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Kota Bharu
 As the capital, Kota Bharu is a good place to sample traditional Malay
culture. It is also a good place to explore the surrounding countryside.
Note: Please visit Kota
Bharu under Cities.
Fishing Villages
 No visit to Kelantan would be complete without a trip to the fishing villages,
which are also known as "the soul of Malaysia's east coast". Two of the most
well known villages are Sabak Beach and Kuala Besar. To fully capture the moment, visitors
should arrive no later than 4 p.m. daily (except for Fridays) when boats laden with the
day's catch are first spotted on the horizon. As the boats come ashore, visitors are
treated to a kaleidoscopic view of colors from their intricately carved prows. Then begins
the bargaining between wholesalers and fishermen, a ritual that is noisy yet interesting.
Apart from this, other related activities such as fish curing and the mending of nets can
also be enjoyed.
Tumpat District / Boat Building
The Tumpat District is a major agricultural area that
shares the border with Thailand. The Thai influence is thus quite strong. Small villages
are scattered among rice fields and a number of interesting Thai Buddhists' temples can
also be found here. Other places of interest include the beach resort at Pantai Sri Tujuh
(Beach of Seven Lagoons), which happens to be the venue for the International Kite
Festival.
It is also well known that the people of Kelantan are
masters of the art of boat building. The secrets of this art are normally passed down from
past generations. And among the many fishing villages, Tumpat town is synonymous with
expert boat builders of the country. Boatmen build their boats from experience and
intuition in this tiny village. In the past, some of the boats had strange and fascinating
forms attached to the prows. For instance, the shape of a "Bangau" (Cattle
Egret) or a "Garuda" (a Demonic Birdman, which is a remnant of Hindu influence
during pre-Islamic times) were used. Boatmen believed that these talismans were able to
drive away evil spirits and provide them protection during their fishing trips. In the
1950s, however, the introduction of engines saw the decline of the use of talisman, but
there are some that still remain as exhibits today.
Masjid Kampung Laut
About 300 years ago, Javanese Muslims built this mosque
to show their gratitude after a narrow escape from pirates. Today, it is thought to be the
oldest mosque in Peninsula Malaysia. It was originally located at Kampung Laut, just
across the river from Kota Bharu. But the annual monsoon floods had brought about
substantial damage to the wooden mosque. Hence in 1968, the mosque was relocated to a
safer location. It now stands at Kampung Nilam Puri, which is a local center for religious
studies. Entry into the mosque, however, is forbidden to non-Muslims.
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