Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Follow me on Instagram (@ipohmotormouth) for continuous updates
  • rss
  • Home
  • About
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Ipoh Food
  • Perak Food
  • KL/Selangor Food
  • Penang Food
  • Travelogue
  • Featured
  • Links
    • Malaysian Food Blogs
    • Inspirational Food Blogs
    • Random Blogs
  • Contact Me

Motormouth’s Travel Ideas – Of Eating Bees & Watching Sunset @ Kota Bharu, Kelantan

November 29, 2012 | 11,110 views
Tweet

Scenes Around Kota Bharu Town

Remember this post? When I embarked on a partial food tour (I was working, remember?) to Kota Bharu, Kelantan back in March this year. Fast forward 8 months later, and the state has become even more famous than before! Though for all the absurd reasons played out due to raging political wars between opposing factions.

Let’s leave the circus to the clowns.

Ayam percik, nasi dagang, solok lada, White House kopitiam, Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah, Wakaf Bharu, Satay Malaysia and Siamese temples? Checked. So what else have I missed? PLENTY.

Grand River View Hotel @ Kota Bharu

Grand River View Hotel @ Kota Bharu may not be positioned in the most strategic location yet within walking distance to some tourist spots like Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah and the many attractions around this part of town.

Deluxe Room @ Grand River View, Kota Bharu

Swimming Pool & Palm Trees

D' Brasserie @ Grand River View Hotel

More importantly, the hotel offers the pleasure of a sunset view shimmering beyond the river of Kelantan; every evening at around 6.30pm from the comfort of the lounge, or you can walk along the paved banks of the river.

We spent the night in Grand River View (GRV) Hotel (about RM200+ per room, corporate rate). No complaints, though I have not stayed in Renaissance Kota Bharu Hotel before, and seemingly that’s the gold standard in town. The other hotel I have experienced staying in was New Pacific Hotel (www) which I personally felt was a far cry from the rest; in a negative way though.

The unobstructed view across the Kelantan river and accessibility to several places of interest within the vicinity rendered the hotel choice relevant, especially if you’re not keen on driving out to far-fetched places.

Still, it’s best to plan for your own transportation when in Kota Bharu; either rent-a-car at the airport (in the realms of RM80 for smaller cars to RM150 for sedans per day), or hire a cab (daily rates apply; depending on the hours and places you intend to fit into your itinerary). Public modes of transportation include town buses and cabs, however are not as convenient as you think as the number of cabs plying the roads is minimal as opposed to the larger towns in Peninsular Malaysia.

Window Panes from the Yesteryears

Retaining the old school charm of colour-frosted glass windows with steel panes; this building is situated adjacent to the hotel; named Lee Rubber Building.

Scenes Around Kota Bharu Town 2

The junction of Jalan Post Office Lama and Jalan Tengku Besar can be a terribly busy one to cross during peak times. Remember Capital Nasi Dagang? That insanely popular breakfast joint is located to the left of this picture. Within 5 minutes’ walk from the hotel.

Ridel Hotel, Kota Bharu

Ridel Hotel is a more economical option with riverfront cafes running parallel on ground level. At this block named Pelangi Mall next to the newly-built Menara Tinjau (Observatory Tower) Tambatan Di Raja (picture below)

Menara Tinjau, Kota Bharu

Menara Tinjau Tamtaban Di Raja (Observatory Tower) along the banks of Sungai Kelantan, and the pier for ferries to Kampung Laut.

Reflections

War Memorial

Bank Kerapu aka Memorial Perang (World War II Memorial) (you can read the detailed bits on Virtual Malaysia) on Jalan Sultan

War Memorial 2

Side view of Bank Kerapu; from Jalan Post Office Lama. This road leads towards Pantai Cahaya Bulan (used to be named Pantai Cinta Berahi but of course …. if a lady cutting a guy’s hair is prohibited, a beach named Passionate Love has to be a red light district, no?)

