Kelantan is located on the north eastern corner of Peninsular Malaysia and shares a common border with Thailand in the north. The state is a veritable treasure trove of delights rustic fishing villages; palm fringed beaches, lush rice fields and traditional pastimes such as kite -flying and top-spinning. The people here have managed to preserve their old customs and traditions. Thus, Kelantan is aptly dubbed the 'Cradle of Malay Culture'.
Kota Bharu, the bustling state capital emanates an old world charm and offers tourists the opportunity to witness a microcosm of the unique Kelantanese way of life. The sights, sounds and colors that are authentically Kelantan can be captured at the Central Market, an irresistible treat for shutterbugs. The colorful and lively atmosphere of the bazaar, dominated by women traders who sell a wide variety of vegetables, seafood, cakes, batik, handicrafts and preserved food is truly a sight to behold.
The state is noted for its cottage industries such as batik-printing, silverware, wood-carving and songket weaving. The Cultural Centre in the heart of the town is popular as it showcases Kelantan's rich heritage of cultures and traditions. Here, visitors can watch skillful demonstrations of kite-flying involving the giant "wau", huge saucer-shaped tops or "gasing" that can spin non-stop for hours and enjoy the rich resonance of the "rebana ubi", colorfully decorated giant drums. For evening entertainment, there is traditional Malay music and the "wayang kulit", a puppet show which employs a skilful combination of light and shadow play as well as "silat", the traditional Malay art as self-defense.
Kelantan has some lovely beaches in the Kota Bharu like Pantai Cahaya Bulan, Pantai Irama, Pantai Bisikan Bayu and Pantai Seri Tujuh. These beaches are as alluring as their names sound.

Getting There
Air: Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, Pengkalan Chepa, 12km north-east of Kota Bharu.
Rail: Railway stations at Wakaf Bharu and Tumpat.
Road: A better network of roads now links Kelantan to major towns in the Peninsula. It takes about 7 hours from Kuala Lumpur by road. The East-West Highway cuts through the northern peninsula, linking Kelantan to Penang.

Capital: Kota Bharu
Situated on the mouth of the Kelantan River, Kota Bharu is a pleasant town. Many of its tourist sights are located within convenient distance of each other. A leisurely way of seeing the sights is to hop onto a trishaw. Negotiate the price and the places you wish to see.