothivihan : the temple is located near Tumpat, house to 40-meter-long reclining Buddha statue, which is said to contain ashes of the deceased people who were laid at the site.
• Wat Mai Suwan Khiri : the temple complex is situated near Kampung Bukit Tanah. The complex is intricately shaped as dragon boat with a standing Buddha statue.
• Wat Machimarran Varran: situated at Kampung Jubakar, close to Tumpat, the 30-metre Buddha statue house graphic depictions of hell’s punishments.

Medan Selera night food market

Wanderers looking for local delicacies may look for yellow arch “Medan Selera MPKB”, the night food market just off Jalan Pintu Pong. Must-try food includes nasi kerabu (blue-tinted rice coloured using flower petals with fish curry) and murtabak (pan-fried flat bread stuffed with everything, from minced meat to fruits-bananas). Ask to cook it spicy, as the vendors tend to reduce the spiciness for foreigners. The night market opens daily from 6 PM to midnight.

Travel tips in Kota Bharu

• To visit Thailand from Kota Bharu, take bus No. 29 from Kota Bharu Central Bus Terminal to Rantau Panjang and cross the border into Su-ngai Kolok (Fare: 5.00 MYR). From Su-ngai Kolok, you can continue with the Special Express morning train (departing at 10:20 AM) and Rapid Express afternoon train (departing at 02:20 PM) to Bangkok.
• The buses in Kota Bharu are known punctual, and therefore offer economic and practical way to get around. Here are several bus routes:
  • #9: to airport
  • #10: to PCB beach
  • 27: to Tumpat and Wat Machimmaram#
  • #639: from Central terminal, departs at 8 AM, 09:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 01:30 PM, 2 PM and 4 PM to jetty in Kuala Besut.
• Kota Bharu is also socially conservative. Thus, you may consider getting dressed with covered torso (especially for women) although there is no particular law for it. It is also common that people take breaks for Islamic prayers everywhere, including at night market.
• You can buy hand-printed batik clothes at Kota Bharu Trade Centre, Citra Batik at PCB Beach, or Citra Batik at KB Mall (price at the KB mall is higher than at PCB’s shop).
• For menu variations, find Chinese food at Jalan Kebun Sultan on the opposite of Public Bank, and Jalan Post Office Lama for Thai food. There are also restaurants in Taman Cemerlang.