The last I've been to Cherating Beach in Pahang was many years ago. I enjoyed the trip very much as the beaches were wide and shallow, so you could walk quite far out. Apart from the many resorts like Club Med, there were also budget chalet. So you can stay and enjoy your beach stay without burning a hole in your pocket!
Now with the highway, it takes about 3 hours drive from KL to Kuantan and a short hop over to Cherating seaside. So let's see what Cherating has to offer!
Cherating beckons with lush tropical surroundings and exciting activities
By Muhd Basyar Mustapha
Monday September 3, 2012
IT WAS a smooth three-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur to Cherating, Pahang.
The undertaking was a three-day-two-night media familiarisation trip organised by The Legend Resort Hotel Cherating, a four-star resort where we stayed, situated about 45km from Kuantan.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the resort's warm and friendly staff, not to forget the garland and welcome drinks.
Stepping into our deluxe rooms, we were pleasantly surprised by the handsomely furnished and decorated rooms.
The interior looked and felt fresh, offering a splendid view of the South China Sea. The welcoming space was definitely a good start for a getaway.
Spectacular view: The sunset, viewed from the resort.
After resting a few minutes on the comfortable bed, I took a stroll around the resort and the beach.
The resort sits on 6.5ha of greenery and offers one the pleasure of being in a tropical surrounding.
As our activity for the day was free-and-easy, I chose to go for a dip in the resort's large outdoor swimming pool.
There were two large pools — one facing the beach and another facing the resort, the latter a more suitable option for families.
Besides swimming, guests can take part in exciting activities such as taking an island trip, a banana-boat ride, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ride, snorkelling, beach football, beach volleyball, cycling and jungle trekking managed by the resort's sports and recreation centre.
Time to relax: Guests not taking part in the
activities can just laze on the beach.
We also visited the Turtle Information and Sanctuary Centre situated along Pantai Chendor, a 15-minute drive from the resort.
The centre provides information on the three types of turtles that visit our shores and the protection of the turtle landing as well as nesting sites on a 3.5km stretch of the beach.
Late that evening, members of the media and a few of the resort's guests went on a one-hour journey to Kampung Ibok, Terengganu to watch the fireflies along the village's river.
On day two, we went for a river cruise along a mangrove area and visited a fishing village in Cherating Lama.
Being an adrenaline junkie, I jumped at the opportunity to take part in the ATV ride.
Led by a guide, my media friends and I rode through the jungle while soaking up its beauty as well as the Chenang River downstream. It was definitely a va-va-vroom experience for us.
That night, we were lucky enough to witness a mother turtle laying hundreds of eggs on a beach in Kemaman, a 25-minute drive from the resort.
We were briefed by a local tour guide who was very knowledgeable about the turtles.
When visiting Cherating, one can also get a taste of Terengganu as the beach resort is is located at the border between Pahang and Terengganu.
In Cherating, we can easily find popular Terengganu food such as keropok lekor and nasi dagang along the shoulder of the main trunk road.
On our way back to Kuala Lumpur, we stopped by a few stalls by the road to buy freshly made and authentic keropok lekor.
The Legend Resort Hotel Cherating is currently offering a family package promotion called Fun in the Sun for RM550, for a three-day, two-night stay.
The package includes accommodation, meals and planned activities for children, with snacks after.
For more details, call 09-581 9818 or visit www.legendresort.com.my
Things to do in Cherating
By Edmund Ngo
Saturday April 16, 2011
Nice expansive beaches, fireflies, monkeys and more — Cherating in the East Coast is a good bet for a weekend getaway.
Tourist attractions, especially the nice beaches, tend to be mobbed by, well, tourists. You can just imagine how they are during the peak season as locals and visitors alike descend on a smallish stretch of seafronting real estate.
And so it was an eye-opening experience when we visited the East Coast and enjoyed a relaxing vacation away from the madding crowd. That place was Cherating.
Located at the northern part of Pahang, it is a place of wide and long stretches of white sandy beaches and soothing breezes. A 45-minute drive from the airport is all it takes to reach the place. My friends and I were just so happy to have the beach virtually all to ourselves that we spent the whole of our first day there.
Piping hot keropok lekor.
The beaches here are unique in that they slope very gently towards the sea with no sudden drops. During low tide, the sea retreats so much that you can stroll 50m out. It was just wonderful being able to wander around the beach, gaze at the magnificent sunset and be soothed by the refreshing sea breeze.
One of the lesser known tourist gems here are the firefly tours up Sungai Cherating. We followed Hafiz, a local tour guide who is so passionate about the insect that he became a Malaysian Nature Society member and participated in international symposiums on firefly research. His tours are not business as usual with customers taken straight to the fireflies without so much as an introduction.
Conducting only one tour every night at 8pm sharp, Hafiz begins with a 10-minute briefing on the wonder that is the insect. He ensures that everyone, especially the children, learn about the firefly's behaviour, habitat and what makes it special.
When it was time for the tour proper to begin, we donned life jackets and were taken on a boat for a cruise along the still river as the stars shimmered in the night sky. Each time we came close to a firefly-populated area, Hafiz would whip out his own contraption, a special torch, and begin to draw the fireflies to the boat without causing any harm.
It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The descending insects were like stars falling from the sky. Little twinkles of light drew near, and some even rested on my shoulders and hands. The river trip is a great reminder of the beautiful natural heritage in Pahang.
Watch Pak Ali Sulong, 67, and monkey,
Salleh, at work plucking coconuts.