Merdeka Square

Padang Merdeka (Independence Field) sits between Jalan Tengku Besar and Jalan Sultan; halfway between Grand River View and Bank Kerapu (War Memorial). This was the infamous place where the British exhibited the body of a brave Kelantanese warrior; Tok Janggut (read about his story HERE in Malay)

Wooden House @ Merdeka Square

Padang Merdeka Kota Bharu

Dusk Is Approaching

The impressive Malay-inspired architectures of the landmarks in town deserve a walkabout even in the most unpleasant of weathers. Okay … try late afternoon before the sun sets and you shall be rewarded with sun-kissed shots like above. (side profile of Muhammadi Mosque)

Traditional Malay Architectures

Masjid Muhammadi @ Kota Bharu

Masjid Muhammadi (Muhammadi Mosque) is a large state mosque at the junction of Jalan Sultan and Jalan Sultanah Zainab; was built in 1867 and spans more than 10,000 sq ft!

Muhammadi Mosque

Kota Sultan Ismail Petra

Gerbang Kota Sultan Ismail Petra (Sultan Ismail Petra Arch) along Jalan Sultanah Zainab is the most recognizable landmark that represents Kota Bharu, Kelantan aside from Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah.

Istana Jahar

Istana Jahar within the perimeter of the ground beyond the Sultan Ismail Petra Arch was buit in the 19th century by the ruler named Sultan Muhammad II for his grandson; Long Kundur Bendahara.

Istana Balai Besar

Istana Balai Besar (Palace of Great Hall) was built in 1840 as the main palace of Sultan Muhammad II to replace the older palace named Istana Kota Lama along Kelantan River

KB Town

Walking around town in Kota Bharu is generally safe during daytime, but caution should be in place when you are alone in the darker hours as the vicinity can be rather desolated. Go in a group or take a cab instead.

The Older Part of Town

Pre-war shophouses still retaining the quaint charm albeit dilapidated along Jalan Post Office Lama, northbound towards Pantai Cahaya Bulan

Drying Trees

Chengmai Thai Food

Dinner at Chengmai Thai Food Restaurant at Kampung Kulim, Wakaf Baru; beside the railway tracks about half an hour’s away from town. The traffic was horrendous thus the journey took slightly longer than usual.

Fried Bees and Maggots with Garlic & Chili

Don’t puke, but this was a plate of surprisingly palatable (okay, to me at least) plate of Fried hornets (tebuan in Malay) and larvae with red chillies, garlic and spring onion. (RM15/USD5)

Thai Style Steamed Fish

And a damn spicy piece of steamed fish (Pla Khengsom) in a fiery, orange-hued broth with water convolvulus and what seemed to be slices of bamboo shoots. (RM24/USD8)

Thai Fares @ Chengmai Wakaf Baru

Clockwise from top left : Pandan Chicken (RM2/USD0.70 each), Tom Yum Seafood (RM15/USD5), Deep Fried Kangkung (Water Convolvulus) (RM5/USD1.70) and Steamed Squid in Spicy Lemon Broth (RM8/USD3)

Fresh Coconut & Longan Drink

Dousing the heat with fresh coconut water and boiled longan drinks @ Chengmai Thai Food Restaurant

Nestled deep within the residential area of Kampung Kulim in Wakaf Baru, Tumpat; you will stumble upon several Thai restaurant with interesting (yet unimaginative) names.

Chengmai, Bang Kok, Phuket, etc. Not along the same row, as the alleys spiral beyond recognition plus the restaurants are located intermittently between houses and what-could-be farms.

This was my second visit to Chengmai Thai Food Restaurant, a pork-free establishment serving pretty authentic Thai fares. Kelantan shares the border with Golok town in southern Thailand, much like how Pengkalan Hulu in Perak shares with Betong. The Thai influences are very apparent in Kelantan especially eateries around this area of Tumpat.

The three of us walloped 6 dishes; with beads of sweat on forehead and fanning the tongues and all. Spicy? Yes. Some dishes can be unbearably-burning hot if you’re not used to spicy food. The Fried hornets (a type of wasp/bees) appeared to be very appalling; imagine spoonfuls of crispy critters – wings, feet and all balanced by creamy bites of larvae, yet if you close your eyes … the experience was almost like eating crunchy anchovies stir-fried with lots of chillies and garlic.

