CHERATING BEACH

LOCATION:
From Kuantan city, head north for about 45 minutes. The should be ample signboards that will lead you to Cherating. From Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan city is a breezy 2.5-hour drive away on the scenic East Coast Expressway (ECE). Alternatively, there are 2-3 daily flights from KLIA to Kuantan (KUA) on Malaysia Airlines (MH). AirAsia (AK) does not fly to Kuantan.

DESCRIPTION:
The eternal lure of Cherating is embodied by the decision by the Club Med hotel chain to establish Asia's first Club Med resort here many years ago. Since then, various international class hotels and resorts sprouted along this long beach stretch.

What is known as Cherating is actually a series of different beaches with different access points. If you are driving from Kuantan, the row of medium-class resorts such as The Legend, Holiday Villa, and De Rhu Beach Resort should mark the starting point of the beach area. Another 10 minutes further, there is a small right-turn into the rustic village of Kampung Cherating. Further up on the main road brings you into Club Med Cherating. One may not be able to enter the resort (unless you are a hotel guest), but the beach fronting Club Med Cherating should be for everyone to enjoy. Then, little further is the area of Chendor beach where Suria Cherating and Impiana Resort are located.

I think the beauty of Cherating is immortalized by foreigners in its rustic villages - small roads with kampong-style chalets that can be rented cheaply, and the basic lifestyle of the people here. The actual beach is some distance away - I estimate that one need to walk for about 1-km, passing through an expansive natural lagoon area. There are necessity shops here; mini grocery stores, internet cafés, local handicrafts and food outlets.

Right at the Club Med's entrance is a turtle hatchery centre operated by local Marine & Fisheries Department. You can see hatching turtle eggs being buried in the warm sands. To be honest, I'm not really sure where do the turtles land in Cherating area - most likely the areas are closed to the public as a measure to arrest further decline in turtle population in the East Coast.