The area around Bukit Maras in Kuala Terengganu is a hiking site with four different hills in its vicinity. Bukit Maras is the highest among the four and its peak is also a paragliding take off site. During my trip, I have only used the main 4×4 road up and down the peak of Bukit Maras due to time constraints. If you like more jungle trails, there is actually a forest trail loop called ‘Trans 4 Puncak Bukit Maras’, which takes you to the four peaks through the forest trails. What I missed out on are some of the nice trees and big rocks sceneries in the forest trails.
Kapas Island, or Pulau Kapas, is a lesser-known gem in Terengganu, compared to the popular Perhentian and Redang islands. Other than beach chilling, snorkeling and diving, Pulau Kapas is also popular for its hiking activity to Bukit Singa (Lion Hill).
Rating Easy but perilous. Beware of scree when making your way along the steeper, more exposed parts of the trails as your footwork can dislodge small rocks that will tumbling onto hikers below. At the cliff edge, beware of small ledges giving way or slipping on the loose rubble.
Bukit Besar is Kuala Terengganu’s main hiking spot and is a favorite trail for hikers around the state capital of Terengganu. Bukit Besar offers beginner’s level trails that connect to the telecommunication tower and the other peaks, such as Bukit Botok, and Bukit Tobak. Do note that although it is considered an easy hiking spot, some parts of the trail, especially in Track A, may prove challenging due to the trails disappearing or turning slippery due to infrequent usage (to be covered below).
The most popular hiking spot on Kapas Island is, of course, the captivating Bukit Singa which I covered in the previous post. In this post, we will focus on the Berakit Jungle Trekking Trail of Pulau Kapas. While the Berakit trails and its destination at Teluk Berakit Besar’s bay don’t have a lot of instagramable views compared to Bukit Singa, the South side features a peaceful jungle trail, and the destination offers a quiet bay on the other side of the island, where you would often have the whole place for yourself.
Bukit Chendering is a small peak for a quick hike in Kuala Terengganu. Situated by the beach of Pantai Chendering, it is about 20 minutes drive from the heart of Kuala Terengganu.
