Where to Stay in Kemaman: A Curated Guide from Chukai to Kijal, Kerteh and Kemasik

Kemaman does not do skyscraper hotels. It does beachfront lawns, small town hotels within reach of breakfast, and village stays where the morning starts with birdsong.

Where you sleep in Kemaman shapes the whole trip. The district stretches some 40 kilometres up the coast, and each of its main bases has its own character: Kijal for beachfront resorts, Chukai for food and town life, Kerteh for business and boutique comfort, and Kemasik for village stays beside the district’s most photogenic beach. Here is our curated shortlist.

Every property below was checked against its own website or current listings on major booking platforms in October 2026. We do not quote rates, which change daily, and no property paid to appear here.

Kijal: The Beachfront Resort Coast

Resorts World Kijal is the district’s one full-scale resort, set on the beach at Km 28 of the Kemaman–Dungun road. Formerly Awana Kijal and now part of the Genting family, it pairs a long beachfront with an 18-hole golf course designed by Ronald Fream, pools and a choice of restaurants. The resort promotes itself as a Muslim-friendly seaside retreat and offers beachside activities and seasonal turtle-watching trips. Best for: families, golfers and longer beach breaks.

For something smaller, AlSafina Kijal Beach Resort & Restaurant sits on the beach in Kijal with private beach access, an outdoor pool and its own restaurant, a quieter alternative to the big resort. On Pantai Penunjuk, Kijalena Beach Inn is a guesthouse just steps from the sand, where guests praise spacious family rooms and a breakfast of local food and kuih. Best for: couples and small families who want the sea at the door.

While you are in Kijal, slow down for the roadside lemang stalls, and drive a few minutes to the granite boulders of Pantai Penunjuk.

Chukai: Town Hotels for Food Lovers

Stay in Chukai and the best tables in the district are minutes away: Hai Peng’s coffee and kaya toast, the kuih of Pasar Besar Chukai, and the night markets after dark (see our guide to Chukai’s night markets). Teluk Mak Nik, the beach locals call Monica Bay, is only a few kilometres away.

Riverine Garden Hotel, on Jalan Sulaimani, the town’s main street, offers family rooms and, in some rooms, views over the river. De Chukai Hotel, on Jalan Bakau Tinggi in Taman Kemaman, is a small, simple hotel of around ten rooms with free parking, a practical choice for a short stay or a road-trip stopover. Neither is a luxury property, and neither pretends to be. Best for: food lovers, business travellers visiting the port and budget-conscious road-trippers.

Kerteh: Boutique and Business

Singgah Kertih, on Persiaran Seligi in Bandar Baru Kertih, is a designer boutique hotel with a rustic-modern look, built with business travellers and families in mind. It is close to the PETRONAS East Coast Regional Office, every room has a prayer mat and Qibla direction, and rates typically include breakfast. The Ma’ Daerah Turtle Sanctuary and Mesra Mall in Kemasik are both a short drive away. Best for: business trips and comfortable short stays.

Families with children should know about Darul Salam Dusun Resort & Waterpark, set among orchards at Kampung Chabang in Kerteh, with an outdoor pool and water play area, barbecue facilities and family rooms. Best for: children who measure a holiday in hours spent in the water.

Kemasik: Village Stays by the Twin Rocks

Kemasik is for travellers who would rather hear the sea than a lobby playlist. WIWI Village, in Kampung Baru near Pantai Kemasik, is a lodge-style stay with outdoor pools, family rooms, shared kitchen and barbecue facilities, and agrotourism activities that children love. The village also has a growing number of homestays. Plan an afternoon at the twin rocks and the lagoon, described in our Kemaman weekend guide, and note that the East Coast Rail Link is due to stop at Kemasik once services begin.

Getting Between the Bases

A car makes Kemaman easy. The East Coast Expressway has exits for Cukai (Exit 841, for Chukai town), Kijal (Exit 845) and Kertih (Exit 847), and the coastal Federal Route 3 links every town on the list, with Mesra Mall and the beaches of Kemasik along the way. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Kuantan’s Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport, about an hour south of Chukai by road, with taxis, e-hailing and car hire to continue; Kuala Terengganu’s Sultan Mahmud Airport is the alternative for the north of the district. If you are arriving by express bus at Chukai, a town hotel is the simplest first night; pick up a rental car and move to the coast the next morning.

Which Base Is Right for You?

• Beach, pool and golf: Kijal, at Resorts World Kijal or a smaller beachfront stay.
• