@fauzi ali
Kota Bharu’s main stretch of coastline was once known as Pantai Cinta Berahi, or the Beach of Passionate Love. In keeping with Islamic sensibilities, it is now known as Pantai Cahaya Bulan, or Moonlight Beach. The beach lies 20 minutes from Hotel Ma’Wa and Hotel Salaam Suites in the centre of Kota Bharu. The vast majority of people call it “PCB”. Episodes of erosion have led to the construction of a large seawall, but PCB’s sandy expanse is still worth considering for a lunch of fish.
The road that leads to PCB is very scenic, especially by bicycle, and there are batik shops and studios along the way. To arrive by open-air transport, take bus number 10 (RM2) from behind the Handicraft Village (Kampung Kraftangan) in Kota Bharu.
I knew from my Google search that this beach (translated as Moonlight Beach) is the beach closest to Kota Bharu, but it is too far to walk. Besides this beach, Pantai Nami is also one of the famous beaches in Kota Bharu! Don’t forget to stop by there too!
Another way to get to Pantai Cahaya Bulan is by taxi. The taxi fare will cost roughly RM 20.
We at Salaam Suites set off for Pantai Cahaya Bulan in our own private car. The weather was rather scorching. So we would not recommend cycling or walking. But one piece of good news is that the road to the beach is fairly flat. So your journey to this beach is more comfortable.
@Andrew Tan
We passed through several villages along the way - Kampung Banggol, Kampung Kijang, and Peng Chepa. There are shops selling batik materials, songket (traditional Malay men’s headgear), and guava juice stalls. Don’t be shy about visiting these shops.
Someone told me that people in Kelantan are different from other parts of Malaysia and not very friendly. This was not my experience at all. People were very welcoming, and I received plenty of waves, smiles, and “hello” greetings along the way.
Finally, after about 15 minutes, we arrived at Pantai Cahaya Bulan. As we relaxed, we enjoyed a glass of sugarcane juice. From afar we could hear the rolling of the waves. It was so comfortable for an afternoon nap.
@zali99
However, it soon became clear that there were no taxis around, no one on the beach, and most of the beachside restaurants were closed. No doubt the place gets busy on weekends and school holidays.
The 1.5km beach itself is OK. The sand quality is good and the water looks clean, though not postcard blue. The trees (palm and casuarina) are set back quite far, and there is no shade on the beach itself. This shoreline is exposed to sand erosion, and a rugged rocky seawall has been put in place to help protect the beach.
The sea looks calm enough, but there may be dangerous currents during the monsoon season (Nov-Dec). There are no lifeguards on duty. So be careful if you play in the water at the beach.
The restaurants and food stalls that are open mostly sell fried seafood.
Overall I would say that if you want a beach to yourself and you don’t mind the lack of shade, Pantai Cahaya Bulan is a good place to come. I did not see it in the moonlight, though it might look magical, but based on the daytime view, in my opinion there are better beaches elsewhere in Malaysia.
@Titan T
How to Get to Pantai Cahaya Bulan
As mentioned earlier, the bus (#10) and taxi are the usual ways to get to Pantai Cahaya Bulan. The trip takes about 20 minutes. If you are driving yourself, take route D1 all the way from Kota Bharu. The beach is marked on my interactive map on the Beaches & Islands page.
Don’t be confused by inaccurate maps that often show Pantai Cinta Ghairah as being in a separate location from Moonlight Beach, when I believe they are one and the same beach. The Beach of Passionate Love, or Pantai Cinta Berahi, was once the old name for this beach, but it was changed by the conservative government that runs Kelantan to something more appropriate.
