Kota Bharu is known as the Cultural City, a town that is most "Malays" in Malaysia. It is the centre for Malay culture. It is the place for you to sample the Malay traditional culture, crafts and religion. In 1993, The National Land Agency of Japan awarded Kota Bharu as one of the Best 8 cities in the world based on cultural uniqueness and the best tourist destination. The town of Kota Bharu was built by Sultan Muhammad II in 1844. After 150 years, Kota Bharu still serves as the administrative centre of the state, bustling trade, and cultural activities.

Something of the identity of Kota Bharu, the capital of the peninsular Malaysian state of Kelantan, can be gleaned from flipping through the phone directory. In just over seven hundred pages of names listed in the directory, nearly ten percent begin with the name Mohammed and another five percent begin with the name Abdullah. Where this pattern is contradicted most noticeably it is with names like Chen, Low, Lok and Wong which are also heavily represented in the book. Kelantan is the only state in Malaysia not run by the ruling party. Instead it is run by an opposition party which has assured that Kelantan is the most noticeably Islamic state in Malaysia. According to some it also means that Kelantan has suffered and neglected from the ruling party in Kuala Lumpur who is punishing the Kelantan people for voting the opposition party into power.

In the north-east part of the peninsular you will find the city of Kota Bharu. It is the first city you arrive at if come from the east coast of Thailand. It is not only the capital of the state of Kelantan, but also a very Islamic place. If you want to experience some rather unspoiled Malay culture then come to this city. There are some nice attractions to explore as a number of museums, the nice central market, a few okish beaches and a number of waterfalls and Thai temples.

Kelantan, which translates as the "Land of Lightning" is a veritable treasure trove of delights rustic fishing villages, verdant paddy fields and languid, palm-fringed beaches. Tucked away in the north-eastern corner of Peninsular Malaysia, the people of Kelantan have managed to keep alive age-old customs and traditions, thus earning the state a reputation as the Cradle of Malay Culture. Kelantan's history dates back to between 8000 to 3000 B.C. Kelantan's economy is chiefly agrarian with the land yielding paddy, rubber and tobacco. Fishing along its 96 kilometer coastline is also an important economic activity while livestock rearing is gaining importance. Cottage industries which employ traditional skills such as batik-painting, woodcarving and songket weaving are also evident. In recent years, tourism has also become a major money spinner. Kota Bharu, the capital, is the major urban centre but there are plans to open up the southern portion of the state under an ambitious multi-million dollar development project.