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Read my previous post about Kelantan:

What to expect at Kelantan ? 

The Best Hotel in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

[PART 1]:The Perdana Trail Programme, A Historical and Heritage Walk

After a break at Din Tokyo, we continue our journey to Instana Jahar (Muzium Adat Istiadat) that was located not far from Din Tokyo. But before we had to Istana Jahar, we have a quick stop at Bank Pitis. Bank Pitis ws the oldest building built during the administrative rule of Sultan Muhammad III locates at the entrance of Istana Balai Besar. The building measuring 12 feet in height  and 12 feet width and was a place to keep the government’s money. “Pitis” mean money in the Kelantanese dialect.

100 meter from the Istana Balai Besar, is te Istana Jahar (Jaha Palace). 

This was a Royal Residence, built by Sultan Muhamad II in 1887 for his gradson, Long Kundur. It has luxurious woodcarving that showcase the excellent Kelantanese craftsmanship. 

The palace has turn into a museum that display old photographs of the royal kinsman, artifacts and traditional handicraft reflecting Kelantan’s rich and sophisticated heritage. In each of the rooms in this palace shows the tradition of the Kelantanese royal culture. 

The highlight of this palace was the carving of the palace, at the walls, spiral staircase and architecture of the palace. We were told by Encik Taha that this palace was built without any nails. Amazing!

Next we visit The Royal Museum (Istana Batu) which displays the traditions and customs of Kelantan Royal Families.  

This palace was built in 1939 during the reign of Sultan Ismail , son of the late Sultan Muhammad IV . The overall design of the palace was inspired by the Sultan Ismail and it was a gift to Sultan Yahya Petra and Raja Perempuan Zainab II as a wedding gift.

After exploring Istana Batu, we head to Handicraft Village to visit The Craft Museum that is also known as Balai Geta Guri that is located across the Istana Batu. 

This is the place for you to buy some souvenirs. Most of the craft are the wood carving, such as the carving of a Purfarfish in a birdhouse, unique bamboo carving, batik and songket.

When you come to the Craft Museum, you must aware of a crowd and mainly they are the local people. This is because there’s a restaurant that is located inside the Craft Museum and has made them to come and enjoy their lunch at Nasi Ulam Cikgu.

It was a full house when we entered Nasi Ulam Cikgu restaurant,  majority are the local people who love to eat Nasi Ulam.  We were so lucky as our seats have already been reserved. Their major attractive are the Nasi Ulam one of the local delicacies among other are Budu (special Sauce), Sayur Lemak,  and Ikan Keli goreng  (fried Catfish).

Our lunch at Nasi Ulam Cikgu consist of two big fried Catfish, two fried chicken, Asam Pedas Ikan Patin, Sayur Lemak, Ikan Goreng, Budu served with Tempoyak, Sambal Pedas, White rice and syrup. This whole set just cost us RM 56.00 per serving for 6 packs. Delicious and Cheap! What more that I can said. While we’re eating, we were entertained by the traditional music played at the Handicraft Village. It’s really a joyful way for us to enjoy great food with mesmerizing music. 

After filling up our tummy with Nasi Ulam, we headed to the Islamic Museum that is located on the right side of the Muhammadi Mosque. 

Museum Islamic is a place where you can trace the root of Islam in Kelantan. The building itself resemble the mosque-like building. It contains various artifacts and inscriptions documents of how Islam got introduced in Kelantan and how it became such an important element in the everyday life in Kelantan.

 During our visit, the showcase was all about Tok Guru Nik Aziz, The Former Chief Minister of Kelantan. It shows all information, pictures, and all his activities while becoming the most beloved teacher for Kelantanese residents.

Our last pit stop was Bank Kerapu or also known as the Kelantan War Museum. This is a historic buiding that is located in the downstream side of Padang Merdeka, Kota Bharu. 

This building was built in 1912 was first used as a commercial bank and believed as the first building/bank opened int he state. The Mercantile Bank of India Limited, thus the name Kerapu Bank. The word ‘Kerapu’ refers to the rough exterior walls of the building. During the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, this building was used as the headquarters of the Japanese secret police, or known as ‘Kempetai’. 

After the war ended, the building was reused as a bank, and turn into a memorial museum displaying pictures, memorabilia and artifacts of World War II.

After visiting the museum, we went back to the hotel with style. We took slow ride by trishaw and catch a glimpse of Kota Bharu on wheels. The Perdana Trail took us 6 hours to complete all the pit stops by visiting museums, palace and some shop and restaurant.

Apparently, for me that time were quite compact for a full day walking around Kota Bharu. But overall, 6 hours of walking really make an eye opener about the culture,historical and heritage in Kelantan. For me, besides visiting Pasar Siti Khadijah as the main attractive place in Kota Bharu, we can also visit some of the historical places by following the Perdana Trail steps.

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I hope you can find this blogpost useful so that, when the next time you visit Kelantan so can have some information that you need here and which hotel is the best place to stay.

Next will be my reviews on Kelantan local food. Stay tune.

LOVE...