When you arrive in Kota Bharu, there are sure to be many things you’ll want to pick up. But what are the things you absolutely must get when you arrive in Kota Bharu?
Credit: mwaliman.blogspot.com
Besides their low prices, you’ll also want to get them for their uniqueness.
Here we’ll give you some ideas of what you can pick up.
Local Food
The moment you mention Kota Bharu, Kelantan, you can surely imagine the variety of food you’ll find there, all the more so since Kota Bharu is the capital of Kelantan. In Kota Bharu, you can get a range of unique foods from the land of Cik Siti Wan Kembang.
Among the interesting things you can get is Etok Salai (smoked freshwater snails). Etok Salai is so famous in Kelantan that, if you holiday in Kota Bharu, you’ll find many traders selling this dish.
Besides Etok Salai, Keropok Lekor (fish crackers) is also a very famous food on the East Coast. Its authentic taste compared with versions from other states makes this one of the must-buy items when you visit Kota Bharu.
Souvenirs
When travelling, we of course want to give gifts to our relatives, friends and neighbours. Among the gifts most fitting to give is surely something unique from that state.
Besides local food, you can also get women’s accessories, keychains and home decorations, which are plentiful around Kota Bharu and inexpensive too. Among the popular souvenirs are dolls.
This is because dolls can be had at very low prices here. For those of you coming to Kota Bharu, don’t forget to gift dolls from here to your nieces and nephews.
Cloth and Clothing
There’s a wide range of cloth and clothing you can get here. Besides being inexpensive, the cloth and clothing here are unique, because you can only find them in many varieties at reasonable prices.
Among the famous cloths here is batik, while the clothing of choice is the kaftan. The batik motif in Kelantan is of flowers and creeping plants. It is the motif most widely worn by local residents.
If you intend to gift something unique to your family and female acquaintances, batik cloth and kaftans are the perfect choice.
Postcards
Although not as famous as food and clothing, postcards are also among the best gifts, as they symbolise the area you’ve explored. If you want to keep memories of Kelantan, postcards are among the best.
This method has been used since the old days, when there were no cameras to keep memories. You can send these postcards to your family and acquaintances through the post office, or you can make them keepsake souvenirs.
Postcards are very suitable for collecting, as they can become unique memories when you’re older.
Handicrafts
In the land of Cik Siti Wan Kembang, there are various shops selling Malay handicrafts. Among the famous handicrafts here are mengkuang mats, tudung saji (food covers), rattan and baskets.
While still retaining their traditional style, these handicrafts are often styled in a modern way, as they have their own aesthetic value.
Besides that, there are also bracelets and bangles made by local people. Some use freshwater pearls and some use beads. These gifts are made especially for women and are used as personal adornments for women.
You can get them for as little as RM5 in Kota Bharu. Besides bracelets and bangles, crafts in the form of necklaces, pendants and anklets are also available here.
Come on, once you’ve arrived in Kota Bharu, book your homestay with us here.
