New Reviving Kelantan: Bringing Back Its Glory as Malaysia’s No.1 Tourist Destination

Did You Know?

Back in the 1980s and early 90s, Kelantan was the No.1 tourist destination in Malaysia, especially for Caucasian travelers, particularly from the UK.

Big tour operators like Mayflower and Reliance made Kelantan an essential overnight stop for their legendary overland packages. One of the most famous routes? The Batik Route – a must-do experience for travelers exploring Malaysia’s cultural heritage.

But today, Kelantan is often overlooked by mainstream tourism. As more travelers seek immersive and experiential tourism, it’s time for Kelantan to reclaim its spot as a must-visit destination.

That’s why tonight, I engaged with six Kelantanese SME entrepreneurs to develop new, exciting, and unforgettable tourism experiences that will make Kelantan an irresistible inbound destination once again.

🔥 UNLIMITED EXPERIENCES IN KELANTAN 🔥

Here’s what we’ve designed – bold, unique, and full of storytelling:

1. Be A SILAT Warrior in One Night – (Silat Halilintar Training Center, Kota Bharu)

Experience an intensive crash course in the ancient Malay martial art, Silat. Dress in traditional warrior attire, train with seasoned Silat masters, and feel the power of this mystical self-defense art.

2. Japanese Army Ghost Experience Camping – (Kuala Krai)

Imagine camping in the heart of the jungle, where local storytellers share real-life war stories and eerie ghost legends from the Japanese occupation era. This is a thrilling, historical night tour that will leave you with goosebumps.

3. Healthy Food of Budu Challenge – (Ketereh)

Think you can handle Kelantan’s beloved budu (fermented anchovy sauce)? This fun, interactive food experience will challenge tourists to enjoy budu in different creative ways – from fine dining to extreme ‘kampung-style’.

4. Create Your Own Candy: Dodol Edition – (Pasir Mas)

Step into a traditional dodol factory, learn the secret of making the perfect sticky sweet, and bring home your very own custom-flavored dodol as a unique edible souvenir.

5. Kelantan’s Fire of Love: The Romantic Matchbox Experience – (Kilang Mancis, Kota Bharu)

Turn an ordinary matchstick into a symbol of love. Couples can design and personalize their own matchboxes, inspired by the centuries-old Kelantanese match-making industry (pun intended!).

6. Naked Batik – The Most Controversial Tourist Experience 🔥 – (Pantai Kundor)

Relax, we’re not promoting anything crazy. 😆 "Naked Batik" is about starting with a plain white outfit and letting tourists hand-paint their own batik designs, creating customized wearable art while immersing in the true spirit of Kelantan’s batik heritage.

Want to Be Part of This Tourism Revival?

Kelantan deserves to be back on the world map, but we need local champions to run and promote these experiences.

👉 If you're an entrepreneur or operator interested in bringing these experiences to life, reach out!

👉 If you have more ideas to boost Kelantan’s inbound tourism, drop them in the comments!

Together, let’s make Kelantan the heartbeat of experiential tourism in Malaysia once again! 🚀🔥

#KelantanTourism #InboundMarketing #ExperientialTravel #VisitMalaysia2026 #TourismEntrepreneurship #MalaysiaTravel