Unfortunately, trying to capture the fireflies on camera was close to impossible — flash lights would overpower their natural light, and they would not stay still long enough for a low-light picture. So it's best not to fret over not being able to take that picture-perfect moment. Just sit back and enjoy Mother Nature's show.
After this awe-inspiring night, we decided to follow a guide to see the cultural attractions in the area. A particular favourite was to watch a monkey called Salleh plucking coconuts. It was marvellous to see the communication between the master, Pak Ali Sulong, 67, and Salleh, whom he had trained since young.
With his strong and deft front limbs, the monkey would twist the fruit approved by Pak Ali until it fell to the ground. Pak Ali cut open a few coconuts and we had a refreshing drink as we listened to his tales. He even showed us his skills in balancing a 3kg gasing (spinning top) and said he frequently participated in tournaments .
Another local cultural activity worth witnessing is pandanus weaving. Our guide brought us to the weaving centre where we met Zainu Abdullah, 53, who started weaving when she was only 12. She carefully showed us the process of removing the thorns and cutting the pandan leaves into strips before bleaching and soaking them in dye. The strips were then used to weave mats, bags, baskets and even fans.
Fun slides at a water theme park in Pahang. — K. T. GOH
Our stomachs were growling after a few futile attempts at weaving the leaves, so our guide brought us to sample the must-try local delicacy in these parts — keropok lekor. Keropok lekor is essentially fish sausage, produced using fish meat blended with sago flour and other spices. This would be rolled into small sausages and fried or steamed, depending on your preference.
On our last day in Pahang, we decided to be more active and take a plunge at the Bukit Gambang Resort City in Kuantan. The resort city has the biggest water theme park in the East Coast at 243ha, and utilises cashless transactions for all visitors. This cashless system, or e-value system, basically incorporates a prepaid wristband that allows you to pay for food, tubes and even locker rental within the water theme park without having to carry a wallet around.
The lockers also use a RFID (radio-frequency identification) wristband which eliminates the need for coins. We raced each other at the six-lane Racer Slide. The many twists and turns of the Crystal Slides had our adrenalin pumping.
As the day drew to an end, we packed our bags and headed for the airport with a tinge of sadness. All of us looked forward to returning to calm and serene Cherating soon.
o Firefly offers direct flights to Kuantan from Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore three times a week.
For more information, visit: www.pahangtourism.com.my
Cherating perfect for surfing
By Nik Naizi Husin
Tuesday December 28, 2010
KUANTAN: Bodysurfing or board surfing has the potential to become an attraction in Cherating.
State Tourism, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Shafik Fauzan Sharif said the popular sport required strong waves and winds and these conditions were common in the East Coast, especially during the end of the year.
"This type of weather is seasonal in the East Coast but Cherating is a good site to promote bodysurfing or board surfing.
"During the off-season, we can introduce other sea-related events," he told reporters after opening a body and board surfing clinic at the beach here on Sunday.
The event was part of Pahang's Surf Fest programme. Some 60 people took part in the two-day clinic held over the weekend and among them were Shafik Fauzan himself and Pahang Tourism Malaysia director Idros Yahya.
A number of journalists from Pahang and Kuala Lumpur also participated and put their new found skills to the test in the open sea.
On the clinic, Shafik Fauzan said licensed instructors were engaged to give talks and demonstrations on surfing techniques.
"It also allows locals to learn more about surfing and they have the added advantage of perfecting their skills as they live nearby.
"Perhaps they can be the next world-class surfers and some already have won medals in competitions abroad," he added.
Shafik Fauzan said many of the locals learnt on their own without having formal lessons on surfing.
He hoped skilled surfers could be groomed now that the sport had the support of the state government.
Source: The Star
Cherating Beach regaining popularity among tourists
Monday January 2, 2012
KUANTAN: Cherating Beach, located 47km north of here and 133km from Kuala Lumpur, used to be a popular leisure spot among locals and foreign tourists.
Many tourists were more familiar with the beach than the state capital of Kuantan.
In the late 1990s, however, tourism dwindled as Cherating, once a traditional and scenic village, was taken over by robust development.
This was a time when the beach appeared to have lost its magic and no longer attracted many visitors.
Having a splashing time : Wave riders having a great time at the beach in Cherating.
But things have turned for the better in the past three years, as the beach has become a surfing paradise.
Now, Cherating has regained some of its former glory, drawing tourists back to the beach.
Idros Yahya, general manager of the Tourism Ministry's Pahang office, said the Cherating Surf Festival held for the past three years was among the efforts to promote the beach as one of the world's leading destinations for wave-riders.
"Tourists are returning to the beach as surfing is possible throughout the year. The waves are ideal," he said.
Idros said the beach not only attracted surfers from Australia, the Maldives, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and France but domestic tourists as well.
He said the festival, held at the end of each year, had managed to restore Cherating's image as a tourist destination.
Surfers receiving instructions during a surf clinic. — Bernama
"It also provides the opportunity for local surfers to show their talents, as well as learn from foreign surfers," he said, adding that villagers benefited from the business opportunities available.
Idros said organiser Billabong Pro Am included Cherating Beach as one of the stops on its surfing circuit calendar for 2012.
"Billabong has included the beach in the Asia Surf Championship. This shows that the beach has been recognised as a surfing destination," he said.
Idros said Cherating Beach was the only one in Malaysia that had been turned into a surfing beach by the Tourism Ministry, adding that it was now listed among 19 new tourist destinations in Pahang.
"Based on statistics, Cherating received 194,075 tourists in 2008 and 198,764 in 2009, while for 2010 there was a jump to 301,819 visitors," he said. — Bernama
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