Cherating hillside destruction

I've known Cherating for more than 20 years and have fond memories of the place. However in recent years the place is really deteriorating in many ways. I blogged about the downfall of Cherating in Sept 2010.

I rarely go there now, as all but one of my friends who used to live there have left. However I did go in Aug 2014 as I wanted to stay in a beach resort for a few days RnR.

I was saddened to see that the hill at the end of Cherating beach is being destroyed for development. A huge area of trees has been cut and it is proposed to build chalets (100?) up on the hill, next to the big house.

Note the  ubiquitous blue fence that you see everywhere surrounding developments in Malaysia.

Tourism Malaysia website still shows the hill in it's pristine state!

Scenic Cherating - BT 2008

Scenic Cherating awaits with sandy white coastline
© Liz Price

The Brunei Times
Sunday, August 17, 2008


CHERATING is a small seaside kampung (village) on the east coast of Malaysia. In the 20 years I have known it, it has changed a lot, but compared to most tourist areas it has hardly changed at all. The village has retained its serene atmosphere with wooden chalets and bungalows situated amid swaying palm trees, a few restaurants and small shops to serve people, and there are still no high rise buildings in the village.

Cherating is the ideal place for R & R, with the 3S's thrown in — sun, sand and sea. A peaceful location just right to relax and to escape and unwind from the bustle of city life. It's the perfect getaway, being one of the nicest of the east coast beaches and yet one of the closest to Kuala Lumpur, but also easily accessible from other cities, by air and road.

It is situated in Pahang, 46km north of Kuantan. Kampung Cherating and Pantai Cherating are actually some 4km apart, but it is to the latter that the majority of visitors go. Although the main east coast trunk road passes by Cherating, the kampung itself is still relatively traffic free and the beach is just a five-minute walk from the main road.

Accommodation varies from basic A-frame huts with just a bed, mosquito net and shared bathroom through to fan or A/C chalets with attached bathrooms, and right up to luxury resorts which are north and south of the village. You can choose your sleeping accomodation according to your budget. Cherating started off as a backpackers' village, where foreign travellers on a tight budget could find a cheap, value for money room. But since those days Cherating has expanded and now caters for a much wider market, both locals and foreigners. During public holidays and long weekends, Cherating becomes crowded with Singaporeans and KL'ites.

Cherating is an ideal place in which to do nothing. The huge bay is lined by a sandy beach and although the sea goes out a long way during low tide, various sandbanks are revealed and are a favourite spot for sunbathers. If you don't like the sun you can sit in the shade of the casuarinas, then take a dip in the sea to cool off. Watch the sea eagles soaring high overhead almost as if they were there to do flight displays for the visitors. Maybe walk along the kilometres of golden sand, or explore the secluded cove to the north. Climb up the hill on the headland and look down on everybody. Then relax at one of the beach bars and warungs (food stall) and enjoy a cool drink, watching the world go by.

Other beach activities include windsurfing, boat trips to Pulau Ular (Snake Island), and in the evening when it is slightly cooler, the locals challenge the visitors to a game of volleyball. But beware, the locals are good.

The beach is not the only option. There are batik shops where for a very reasonable price you can learn the art of batik and make your own painting, or design a T-shirt or sarong. Many a happy hour can be spent in designing your own masterpiece.

Scattered along the road are a few souvenir shops and small minimarts. There is even a book shop where you can rent, exchange or buy books, and which is attached to an internet place.

You can take a river trips up the Sungai Cherating. These are best done early morning or in the evening, and if you are lucky you can see monkeys, birds, monitor lizards, small mammals and maybe even snakes.

Even at night the peaceful atmosphere is maintained. Unlike other seaside resorts Cherating doesn't turn into a noisy strip with neon lights and crowds.

There are a few places to eat, from food stall offering local dishes, to restaurants which serve seafood, Western and Thai cuisine. A couple of bars cater for the drinkers and those wanting music.

Cherating is one of the few places that hasn't yet been over developed or spoilt. Although the number of chalets has increased over the years, the overall atmosphere is still very laid back, that of a sleepy and peaceful kampung, with no pressures, traffic or noise pollution: just the sound of the sea breeze blowing through the coconut palms.

Cherating is definitely a place I'd recommend — go and see for yourself.

The Brunei Times
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Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/travel/2008/08/17/scenic_cherating_awaits_with_sandy_white_coastline

The downfall of Cherating

I've known Cherating since 1988. I have had some great times there, especially in the mid 1990s - mid 2010s.

My last visit was Aug 2008 when the place looked like a bombsite due to redevelopment, see my 2008 album. For various reasons I didn't go back for 2 years, which is probably the longest time I have been away from Cherating.