Almost.

White House Coffee Shop @ Kota Bharu

Still beating the Starbucks, Coffee Bean’s and Old Town’s, Kedai Kopi White House deserves more than a pat on the back for the adamant stand on keeping things simple and traditional. Though this time around, the Chinese boss irked us a little by subtly shooing us from our seats to give way to other customers even BEFORE I finished my coffee!

Sunset in Kota Bharu

And we come to the SUNSET part of the story. A cloudy evening marred the experience, yet nothing beats watching a sun sets; clear or otherwise.

Let me share stories about one of the largest reclining Buddha in Asia built in Kelantan of all places, Nasi Kukus (famous steamed rice), Nasi Ulam, Nasi Air and Cholek (fritter snacks) by Pantai Cahaya Bulan when I have the time.

Right now? Go discover Malaysia. Don’t let heritage dies because the other countries are doing it better in reaching out to travellers.

GRAND RIVER VIEW HOTEL (www)
GPS Coordinates : 6.129279,102.234145

KELANTAN TOURISM INFORMATION CENTRE (www – for more information and town maps)
Jalan Sultan Ibrahim, 15050 Kota Bharu, Kelantan
Tel No : +609-748 5534/748 3543

CHENGMAI THAI RESTAURANT
No. 107, Kampung Kulim,
Wakaf Baru, Tumpat, Kelantan
GPS Coordinates : 6.121577,102.202912

** Hungry for more travel stories? Try browsing through Motormouth’s Travelogues.

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Share
Categories
Kelantan 2012, Kelantan Food
Tags
Bank Kerapu War Memorial, Chengmai Thai Food Restaurant, Grand River View Hotel, Istana Balai Besar, Istana Jahar, Kelantan, Kelantanese Food, Malaysian Travel, Masjid Muhammadiah, Menara Tinjau Tambatan Di Raja, Padang Merdeka, Ridel Hotel, Sultan Ismail Petra Arch, Travel, Tumpat, Wakaf Baru
Comments rss
Comments rss
Trackback
Trackback

« Spices of Penang @ Medan Ipoh Bistari – Not Quite There Yet A Childhood Dining Experience @ Shatin Court, Pasir Puteh, Ipoh »

8 Responses to “Motormouth’s Travel Ideas – Of Eating Bees & Watching Sunset @ Kota Bharu, Kelantan”

  1. Chasing Food Dreams says:
    December 3, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    great views as usual…

    I am curious how they remove the poision or sting part of the hornet.. we certainly wouldnt wanna eat that!

    [Reply]

  2. Arlida says:
    December 13, 2012 at 9:37 am

    I’ve been living in Kelantan all my life but you know details of every building in Kelantan more than i do 🙂

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    December 14th, 2012 at 9:39 pm

    Hi Arlida, I could be just curious and inquisitive. 🙂

    [Reply]

  3. venta equipaciones futbol says:
    February 28, 2014 at 12:52 pm

    El último nombre de la marca es un gimnasio instructores de fitness. Si usted pone en los calzados de actividades deportivas a participar en las actividades en el gimnasio, después de que sus pies realmente debe sentirse incómodo.

    [Reply]

  4. film romantis baru indonesia says:
    May 3, 2014 at 11:08 pm

    With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright
    violation? My site has a lot of exclusive content I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it looks like a
    lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my permission.
    Do you know any methods to help stop content from being ripped off?
    I’d really appreciate it.

    [Reply]

  5. lcd tvs says:
    July 1, 2014 at 8:47 pm

    Another factor will be the resolution, which determines
    the high quality of picture. Just remember to always pay focus
    on the sort of sensor within the digital camera that you’re looking to get as it’ll directly impact the quality of one’s digital photos.
    A traditional LCD uses a ‘Cold Cathode Florescent Lamp’ (CCFL) since the
    backlight.

