KELANTAN : Travel Tips!
Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia and FireFlyz link to Kota Bharu to the major towns in the peninsular. Trains are available at the Wakaf Bharu Station and Sungai Golok Station. There are adequate taxis [please make sure they use meters] and buses plying between the capital and outlying districts.
Car rental agencies are plentiful. Travel agents can easily plan a hassle-fee holiday for you. Need affordable and comfortable rental car? Try this one:
J&W Car Rental
Nor Wahdi Wari
Mobile: +6012 988 8766
Email: admin@jwcarental.com
Website: http://www.jwcarental.com
Address: Lot C 108, Arrival Hall, Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, 16100 Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
GPS Coordinate: 6.167222N, 102.291944E
J&W Car Rental
Nor Wahdi Wari
Mobile: +6012 988 8766
Email: admin@jwcarental.com
Website: http://www.jwcarental.com
Address: Lot C 108, Arrival Hall, Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, 16100 Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
GPS Coordinate: 6.167222N, 102.291944E
By Air:
Daily flights are available to and from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johore. For reservations please contact:
24-hour call centre
[ Ticketing, lost baggage, group bookings, flight cancellations, general enquiries]
Within Malaysia: 1 300 88 3000
Outside Malaysia: +603 7843 3000
For premium customer service line [charge MYR1.95 per minute]:
Operating hours (7am - 7pm) : 600 85 9999
Airport ticketing office [Operating daily from 5am to 11pm]:
Ground Floor, Departure Hall,
Terminal 3 Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport,
47200 Subang, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Phone: +603 7846 3822
Call centre [Operating daily from 8am to 9pm]: +603 7845 4543
By Road:
There is an excellent network of roads linking the major towns in Peninsular Malaysia to Kelantan. From Kuala Lumpur, the overland route takes one eastward along the Karak Highway or Lebuhraya Pantai Timur [E8] to Kuantan, Pahang a journey of about 2 hours.
The rest of the journey from Kuantan to Kota Bharu takes about 4.5 hours if you take the route heads northward along the coast passing through picturesque villages and providing scenic vistas of the palm-fringed beaches overlooking the azure waters of South China Sea. The inland route to Kota Bharu turns off the Karak Highway at Bentong and proceeds northwards to Raub and Gua Musang, before reaching Kota Bharu. Another alternative route exits the Karak Highway at Temerloh and passes through Jerantut, Benta and Gua Musang en-route to Kota Bharu.
However those who prefer to go on straight road, the Lebuhraya Pantai Timur [E8] is the easiest quickest way to be in Kota Bharu. It starts from Karak all the way to Terengganu. This E8 is about 350KM long with 4 lanes and roughly about 10 tolls. Estimation time is probably about less than 4 hours. Then from Terengganu to Kota Bharu is around 1.5 hours to get to the town centre.
Those from Penang, one has to the Grik via Sungai Petani in Kedah and then travel along the scenic East-West Highway to Jeli in Kelantan before continuing the journey to Kota Bharu.
Lazy to drive but prefer to travel by road? Don't freak out! There are regular air-conditioned express bus services between all states to all major towns in Kota Bharu.
By Taxi:
Taxi services are available on a basis of four passengers to a taxi. Time of departure will depend on its full loads. Rates below is not accurate but just a simple guidelines.
Daily Taxi Service Rates | |
DESTINATION | RATE (Per Person) |
Kota Bharu - Kuala Terengganu | RM12 - RM15 |
Kota Bharu - Gua Musang | RM12 - RM15 |
Kota Bharu - Kuantan, Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth, Penang, Ipoh. | RM25 - RM40 (According to the distance travelled) |
Airport | RM10 |
By Bus:
Air-conditioned bus services are available from Kota Bharu to various major towns within Peninsular Malaysia and up to Singapore at reasonable rates.By Rail:
The nearest railway station to Kota Bharu is at Wakaf Bharu, some 6.5 kilometers away from the city center. You can catch a public bus there or ask your hotel/guesthouse to arrange a taxi for you (RM15-20 as of Feb 2010). The official taxis at the station have a rate sheet.Trains run on the Jungle Railway to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. One attraction is the Jungle Train which stops at almost every station between Tumpat and Gemas, allowing you to enjoy close-up contact with local people as the train travels through the heart of Peninsular Malaysia. The name "jungle train" is a misnomer: there is little if any jungle along the route. Officially the Mail Train 91, it leaves at 05:21 from Wakaf Bharu station and reaches Gemas at 20:00, travelling via Jerantut (for Taman Negara National Park). Gemas is located on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore trunk line and you can catch connecting trains there.
