FINAL VERSION FOR APPROVAL - Sdn Bhd - WWF Malaysia
FINAL VERSION FOR APPROVAL - Sdn Bhd - WWF Malaysia
FINAL VERSION FOR APPROVAL - Sdn Bhd - WWF Malaysia
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Gunung Stong State Park Preliminary Management Plan<br />
Tourism in Kelantan could be due to the following:<br />
• Rustic appeal<br />
As other parts of the peninsula become more developed, there is greater yearning among<br />
domestic tourists for the rustic village lifestyle with its closely-knit community values and<br />
the association of Kelantan as a heartland of Malay culture. Foreign tourists in Peninsular<br />
<strong>Malaysia</strong> also visit Kelantan for its rustic charm.<br />
• Proximity to Thailand<br />
Those domestic tourists who visit Kelantan also make it a point to shop at the border<br />
towns of Rantau Panjang and Pengkalan Kubur, and sometimes, side incursions into<br />
Thailand. Foreign visitors with longer stays in Thailand enter Penang or Kota Bharu, for<br />
their visa renewals, before re-entering Thailand. Also, ethnic-Malay Thais, enter<br />
Kelantan to work (or on their way to work in other states), and before expiry of the travel<br />
visas, return to Thailand. (These migrant workers are erroneously reported as tourists).<br />
• Pulau Perhentian<br />
The allure of Pulau Perhentian attracts backpackers to enter Kelantan, stay in Kota Bharu<br />
before continuing to Kuala Besut and the islands. It is no coincidence that occupancy<br />
rates in guest-houses and cheap hotels rise during the summer periods of April to August,<br />
corresponding to the peak season for foreign tourists at Pulau Perhentian. For domestic<br />
tourists, they travel direct to Kuala Besut (and not to Kota Bharu), before proceeding to<br />
Pulau Perhentian.<br />
Tourism is an increasingly important contributor to the state economy, and there are<br />
indications that it may achieve RM1 billion (3 million visitors) by the end of the decade. It<br />
depends on the state government on how best to capitalise on this, and develop a mix of<br />
strategies and policies to keep Kelantan attractive to tourists.<br />
1.5.5 Weather<br />
The climate in <strong>Malaysia</strong> is Tropical Equatorial, characterised by high humidity, high<br />
temperatures, and constant rain, with some variations depending on the location. States in the<br />
extreme north-west (Perlis, parts of Kedah and Langkawi) experience a markedly tropical<br />
monsoonal influence.<br />
There are basically four weather periods in Kelantan: Inter-monsoon (September-October),<br />
north-east monsoon (November-February), inter-monsoon (March-May), and the south-west<br />
monsoon (June-August).<br />
The inter-monsoon period between the south-west monsoon and the north-east monsoon is<br />
characterised by localised, late afternoon thunderstorms and lightning, followed by occasional<br />
high winds, and high sea waves. The north-east monsoon brings rain that can sometimes last<br />
several days, interspersed with a few days of calm weather. This is the flood season, where<br />
heavy rains in the highlands coupled with the strong seas (3-5 m) inundate the lowlands.<br />
There is another period between the north-east and the south-west monsoon, where it is hot<br />
and dry, and drought is common during this time. The onset of the south-west monsoon<br />
brings respite from the heat, with rain in the afternoons and evenings.<br />
Table 1.6 provides the mean annual temperatures from 1994 to 2004.<br />
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