Chukai (

Terengganu Malay Terengganu Malay ( ms, Bahasa Melayu Terengganu; Terengganu Malay: ) is a 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 Terengganu Malays a ...

: ''Chuka'', Jawi: چوكاي), also known by the name of Kemaman Town ( Malay: ''Bandar Kemaman'', Terengganu Malay: ''Bando Mamang'', est. pop. (2017): over 170,000) 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. However, it was also originally a loanword in Malay from the Arabic word: (meaning ''resident''). The c ...

and capital of

Kemaman District Kemaman is a Districts of Malaysia, 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 Terengganu. The district ...

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith" ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

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

taxes A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, o ...

' 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 environm ...

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

Kuantan Kuantan ( Jawi: ) is a city and the state capital of Pahang, Malaysia. It is located near the mouth of the Kuantan River. Kuantan is the 18th largest city in Malaysia based on 2010 population, and the largest city in the East Coast of Penin ...

and

Kuala Terengganu , image_seal = Seal of Kuala Terengganu City Council.png , image_flag = Flag of Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu.svg , image_skyline = , image_caption = From top, left to right:The Crystal Mosq ...

as well as proximity to the oil town of

Kerteh Kerteh (est. pop. (2000 census): 3,064) is a mukim 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 petrochemi ...

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

Kemaman Port Kemaman Port 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. History and description There are other signifi ...

serves both as a fishing port and supply base for

oil platforms An oil platform (or oil rig, offshore platform, oil production platform, and similar terms) is a large structure with facilities to extract and process petroleum and natural gas that lie in rock formations beneath the seabed. Many oil platfo ...

off the Terengganu 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 drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

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 facin ...

along the

Chukai River Chukai ( Terengganu Malay: ''Chuka'', Jawi: چوكاي), also known by the name of Kemaman Town ( Malay: ''Bandar Kemaman'', Terengganu Malay: ''Bando Mamang'', est. pop. (2017): over 170,000) is a mukim and capital of Kemaman District, Tereng ...

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 th
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 use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

famous for its

s and toast. Image:Rickshawchukai.PNG, A trishaw parked by the roadside with Chukai town in the background.

References

External links

Terengganu Tourism website Ma' Daerah Turtle Sanctuary Center
{{coord, 4, 15, N, 103, 25, E, region:MY_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Kemaman District Mukims of Terengganu