Malaysia (Kuala Besut & Perhentian Islands, Terengganu) August 12 > 15 2024 Day 1

Map of Pulau Perhentian
Terengganu, Malaysia

Kuala Besut Jetty,
Terengganu, Malaysia

After my Johor Bahru (Malaysia) & Batam, Riau Islands (Indonesia) visit in July 28 > August 1 2024, my next dream destination in my bucket list is Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu located off the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia. The decision of my first time visit to Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu was made in a haste ! A big thank you to my travel buddy, KF Wong who was able to join me for this "short & sweet" staycation visit to Kuala Besut / Perhentian island, Terengganu, approx 460km from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur ! Wary of the start of the Northeast monsoon season bringing heavy rain to the East-coast region of Peninsula Malaysia from November > March each year (whereas the south-west states of Peninsula Malaysia are now experiencing the south-west monsoon season starting from April > Oct) & my pending package tour to Inner Mongolia, China in late August / early Sept 2024 (together with my wife & two travel buddies) & my wife's proposed free & easy visit to Beijing & Hebei province in mid-October 2024, also in the pipeline is KF's proposed visit to southern India in mid Nov 2024. Hence my swift decision to go ahead in visiting this dream destination in my home country, Malaysia ! My next bucket list of visit in my home country are Pulau Redang (Terengganu) & Semporna (Tawau) on the island of Borneo in the state of Sabah, East Malaysia -  Semporna is the gateway to Tun Sakaran Park, a group of 8 islands with dive sites .... so KM, just move on & keep dreaming ! 

Total expenses incurred (4 days 3 nights): Rm383 (US$85) per pax

• Hotel (3 nights): Rm147 (US$39) per pax twin sharing
• Express Bus (Senior): Rm74 
• Boat: Rm70
• Marine Park fee: Rm2
• Food: Rm90

Exchange Rate: US$1 = Rm4.50

Map of East Coast of
Peninsula Malaysia

My travel buddy: KF Wong (together, we had visited Thailand, Vietnam, India & a few of the my Cuti Cuti (Vacation) Malaysia trips (in group of 3 or 4) in major towns / cities (ie Ipoh, Taiping, Georgetown, Bukit Mertajam, Penang Island, Alor Setar, Kangar, Kuala Perlis, Taiping, Pulau Langkawi, Chemor, Bentong, Raub, Kuala Lipis, Mentakab, Termeloh, Maran, Sungei Lembing, Kuantan, Pekan, Mersing, Kuala Rompin, Pulau Tioman, Desaru & Kluang) in various states of Peninsula Malaysia since 2020 ! 

Day 1 August 12 2024 - a long day of express bus journey from Kuala Lumpur > Gua Musang > Machang > Pasir Puteh (Kelantan) > Jerteh > Kuala Besut (Terengganu), approx 460km, 7.5 hrs by bus, enjoyed the sightseeing from a moving bus's windows (country roads, hilly & winding, greeneries, oil palm estates, small town charm etc), my 1st time taking a public transport passing the rural East Coast Expressway away from the hustle & bustle of city LIFE (it's never too late to act on your dream); after our hotel check-in, took an evening walk to downtown Kuala Besut & the jetty area - a first glimpse of this quaint, coastal town in the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia overlooking the South China Sea ! 

Kuala Lumpur > Gua Musang >
Machang > Pasir Puteh > Jerteh >
Kuala Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia
(approx 455km, 7.5hrs by bus)

1) The start of my Rapid KL LRT train ride (06.45) from SS15, Subang Jaya > Putra Heights (transit) > Bandar Tasik Selatan, Cheras (07.00 > 08.00) 

2) KTM Train Station, Bandar Tasik Selatan (BTS) - meet up (08.30) with my travel buddy, KF Wong taking a KTM train from KL Sentral > Bandar Tasik Selatan, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur  

3) Bandar Tasik Station (BTS) Bus Terminal - bought our express bus tickets (MyXpress Rm38 = US$8.50 for Seniors, expecting to depart 09.30) from a Ticketing Counter, BTS for our bus journey to Kuala Besut, Terengganu (approx 455km, 7.5hrs) 

4) On board the MyXpress bus departing 10.00 (a delay of 30 minutes) from BTS, Cheras > Kuala Besut, Terengganu.

5) Suburban scenery from BTS, Cheras > Karak Expressway > Gua Musang - hilly & winding, lots of greeneries. 

6) Stopover (13.30) & lunch break (40 minutes) in Gua Musang, Kelantan (after almost 4 hours of bus drive) - savoured a plate of white rice with fish, beef offal, tofu & curry gravy (Rm13 = US$2.90) - enjoyed eating this Kelantan style meal very much ! Continuing our bus journey from Gua Musang to Kuala Besut & a brief stopover in Machang & Pasir Puteh (Kelantan state) & Jerteh (Terengganu state) picking & dropping passengers before arriving in Kuala Besut Bus & Taxi Terminal (approx 205km for this leg of travel) ! 

Gua Musang  > Machang >
Pasir Puteh (Kelantan) > Jerteh >
Kuala Besut (Terengganu)
- approx 204km

Gua Musang Bus Terminal
Kelantan, Malaysia

Rice + Fish + Beef offal + Tofu
(Rm13 = US$ 2.90)

Machang Bus Terminal, Kelantan

Pasir Puteh, Kelantan 

Jerteh, Terengganu

7) Arriving (17.30) in Kuala Besut Bus & Taxi Terminal, Terengganu; my longest bus journey experience (7.5hr) since my last bus ride from Kota Bharu > Kuala Lumpur (8.5hrs) in August 2019 ! 

7) Hotel Accommodation (1 night): IZ Budget Hotel, Kuala Besut, room tariff Rm70 (US$15.60) for a 2 single beds room, convenient location ie 200m to Kuala Besut Bus Terminal, 1km to Kuala Besut Jetty, 300m to Pantai Timur Supermarket & Departmental Store, free transfer to jetty (one way only), for return from jetty to hotel by hotel's vehicle, the service fee is Rm10 (US$2.20) per ride at your request !  

8) Express Bus Ticketing Counters, Kuala Besut Bus & Taxi Terminal, 3-4 counters operating here so pick the bus of your choice & the time of departure (day & night) ! You may buy the bus ticket in advance or spot buy to suite your time of departure ! 

9) After the hotel check-in, we took an evening walk to downtown & Kuala Besut Jetty for a familiarisation visit ! 

10) Dinner in a cafe / restaurant in Kuala Besut Bus & Taxi Terminal - each of us savoured a plate of kampung fried rice Rm8 (US$1.80).