Klebang Beach

Klebang is a stretch of coast west of Malacca created largely by land reclamation, and it is popular in a way that has little to do with swimming: the water in the Strait here is silty and shallow, the sand is imported and coarse, and what people actually come for is the sunset over the water and, specifically, the coconut shake - a blended drink of coconut water, flesh and ice cream sold from a long-established stall that has become a genuine institution, with queues out to the road at weekends. There is also a sand dune area created by the reclamation works that people photograph as a desert, a wind farm turbine, food stalls and a long promenade for evening walking. It is honest about what it is: an evening out rather than a beach day.

What you actually see

• The coconut shake stall - the queue-forming institution people drive out for.
• Sunset over the Strait - the reason the promenade fills in the evening.
• A reclaimed shoreline - imported sand and made ground along the coast.
• A sand dune area - the works spoil photographed as a desert.

When to go

All year; late afternoon into the evening. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The water is silty and not good for swimming. The sand is coarse and artificial. Weekend queues at the shake stall are long. Parking on the coast road is chaotic in the evening.

Nearby

Malacca old town is a short drive east; the Straits Mosque is on the coast.