Kuantan by Taxi 🚖 from Mersing

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East Malaysia & Borneo - Tioman to Kuantan

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

 

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.

More about Tioman Island

A one-car garage, Tioman-style

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

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.

Miserable in Mersing

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.

Kuantan
Kuantan
Kuantan
Kuantan
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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.

All Hotel Deals in Kuantan

Kuantan by Taxi

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.

Flights from Kuantan to KL


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5 Comments

Debs

June 5, 2024at 11:16 pm

Hi! How much was your taxi from Mersing to Kuantan and how recent was your trip? I’m going to need to do the same. Thanks!

    SandSpice

    June 6, 2024at 8:53 am

    We paid RM 150 (about USD 30) in 2022. Now you can expect to pay something in the range of RM 200 (it’s a 196 km trip)

Michael Herman

September 24, 2017at 1:54 pm

We 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

    SandSpice

    September 24, 2017at 5:05 pm

    Things must have changed a lot since then – My previous trip to Malaysia (and Singapore) was in 1979…

    Michael Herman

    September 24, 2017at 5:13 pm

    We 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.

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