Cherating

Cherating was one of the first places on the east coast to take backpackers, in the 1970s, and it kept a low-key character that most of the coast lost: a strip of guesthouses, chalets and small restaurants behind a long beach, with a river and mangrove behind the village and a large resort at the southern end. It is unusual on this coast in that the monsoon, which shuts most east coast destinations, is the reason surfers come - the north-east swell from November to February produces the most reliable break in peninsular Malaysia, and there are surf schools and board hire. Otherwise there is the Turtle Sanctuary, where green turtle nests are protected and hatchling releases happen in season, mangrove boat trips with fireflies at night, and batik workshops.

What you actually see

• A long open beach - the strip the village runs behind.
• The country's most reliable surf - the monsoon swell from November to February.
• A turtle sanctuary - green turtle nests protected and hatchlings released in season.
• Mangrove and firefly trips - on the river behind the village.

When to go

March to October for the beach; November to February for surfing. Two days.

Honest expectations

Monsoon months bring rough seas, rain and closures of many businesses even as the surf arrives. Swimming is unsafe then. Sandflies on the beach are a real nuisance at dusk.

Nearby

Kuantan and Teluk Cempedak are south; Kemaman is north.