The capital of Pahang offers a modern and rustic holiday experience.
THIS used to be known as 'jalan ikan masin', then 'jalan bicycle' and now it is 'jalan Cafe'," says Steven Hong as he stretches out his right hand and points to the busy main road in front of his shop.
So excited is he in talking about the address of his 40-year-old kitchenware shop, that he stands on his high stool near the small entrance.
The quiet and serious looking 60-yearold Hong took over the shop in Jalan Besar, Kuantan, from his uncle. Those days, he continues, out-of-towners would walk end to end along the two rows of century-old shophouses in the state capital's main thoroughfare, looking for the best bargains of dried seafood.
"It's said the ikan masin sold in this stretch made the best souvenir from Kuantan," he says.
His face lights up and I can see him smile behind his lilac-coloured face mask.
Perhaps he is reminiscing about the good old days when Kuantan's seafood products were one of the most sought-after.
Now standing closer to the edge of his shop's five-foot way, Hong looks up to the towering Kuantan 188 nearby.
"Those days, visitors were not tourists. They were either here for business, balik kampung or just passing by," he says.
"But, now we get more tourists here. They're either from out of Pahang or the city, and they come to Jalan Besar just to check out all those viral cafes," adds Mrs Hong.
"Your shop is viral too. That's the reason why I am here," I reply.
My remark elicits an immediate burst of laughter from the cheerful couple.
SOMETHING VIRAL
But there is nothing spectacularly touristy about the Hong's shop — Soon Woh Kitchenware Enterprise. It's just a shop selling cookware and kitchen utensils.
"We didn't know that the shop went viral until people started to come after the travelling was eased in 2020. Thanks to this window display," Hong, the husband, chuckles.
Unlike other shops along the stretches, Soon Woh has only a small opening that is enough for one person to stand, and that opening is further blocked by a folded table.
The rest of the original entrance is covered with hanging kitchen utensils and equipment, which the duo hung in the early phase of the Movement Control Order to pass their time.
Once they're allowed to open their business, the "window display" attracted passers-by and soon, images of colourful pots and pans, plates and cups, trays and whatnot hanging on the entrance began hitting the Net. It became the talk of the town that spread beyond Kuantan city limits.
"No-lah, the big stars are actually those hipster cafes. There's the famous Kula Cakes at the end of this row, then Tjantek and next door, Kuantan Pickers.
"And there are more here and across the road, like Watak Kopi, and also in other parts of the city. You just need to do a little research," says Mrs Hong.
Yes, she's right. We did stumble upon quite a number of cafes — all hipster-looking with their own identity and character
as we walked the length of the century-old shophouses from the inner lane of Jalan Teruntum, where the city's latest colourful attraction — the Kuantan Art Street — is located.
"But seriously, you just have to go up the tower. It's our latest star attraction, otherwise your visit here is not complete," says the bubbly Mrs Hong, pointing at the majestic Kuantan 188 tower.
SOMETHING DARING
Oh yes, I did. Kuantan 188, the city's latest landmark that was officially opened in February, is the first activity in our itinerary.
I have booked the earliest slot for the tower's latest activity in the skywalk.
"Don't worry about the morning traffic, the tower is just a few minutes away, and the traffic here in Kuantan is not as bad as KL (Kuala Lumpur)," says my newfound friend Julia Rashid, who is accompanying us on our city tour.
Julia is the executive assistant manager of AC Hotel By Marriott Kuantan and I asked her about the travelling time from the hotel to the tower.
Yes, it takes less than 10 minutes to reach the tower. The hotel turns out to be the right place to stay in Kuantan, thanks to its strategic location — not right smack in the heart of the city, and also not too far away from all the happenings.
The moment we step into the lobby of Kuantan 188, I am awed. The bright morning sun shines through the all-glass walls, which also brings in the sight of Sungai Kuantan with its grand "KUANTAN" sign that stands at the mangrove-covered
bank.
Honestly, for some reason, I expected to walk in a somewhat passable lobby. After all, the tower is located in Jalan Besar, which is probably the oldest road in the city.
But Kuantan 188 proves me wrong. Not only it is the city's latest icon at 188 metres high, but it is also the second tallest lookout tower in Malaysia after the Kuala Lumpur Tower at 421m.
Done with the necessary pre-tour preparations and safety briefing, we are taken up to the open observation deck, where the Skywalk activity is conducted.
So what is Skywalk activity? Oh, it's just a walk along the open platform that encircles the tower's outdoor Observation Deck... outside the deck's tempered glass panels.
Yes, you walk on a platform made of steel mesh outside the tower deck and the only thing that holds you to the deck is the "string" of a safety harness!
Is it scary? Thankfully, I'm not altophobic, but I'm pretty sure it can be intimidating for those who have a fear of heights.
However, judging by the excitement Julia and my family show, the fear has slowly disappeared. Thanks to the staff's professionalism, we enjoy the superb view of Kuantan city and the pleasant weather.
SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
Thanks to its location, AC Hotel By Marriott Kuantan puts me and my family in the centre of places that we planned to visit.
One of them is the much talked-about Starbucks outlet in Pantai Teluk Cempedak, and the best part of it is that the beach is just less than 5km away.
While the glasshouse outlet looks everything like those photos I've seen on the Internet, it is actually the beach that surprises me the most.
I can't remember how it looked like the last time I was here, but I know that it didn't look as well planned and equipped as it is now.
The moment my car heads down from the small hill towards the beach, the little township of Teluk Cempedak looks like a mini version of Phuket or Bali.
Looking for something more rustic, we head south towards Pantai Anak Air, which is just 8km from the hotel. Though there's another beach nearby we choose to go further because the name of this beach draws us there.
Located deep inside Kampung Anak Air and far away from the busy Jalan Tanjung Lumpur, the beach is charming and rustic as I have expected.
Except for the swings, there is no modern "touristy" facility and on top of that, the peaceful kampung setting adds to the serenity of the area. And a stunning sunset concludes my family's impromptu short holiday in Kuantan.
