Transport

Airports

Kuala Terengganu’s Sultan Mahmud Airport offers a limited selection of domestic flights within peninsular Malaysia. Flights head primarily to Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan in Penang. The airport is located nine miles from Kuala Terengganu, and transit to the city centre is relatively simple.

The two major airlines operating at Sultan Mahmud are Malaysia Airlines and the discount carrier AirAsia. Both of these carriers offer daily connections to Kuala Lumpur. Firefly is a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines that connects Terengganu to its regional hub in Penang.

This single terminal airport sees an annual throughput of roughly half a million passengers. As it is strictly a regional airport, facilities are limited to essentials and include telephones, restrooms, snack vendors and an information desk. Some of the hotels in Kuala Terengganu will arrange to pick passengers up at the airport. Taxi drivers arrive at the airport according to the Arrivals schedule.

Public Transport

It is possible to reach Kuala Terengganu directly by bus from Kuala Lumpur. On the whole, the state capital is well-connected to the rest of peninsular Malaysia. Express buses are the fastest means of getting around, and most of the transport options are centred on road transport. The nearest railway runs through the neighbouring state of Kelantan and doesn’t offer direct access to Terengganu.

Kuala Terengganu serves as the state’s primary transport hub. The East Coast Highway spans Terengganu’s coastline and connects Pahang in the south with Kelantan in the north—ultimately crossing into Thailand. Buses from Kuala Terengganu connect the state with multiple Malaysian destinations and even travel as far as Singapore.

Within the state, transport is efficient and reliable between the coastal cities, where buses connect each of these stop-offs with Kuala Terengganu. For day-to-day activities in Kuala Terengganu, locals use water taxis which depart from the jetty at Pasar Payang market and cross the river estuary. This is a centuries-old form of transport that continues to see heavy traffic.

Traditional forms of transport offer novel ways for tourists to get around the cities. Trishaws are a fun means of touring the compact streets of Kuala Terengganu and are easily hailed in all of the major cities. Most of these bikes are lavishly decorated in the hope of catching your attention. While not as historic, the newly introduced Shutter Bus resembles an old trolley and cruises the streets of the capital.

Transport into the interior is not readily available. Major destinations like Tasik Kenyir are accessible by bus, but it’s best to hire a car and set your own itinerary if you’re bound for any of the smaller villages. In some cases, travel agencies can arrange transport by minibuses to some inland attractions.