My next visit was Sept 2010. I went with high hopes that the place would look smart and attractive after its big redevelopment project. I went 2 weeks after Raya and was worried the place might be full.

I arrived on a weekend to find a shabby, rundown, and totally quiet village. I couldn't believe what a sorry state everything was in. And a total lack of tourists, only a handful of Westerners. I was quite shocked, and very disappointed. I checked into a guest house and soon realised I was the only one staying.

In the 1970-80s Cherating started to become THE backpackers place in Malaysia. In the 1990s it was booming. All the backpackers rooms were constantly full, and the place was alive. But in the last 5+ years the Western tourists started avoiding Cherating, for various reasons, and Cherating became more popular with locals. Now most of the visitors are locals going for weekends or day trips. The character has totally changed - for the worst in my opinion.

For more than a decade, the local gov't has been pumping in money, and doing "beautifications" etc, but nothing actually worked or lasted. New trees 2008, now gone -

One of the very first projects was the Budaya Centre, the Cherating Cultural Complex. This was a white elephant from the very start. The restaurant and art centre closed down soon after opening. The main centre is rarely used except when busloads of students etc are sent in for a function.

Cultural centre 2010

In more recent times, vast sums of money were spent on the road, widening it, making fancy pavements and ornate lamp posts. This was done a couple of times, as the first time the drainage was wrong. Strange cobbles -

The road was done up right as far as the river - where few people go - 2008 & 2010 views -

A new tourist office was built by the main road a couple of years ago. It has a huge, empty carpark, is surrounded by waste land and looks very uninviting.

Tourist signs everywhere -

In 2008 the village underwent what looked like a major transformation. That was when I last saw it, until my current trip.

The place is a mess. Old buildings have been left abandoned, many shops and restaurants are closed. One problem is the lack of staff, locals don't want to work, and it is expensive to legally hire foreign labour. So places just closed. The shops that are open all seem to be selling the same Tshirts. Amidst all the mess, some people are building, maybe they think they can succeed where others have failed. Some places are up for sale. Main street 2007 -

Cherating Cottage looking forlorn -

I used to eat here often

New pub - or bird house!!!

There is no sign of any new buildings along the road. The only new building, which is definitely the smartest building in town is the new toilet block on the beach!! However I didn't risk checking it from the inside. 2007 view -

toilets 2010

Other new structures are the 2 rescue watchtowers on the beach. However I never saw these manned, even though I was there at a weekend. Watchtower & restaurant 2007 -

the restaurant 2010

unmanned on a Sunday

I found it strange that there seems to be an obsession to build things in Balinese style. This seems totally unnecessary in a Malay kampung.

Outside the Budaya centre, the roadside structures look Balinese, along the main road other things like Balinese, and the riverside pub has been renamed Little Bali. Structure on right looks Balinese -

Walking around there is no life or activity. Night time it has become almost a ghost village. Compare that to the heydays when the whole strip was bustling, there were many bars, cafes, music everywhere, and sometimes nowhere to park. Remember when Pop Inn was totally crowded.

empty beach

Not much activity on the main street in 2010

Looks univiting

the only activity in town

new construction 2010

One good thing was that the beach was relatively litter free. Probably due to the lack of visitors. However there are vast expanses of muddy areas and there is a lot of green weed thriving on these areas. I wonder if this weed was surviving due to abundance of food in the water - sewage??? The other bad thing about the beach is there are so many bricks and tiles and wooden blocks half buried in the sand. I guess they are left over from construction, and people have taken them to the beach to use as a base for BBQ, and of course just leave them. They present a real hazard to bare feet.

chalets being built 2007

Cherating used to be famous for the local beachbums. Even these have moved on in these quiet times. The few that remain have become internet bums and are hanging around the 2 or 3 internet places.

I used to have several friends living in the village, some had been there as long as 25 years. But every one of them has gone, moved on, having abandoned the sinking ship. Even the beach dogs seem to have gone. And the horses at the stable near Duyong are no longer there. But I was happy to see that the hornbills are still flying around, and there are still macaques and dusky langurs.

At least the cemetery is maintained -

Take your pick -

Despite the lack of backpackers, there are still thefts occuring, and 2 separate incidents have been reported in Sept. There has always been a police station at Cherating, but now a larger station is being built on the main road towards Legend Hotel.

Despite the fact that Cherating is only a 3 hour drive from KL, compared to 5 hours before the highway was built, I won't be in a hurry to return.

The Tourism Minister Yen Yen should go to Cherating and learn what not to do in a tourist resort!

Bye bye Cherating

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission