Various beach suburbs and seaside resorts are only a short distance away from Kuantan and offer idyllic stretches of white sand along the coastline.
Just 6 km / 4 miles to the east of Kuantan, Teluk Chempedak Beach is just one of the city's busiest beach haunts, and the most popular for its sunbathing, waterskiing and sailing. Sunsets and sunrises are spectacular here.
General Information
Those arriving at Teluk Chempedak Beach will find a number of walking trails fronting the coastline and heading around the rocky promontory, where a lush jungle area contrasts with the beachfront. The waves offer the best surfing opportunities between November and February, when they are at their strongest, although surfboards are not usually available for hire.
Sea kayaks can, however, be easily rented from the kiosk located close to the luxurious Hyatt Regency Hotel. Away from the hotel, a sizeable chunk of Chempedak Beach comprises a large food court specialising in seafood and snacks, with plenty of seaside gift shops being close by.
Also near to Kuantan is the village of Beserah, another beach suburb with much to offer day trippers. Balok Beach is the main tourist magnet in this area and offers a very good selection of beachfront accommodation.
Cherating Beach also deserves a mention and is regularly frequented by Kuantan holidaymakers, who come here to enjoy the surfing lifestyle and its noticeable surf vibe. Surfing lessons are on offer at several different places around Cherating, while windsurfing and kitesurfing equipment is easy to come by as well.
Edged by swaying palm trees and tropical foliage, Cherating Beach is known for its breeding colony of turtles, who arrive in this area in large numbers between April and November, to lay their eggs. The Cherating Turtle Sanctuary is based in this area and easily reached from Kuantan, being situated at the neighbouring Chendor Beach and operated by the Malaysian Department of Fisheries. Horse riding tours are also available around the beach, and apart from surfing and windsurfing, other popular water sports here include snorkelling, fishing trips and sea kayaks.
