Kota Bharu Hotels

Kota Bharu is a conservative Muslim city in Malaysia, serving as the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. The area is a great place to visit for cultural and historical attractions, and the Independence Square is an ideal place to start sightseeing since most of the museums are located there. You can see local artisan crafts and buy handmade items at Muzium Kraftangan. Muzium Negeri, the State Museum, is a perfect venue to learn about the culture and history of Kota Bharu, and Muzium Adat Istiadat DiRaja Kelantan also provides ancient artefacts for history buffs. The local temples are quite beautiful, especially Wat Phothivihan, which is home to a large statue of Buddha in repose. Buddha is sculpted standing with a dragon boat at Wat Phothivihan, and he is captured sitting at Wat Machimarran Varran. You are not limited to sightseeing at Kota Bharu,as the city hosts weekly cultural shows that you will not want to miss. You can peruse the night market if you want to purchase local wares. There are river cruises and rafting excursions for those who like the water, and be sure to visit Stong Waterfall, one of the tallest in South East Asia.

When To Go

While you will not need a coat for your trip to Kota Bharu, you will definitely need rain wear. Kota Bharu is a very humid, tropical area, with no real dry season. The most rain falls August through January, and the average annual rainfall is around 270 cm (106 inches). Like many rainforests, Kota Bharu experiences short bursts of rain on most days. During the wetter months, the accumulation can be as much as 60 cm (24 inches), but other times of year the range is around 8-12 cm (3-5 inches) per month. The temperatures vary by a few degrees throughout the year, and it is always warm or hot. The coolest months are around 28°C (82°F), with evening lows around 22°C (72°F).

• March through October: 30-31°C (86-88°F)

• November through March: 28-29°C (82-84°F)

• Heavy rains August through January

Getting There

Air travellers can fly into Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, located in Pengkalan Chepa in Kota Bharu. It is a 15-minute drive to the centre of the city by taxi, or you can take the airport bus for a 20-minute trip. You can also take a train to Kota Bharu from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur via the Jungle Railway. The Jungle Railway is a popular tourist train that will stop at several smaller stations along the way. Ekspres Wau provides daily trains to Kuala Lumpur, and the Express Timuran runs to Singapore and features a sleeper car for overnight trips. There are several state-operated buses that service Kota Bharu as well. Long distance buses are stationed at Langgar.

• Air: Sultan Ismail Petra Airport is in Pengkalan Chepa

• Train: Wakaf Bharu Station is 6.5 km (4 miles) from city centre

• Bus: SKMK and Transnasional are predominate lines

Kota Bharu General Information

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