    [Reply]

  6. andys themes says:
    July 9, 2014 at 5:46 pm

    The key to this system is to find good teams over a home-stand which
    might be currently playing well. ‘ In most circumstances the top seeds are more more
    likely to look ahead to what could be progressively better opponents each round,
    while the top underdog can only focus around the task taking place.
    As just a few fact, die hard sports enthusiasts would
    even spare their “not-so-free” time just to look at the telecast of their
    most favorite sports. Contact the best Price per Head service as it is time for it to enhance your business like a bookie.
    You could be betting to win, so that you have to do everything possible to produce sure that
    you simply’re stacking the percentages with your
    corner as an alternative to against yourself. “*) If you lose bet B, you do the same thing again: you bet enough to get back the amount you hoped to win in bet A, plus the total amount you lost in bet A, plus the amount you lost in bet B. There are different approaches to select a sportsbook, for instance basing the decision for the experience which you have (as being a bettor). The majority of punters that lose money on horse racing try to produce big sums of greenbacks from simply a few dollars. Im always going into the bookies and betting on numerous things, from horses to roulette, sports and dogs. It has one rule: The piece you play has got to touch considered one of your existing pieces on one or more corners. One can earn money by other ways to like effective betting. Whatever sort of sports you select to put your bets on, try and anticipate how a trend of winning is moving. The bonus money would double your account and help you place more bets. This is just inform you that sports betting might be created more intriguing and challenging through the wagers that you place. It’s certainly worth noting that La – Hair hasn’t been inside the big leagues everything that long, so plenty of pitchers don’t really know how you can pitch him yet. Some United States banking institutions might prohibit employing their cards for net gambling and that means you may possibly locate your card rejected if you do not know forward of your time whether you might be permitted to utilize it. Find the greyhound race you wish to bet on (greyhound racing normally can be found as option on the left hand menu), there must be button beside your best dog displaying it’s price, select this button and you’ll be given a option just how much you need to stake, enter just how much, press submit, and you’re done. Due to the new guidelines set by Google at the time of February 24th 2011, all articles must be 100% unique. Unfortunately, you will find lots of scammers in gambling and betting. Sports betting odds change often; large variations can be described as a big take into account successful sports betting strategy. There are various sports betting site that one can find. Belmont Stakes Day is probably the biggest betting days from the year. So, in case you’re buying picks at approximately $50 per month, that means you may have to wager at least $3,200 (at 64x) or as much as $14,000 (at 280x) each month just to pay for your cost in the picks, so you better pray that you simply’re never a fraction of the percentage below that 90 percent win rate. The incontrovertible truth that life is becoming so mind numbing, so overwhelmingly featureless, tiresome and completely uneventful why these online platforms are satisfying a need in a psychological vacuum. You’ll join in the game, betting for the cards inside your hand coupled with those around the table, trying to get the very best possible hand.

    [Reply]

  7. bahis siteleri says:
    July 9, 2014 at 6:58 pm

    Otherwise, you risk losing your entire bet due to the fact
    you did not understand fully the mechanics of football betting odds.
    This article is not necessarily meant for that casual,
    low stakes gambler. That may be an awesome chance for you to experience all feelings that includes pro betting while at a similar time
    not under excessive pressure (because the money lost or won isn’t too much at this stage).
    and now need to share it with others which means you are
    aware. You can then help make your way over the Red
    Room and out into the Arena at any time. With the arrival of Internet, online wagering,
    you are able to now bet horses everywhere you
    look. Several articles in the best sports betting systems can be purchased
    for bettors to read and acquire tips or picks for the game.
    Again, the greater ranked the underdog is, the stronger the edge.
    Alan Belcher and Patrick Cote are both very good strikers and finished fights but
    I could see a situation here where these are both very safe staying for
    the outside which may cause this being a decision. Each and
    each year the NFL draft is now more plus much more popular and has become a holiday of sorts for NFL and football fans.
    One can generate income by other approaches to like effective betting.
    Whatever kind of sports you decide on to put
    your bets on, try and anticipate how a trend of winning is moving.
    When it occurs myself I just tell mysel that is how the card fall
    sometimes. Most governments of countries are dying
    to prevent this industry not knowing this also improves the country’s business economy and helping
    unemployed people get employed. It’s certainly worth noting that La – Hair hasn’t been inside
    the big leagues all of that long, so a great deal of pitchers don’t really know how you
    can pitch him yet. Moving back to our betting edge estimation, let’s take a glance at two examples where you might have 10% ROI
    on the fairly large sample of bets:. Businessman Donald Trump (64-1) can be a longshot to win the Republican nomination, oddsmakers say.
    You, being an affiliate, are capable of doing this by word of mouth,
    directing traffic on your website to your particular sports betting website and advertising.
    While betting on any game what ought to be followed will be your
    knowledge of the overall game and what your intuition or good sense says.
    Dhoni’s fairytale career may obtain a boost, if he picks the 2009
    World Cup. Libido Enhancers including Viagra, Cialis, Kamagra and another
    form of actual or generic sexual enhancement
    medication. Do you need some help with placing bet about the 2014 Kentucky
    Derby using odds. This way you adopt advantage of
    inaccurate spread by handicappers. Sure you can find some improvements, nevertheless its hard to argue that they’re so important an upgrade is necessary.
    This is an additional reason why it is important that
    you just have choose and pick your spot with March Madness betting.

