Kuantan by Taxi 🚖 from Mersing
Our 3-week journey through Malaysia and Borneo included some tight connections. One such was our lightning visit through Kuantan in order to catch our connecting flights to Kota Kinabalu in Borneo.
Highlights
- Taking the Ferry from Tioman
- In-Transit in Kuantan
- We Recommend: The Megaview Hotel, Kuantan
- All Hotel Options in Kuantan
- Cheap Flights from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur
- Our Complete Borneo Itinerary
- Useful Accessories for the Tropics
A Tight Schedule
Having spent 4 nights on the beautiful Tioman island, we planned to take an early ferry back to Mersing. From there we planned to travel on by bus to Kuantan, where we had already booked a hotel.
We needed to reach Kuantan on the same day we left Tioman, since we had an early flight to Borneo booked from Kuantan the following morning.
A one-car garage, Tioman-style
Taking the Ferry from Tioman
After chatting about our travel plans with Andy, the manager of our lodging at 1511 Coconut Grove in Tioman, we realized we might have a problem.
There is not always a morning ferry from Tioman, and there wasn’t one on the day we planned to leave. We would have to wait near the jetty in Tekek until mid-afternoon before we could board the first ferry. This would get us to Mersing around 5 pm – too late to catch a bus up to Kuantan.
While waiting for the boat in Tekek, we had a Thai meal at one of the restaurants near the ferry terminal.
The food wasn’t bad, but not as good as in Juara.
Breadfruit tree just off Juara Beach
The ferry journey is pleasant enough (see Tioman Island Ferry).
When we arrived in Mersing, we had to bite the bullet and hire one of the waiting taxis to drive us the 2-hour trip to our hotel in Kuantan. Since we had a flight to catch early the next morning, we didn’t have any choice.
At least, we wouldn’t have to spend any more time in Mersing… which was a plus.
In-Transit in Kuantan
It was dark when we approached the Mega View Hotel in Kuantan. The hotel is large and easy to spot from a distance: Right next to the river near the bridge, illuminated with a large sign.
We gave our driver a good tip, since he had another 2-hour drive back home to Mersing.
The Mega View is a modern and very comfortable hotel. The staff were helpful, and the hotel is handy for the airport.
A transfer by taxi takes about 25 minutes, and costs RM50.
Across the busy road from the hotel, we found just one place open to eat in the evening. It was nothing special, but beggars can’t be choosers.
A tree-full of bats
We were not going to get much sleep in Kuantan. Our flight the following morning was due to leave Kuantan airport at 06:40 am, so we set our alarms for 04.00 am.
We were heading back to Kuala Lumpar for a (necessary) transit stop on our way to Kota Kinabalu, in Borneo.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our East Malaysia & Borneo adventures. You may also like:
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3 Comments
Michael Herman
September 24, 2017at 1:54 pmWe would take a hired boat out to 1 of the Islands and stay for a couple of weeks. Back in 71 when i was going to Singapore American School.
SandSpice
September 24, 2017at 5:05 pmThings must have changed a lot since then – My previous trip to Malaysia (and Singapore) was in 1979…
Michael Herman
September 24, 2017at 5:13 pmWe would take a taxi from Singapore to Mersing, catch a boat to the island, and tell the guy to come back in 2 weeks. Went 2 times.