Sura Gate: Dungun's bustling urban area

Sura Gate is fast becoming an urban area for Dungun District. It is a new urban centre with many commercial establishments. It is 4km from Kuala Dungun, the old town centre. Sura Gate gets her name due the railway gate that open and close when the train which brought  iron ore from Bukit Besi to the port passes this area.

The area is just 500metres from Kuala Terengganu-Kuantan main road. So the development shifted here to take advantage of the main road. The banks and government office like Police and hospital are located  along this main road too.

There is a parallel beach road which links Kuala Dungun to far end until you reach the forest reserve near the Uitm campus. This road to me is a breath-taking since it is parallel to the sea coast with casuarina trees where you can see the sea.  Lots of food stall along this beach road. 

Next time you are in Kuala Dungun, visit Sura Gate for lunch and turn to the beach road to get a good view of the sea. I bet, you will like it. Happy travelling.

Jerteh: A Town with a New Identity

Jerteh is a town in the district of Besut, north of Terengganu bordering the state of Kelantan. Being an agricultural district, Jerteh town flourishs with the support of its population. In Besut, there are three small towns that have different function and located a few kilometres apart. Jerteh is a commercial centre. Kampung Raja (10 km from Jerteh) hosts government offices and Kuala Besut (4km from Kampong Raja), a gateway to Perhentian Islands. Kuala Besut has high population density. Should these three towns merge together, it can become a big city.

Jerteh being a commercial centre for Besut now seems to expand further south-west with the relocation of a bus station. The new landmark for Jerteh now is the new big mosque. The double-storey mosque is stylish, new design and high. It is visible from far.There is traditional building (timber building) near the old bus station  and is used as a surau. In front of the surau, I found the parking is unique. It  has a high roof. This parking space can be used for other purposes like exhibition centre, car sales, etc.

The new landmark.

The surau (small mosque) made of timber. It is a Terengganu architecture which is a heritage by itself.

The parking area has a high covered roof. It is the first of its kind in Besut.

The paddy or rice plantation which supply rice to Malaysians.

If you are interested to drop by this town, drive north from Kuala Terengganu to Jerteh. Normal drive will take two hours. On the way, before you reach Jerteh, you will see vast paddy fields. It is a like a big green carpet. Take pictures of this rice field because the next time you visit, you may not see this field again. Happy travelling.

Kuala Besut: A Check-in Point for Perhentian Islands

Kuala Besut  is traditionally a fishing village and now becomes a small town by itself due to economic development. It has a tourist jetty as well as a fish landing jetty on the other side of the river. Located near the Besut river mouth, Kuala Besut is the gate way to Perhentian Islands. Tourism has bring employment to some of the residents here especially in food catering, boat service and accommodation.

Fast boat ferries the tourists to the island at the river mouth.

The park and walkway at Kuala Besut.

The boats are parked at the river bank near the tourist jetty.

Kuala Besut tourist jetty

The town has developed organically and the latest addition is the food court at the sea side. Budget hotels and private car parking areas for rental are mushrooming too. Kuala Besut supplies some of the needs of the residents and tourists that stay on those islands.

If you visit Kuala Besut, you can take a bus or taxi from Kuala Terengganu. However, Kuala Besut is closer to Kota Bharu, the capital of Kelantan.There is also  bus service from Kuala Bharu or Pasir Puteh to Kuala Besut. Happy travelling.