    [Reply]

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Click to cancel reply
Load More...
Follow me on Instagram

Why not start from here?

Motormouth's Ultimate List of Ipoh Food Motormouth EATS in the Klang Valley!!! Travel Stories from All Over the World Motormouth's eating up Perak!

Recent Stories

  • Hungry? Head your way to Merindy Restaurant in Kampung Simee
  • Not a Houdini’s Act, but almost … in this blanket of haze
  • Keep calm and take a break: Three cafes to do just that in Ipoh
  • Guangdong cuisine at its best from this unassuming Hong Kong eatery
  • Have An “Oddies” Saturday!
  • The Coffee Academics @ Wan Chai, Hong Kong
  • Grab a quiet breakfast of curry mee and yong tau foo at Foo Kwai, Bercham
  • Motormouth’s Life in Hong Kong
  • Heart still beating, but the energy fizzled out …
  • Beach Road Scissor-Cut Curry Rice – More than a Mess

Archives

Discover All About Ipoh on Facebook

All About Ipoh on Facebook

Most Viewed Posts

  • Ultimate Ipoh Food List by J2Kfm - 1,495,819 views
  • KL/Selangor Food - 246,139 views
  • Best of 2012 – Motormouth’s Top 12 Ipoh Food Finds - 168,585 views
  • Perak Food - 118,281 views
  • Ipoh Famous Yong Tau Foo @ Pasir Pinji Big Tree Foot (Dai Shu Geok) - 112,000 views
  • Bentong @ Pahang – Small Town, Big Heart, Even Bigger Appetite! - 110,201 views
  • Penang Food - 107,678 views
  • A Closing Chapter in Life @ Felda Residence Hot Springs, Sungai Klah - 107,022 views
  • Medan Muara Ikan Bakar @ Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang - 98,668 views
  • Sitiawan Food For Dummies – Half A Day’s Worth of Food Hunt - 89,967 views
  • Ready for A Culinary Safari in Taiping? - 88,933 views
  • Teluk Intan in A Whirlwind – Of Street Food, Leaning Tower & BIG Cinemas - 85,648 views
  • Motormouth’s Travel Ideas – Eating Up Sitiawan! - 83,156 views
  • Village Park @ Damansara Uptown – Is This The BEST Nasi Lemak in Klang Valley? - 72,799 views
  • It’s Perfectly Alright for Girls to “Burp” & Guys to “Giggle” … - 71,696 views
  • Bukit Tinggi – Eat. Shoot. Breathe. Bliss. - 68,265 views
  • Perak Food Guide by J2Kfm - 66,166 views
  • All About Ipoh’s Dim Sum Restaurants – 10 of the Best - 64,639 views
  • All About Ipoh’s Curry Noodles – 15 of the Best - 63,528 views
  • Sin Eng Heong’s Famous Kaya Puff, Ipoh - 63,044 views

Categories

Stats

Admin

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org
rss Comments rss