Other trains are:
To/From Kuala Lumpur: There is a daily Ekspres Wau train all the way to KL (maybe around MYR38 for 13 hours), stopping at Kuala Lipis, Jerantut and Gemas.
To Singapore: The new Ekspres Lambaian Timur departs at 06:20 daily (not running anymore - 13/08/2009). This train allows you to see the jungles of Kelantan and Pahang as it covers that stretch during the day. The Express Timuran departs at 20:30 daily (around MYR70 for an air-con 2nd-class sleeper- 16hours).
To Thailand: There are no train services directly into Thailand. You will have to catch a bus to Rantau Panjang and cross the border into Sungai Kolok and proceed from there.
From the Thai Border town of Sungai Kolok, there is a red city liner bus 29 for RM5.10, which runs the 36km stretch. Just wait along the Malaysian side of the border along the covered walkway and flag it.
Contact nearest station master in Wakaf Bharu at +609 719 6986.
Customs
Items that are allowed to be brought into the country duty free include 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars; one bottle of liquor; and perfume in an amount considered reasonable for personal use. A limited number of gifts may also be brought into the country duty free. If you're a non-resident carrying foreign currency, it should be declared when you arrive if the amount exceeds US$10,000. Prohibited items include firearms, narcotics and endangered plants and animals.
Visa and Passports
All visitors entering Malaysia must be in possession of a passport that is valid for at least 6 months longer than their intended stay in the country. For those requiring visas, application should be made at a Malaysian embassy or consulate in advance of arrival. Visa, which has been granted is not absolute guarantee that the holder will be allowed to enter Malaysia. The final decision lies with the Immigration Officer at the entry point.
Types of Visas
* Single Entry Visa
Issued to foreign nationals who require a visa to enter Malaysia mainly for a social or business visit. Normally valid for a single entry and for a period of 3 months from the date of issue.
* Multiple Entry Visa
Issued to foreign nationals who require a visa to enter Malaysia mainly for business or government to government matters. Normally valid for a period within 3 to 12 months from the date of issue.
* Transit Visa
Issued to foreign nationals who require a visa to enter Malaysia on transit to other countries. Foreign nationals on transit without leaving the airport precincts and who continue their journey to the next destination with the same flight does not require a transit visa.
How To Apply For A Visa
The applicant should present himself together with the following documents:
- Passport or Travel document
- Form IM.47 (3 copies)
- 3 passport-sized photographs
- Return or onward journey travelling ticket
- Proof of sufficient funds
Visa Requirements
Visas are not required for nationals of Commonwealth countries, with the exception of nationals from from Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Nationals from the Republic of Ireland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, San Marino and Switzerland also do not require visa.
Visas are not required of nationals of the following countries, for stays of up to three months: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kirgystan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Morocco, New Zealand, North Yemen, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, UAE, USA, United Kingdom and Uruguay.
Nationals of all ASEAN countries and Hong Kong are permitted to stay for up to one month without a visa. For stays longer than one month, ASEAN nationals require a visa, with the exception of those from Brunei and Singapore.
Visas are not required for stays of up to one month for nationals of the following countries: Argentina, Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Corsica, Costa Rica, Croatia, Djibouti, Dominica Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Gabon, Greece, Greenland, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Laos, Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa and Zaire.
Nationals of the following countries DO NOT require a visa to enter Malaysia for social visit and study: USA.
GPS Coordinate: 5.320923N, 102.054916E 
Tourist Information Offices
The main tourist information office in Kota Bharu is called Tourism Malaysia Kelantan. You will find some pamphlets on area attractions and free maps at the office. Additionally, information and advice on tours and treks can be obtained at hotels or through local tour operator.
Address: Tourism Malaysia Kelantan, Kampung Kraftangan
Phone: +60 9 747 7544
Download Kota Bharu map here!
