Kuantan - small town Malaysia goes big city livin'

I stopped in Kuantan the last time I backpacked through Malaysia, back in January 2011.

I remember it as being a decent, friendly provincial town - the midrange hotels along the waterfront were good value for money. The small shopkeepers were eager to help a confused foreigner find what she needed, even if it turned out that they didn't carry it half the time. I remember the waterfront was slightly crumbling, and none of the alleged tourist sightseeing boats were running. But I also remember that there was a KFC near the waterfront, and I probably thought to myself (I say probably because it was a long time ago, and I'm too lazy to check my old travel diary): the city has started to modernise; next stop, globalisation.

Well, I'm breaking my journey in Kuantan, and it's changed a lot, but mostly not the way I'd feared.

The traffic is terrible (I think I've wasted half my time here waiting for a break in the traffic, so I could scurry across the road). But there are a lot of nice changes.

The new long distance bus terminal is now out of town, rather than by the stadium, but it's clean and well organised and hassle free, and the local buses run to there from the stadium every 15-20 minutes.

Your chariot awaits

The waterfront is being jazzed up by a spiffy new observation tower, currently under construction.

There are modern shopping malls where you can easily find even esoteric products (leave-in conditioner? Check. Case for my brand new tablet? Check. Nice optician who'll fix my broken prescription sunglasses, and wouldn't accept any payment for doing it? Check and thank you muchly O.W.L. Eyewear!)

The food scene has improved too. Want street food? It's still available along the waterfront. Craving fancy, Western-style cakes? Kula Cakes by the waterfront has you covered. Hotel breakie not included and feel like going to an arty, instagramable local cafe for nasi kerabu? Try Pagi Daisy, by the waterfront.

And the midrange hotels along the waterfront are still value for money.

Kuantan has gone from a decent place to break your journey, to a decent place to actually spend some time.

Now, if only they could do something about the traffic....