Chukai (

Terengganu Malay Terengganu Malay (; Terengganu Malay: ) is a Malayic languages, Malayic language spoken in the Malaysian state of Terengganu all the way southward to coastal Pahang and northeast Johor. It is the native language of Terengganuan Malays, Terengganu ...

: ''Chuka''), also known by the name of Kemaman Town ( Malay: ''Bandar Kemaman'', Terengganu Malay: ''Bando Mamang''), is a

mukim A mukim is a type of administrative division used in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The word ''mukim'' is a loanword in English language, English. However, it was also originally a loanword in Malay language, Malay from the Arabic word ...

and capital of

Kemaman District Kemaman (Terengganu Malay: ''Kemamang'' or ''Mamang'') is a district in Terengganu, Malaysia. Kemaman District is bordered by Dungun District to the north and the state of Pahang to the south and west. It is the southern gateway to the state of Te ...

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. The name "Chukai" (proper spelling of the Malay word: ''cukai'') means '

taxes A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

' in Malay. The town is so named due to its position near the

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

of the

Kemaman River The Kemaman River (, Terengganu Malay, Terengganu: ''Sunga Mmamang'') is a river in Terengganu state in Malaysia, flowing in an easterly direction. At 167 km long, it is the longest river in the state and the third longest in East Coast Peninsula ...

, whereby taxes and levies were imposed on riverine traffic, especially during the British colonial period. Chukai is the largest town in southern Terengganu, and its position between the state capitals of

Kuantan Kuantan (Pahang Malay: ''Kontaeng''; Terengganu Malay: ''Kuatang/Kuantang'') is a city and the state capital of Pahang, Malaysia. It is located near the mouth of the Kuantan River. Kuantan is the Largest cities in Malaysia, 12th largest city ...

and

Kuala Terengganu Kuala Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay language, Terengganu Malay: ''Kole Tranung''), colloquially referred to as KT, is the administrative, economic and royal List of capitals in Malaysia, city of the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. Kuala Tereng ...

as well as proximity to the oil town of

Kerteh Kerteh ( Jawi: كرتيه) is a mukim located in Kemaman District, Terengganu, Malaysia. Economy Kerteh is the base of operations for Petronas in Terengganu, overseeing the oil platform operations off the state's coast as well as petrochemical ...

has turned Chukai into a major commercial hub for the region. The nearby

Kemaman Port Kemaman Port ( Malay: , Jawi: ڤلابوهن كمامن) is a major seaport located on the east coast of Malaysia in the state of Terengganu. Chukai is a major town which is located near the port and serves as the district capital of Kemaman. H ...

serves both as a fishing port and supply base for

oil platforms An oil platform (also called an oil rig, offshore platform, oil production platform, etc.) is a large structure with facilities to extract and process petroleum and natural gas that lie in rock formations beneath the seabed. Many oil platforms wi ...

off Terengganu's coast.

Attractions

The Hai Peng Coffee Shop, located just off the main Kuantan-Kuala Terengganu route and near the town centre is famous for its fine

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

s. Other attractions in the vicinity include: *The Ma’ Daerah Turtle Sanctuary Centre (near

) *

Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

watching along Sungai Kak Yah (Kak Yah River) in Kampung Ibok *The fishing village of Kuala Kemaman *Boating and

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

along the Chukai River at the Bakau Tinggi Recreational Area Many beaches are within a short driving distance from Chukai. They remain idyllic, undisturbed by the fast-growing pace of development in Terengganu. Club Med Cherating Beach is about a 15 minutes drive south away from the town centre, towards Kuantan, Pahang. Another world class resort nearby is the Resorts World Kijal (formerly Awana), about 25 minutes drive north from the town centre, towards Kuala Terengganu, the state capital.

Image gallery

Image:HaiPengCSChukai.PNG, The Hai Peng Coffee Shop, a Chukai

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern-day use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures ...

famous for its

s and toast. Image:Rickshawchukai.PNG, A

trishaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, cyclo, be ...

parked by the roadside with Chukai town in the background.

References

External links

Terengganu Tourism website Ma' Daerah Turtle Sanctuary Center
{{Terengganu Kemaman District Mukims of Terengganu