Kota Bharu In A Nutshell

I just returned from Kota Bharu, the state capital of Kelantan and a visit here is definitely an eye opener as this is my first time here.

From the air, Kota Bharu pretty much reminds me of my hometown with its brownish river. Upon questioning the locals, I found there is quite a timber activities upstream around Gua Musang.

What I like about Kelantan is the carefree life and slower pace of life compare to the bigger cities. Its uneven road also had a lot of resemblance to my hometown. There aren't many cars around the town centre which make walking an ideal way to explore the town.

It also has ample of walkway by the shop and roadside for pedestrian to navigate through the town. Grab a map and one should able to find their way around.

The Siti Khadijah market is one of the most prominent landmarks here where the locals can get their fresh vegetables and meat.

The Sultan Ismail Arch is another well known structure here. The royal palace and several museums are located around this area.

One will notice it is almost mandatory to have the jawi characters on all of the shop signboards.

This clock tower is another prominent landmark for the town at the intersection of Jalan Gajah Mati, Jalan Hospital and Jalan Sultan Ibrahim.

The open night market along Jalan Pintu Pong is another attraction here. Food, clothes, batik and pirated DVDs are available here and the price can be bargained.

There is also a Chinatown at Jalan Kebun Sultan. Even though this is an Islamic state, beers are sold at Chinese restaurant around the town.

Kota Bharu Trade Centre is one of the more modern shopping mall in the town centre. The biggest shopping mall would be the KB Mall which is a bit further away.

I also notice while paying at the cashier counter here, there are segregated payment counters for man and woman.

I was lucky to be here when the football fans here are all pumped up because their team made it to the Malaysia Cup Final for the second consecutive year. Most of the activities centred around the Sultan Muhamad IV stadium, which also happen to be the home ground for the "Red Warrior".

For the record, the state is under the control of the Opposition Government and I think they did a decent job for Kota Bharu and the people here.

I really have a nice time here. The people are friendly and the life style here is pretty much what I been looking for.

There will be more posts about Kota Bharu in the next few weeks.