Saturday, July 2, 2011

Kuantan Old Town

One sunny afternoon I took my Panasonic Lumix DMC-F2 and spent a couple of hours walking around Kuantan Old Town. This is a very old area of Kuantan, with aged buildings and a few pearls amongst the lines of shops covering the roads. I hope you enjoy this photographic tour of the old Kuantan, which I'm glad is still standing today, providing reminders of the past.


Jalan Mahkota, Kuantan





The distinctive building in Kuantan Old Town is still a sight today





A newly built restaurant at bottom with a hotel above


View of the TM building in Kuantan Old Town


A minaret of the Pahang State Mosque rises into the sky nearby


A view of Kompleks Mahkota


The Tourism Malaysia office on Jalan Mahkota. I picked up a number of useful brochures on my visit there.


Perspective shot looking down a row of shops at Kuantan Old Town


Interior of a ladies fabric shop


And another. Can you spot the human face in the picture?





My new friend from India who owns a material and carpet shop


Jalan Teruntum turns on to Jalan Mahkota in Kuantan Old Town





Looking down Jalan Mahkota, Kuantan, the police offices lie on the left of the picture


Footbridge across the main road





A neglected area in Kuantan Old Town


Not sure about the certain 'ambience' of this hotel!


The pigeons gather together outside the carpet shop








Don't look up!


Some other shops at Kuantan Old Town














After a while I found some art shops where local Malaysians are developing their skills in artistry, particularly painting. Here are the pictures:






A delicately beautiful piece depicting Lord Buddha








The people in this art studio were good enough to take pictures with me.


The painter in action


Waving goodbye to two more new friends in Kuantan Old Town





Another painter in an art gallery


Suraya and Kosma hotels opposite the post office, Jalan Mahkota, Kuantan Old Town.




While Kuantan develops and grows with new structures like the Zenith Hotel and East Coast Mall, it is a tasty contrast to still have the old buildings which shaped Kuantan's image.





Friday, July 1, 2011

East Coast Mall, Kuantan

East Coast Mall is the newest shopping mall in Kuantan, located opposite the new 5-star Zenith Hotel and Sultan Ahmad Shah International Convention Centre (SASICC). This whole area, known as Putra Square, also includes long shop lots entitled Malay Town, Indian Town, China Town, and a more recently constructed shop lot beside the Zenith Hotel, SASICC and Menara Putra (an office block almost identical in design to the Zenith Hotel).





East Coast Mall has had a new lick of paint. It used to be yellow and brown; now it's pale brown/cream. Lauren hates it!


East Coast Mall is the newest shopping mall addition to Kuantan


Inside East Coast Mall, Kuantan


Sembonia, The Body Shop and Starbucks are a few of the stores on the Ground Floor of East Coast Mall, Kuantan


The beautiful but expensive Carlo Rino shop



Lauren poses with lifeless models inside East Coast Mall, Kuantan




Skin and body care dominate this aisle in East Coast Mall






A view of Ground, First and Second Floors at East Coast Mall, Kuantan


The 'Sweetly' candy stall on First Floor of East Coast Mall, Kuantan

This stall makes nice waffles at East Coast Mall, Kuantan


What filling would you like in your waffle?


Leah outside aL-ikhsaN football shop, selling jerseys, balls, boots and other footy equipment and accessories


East Coast Mall main entrance at Ground Floor. At holidays like Deepavali (picture), a decoration is constructed to mark the day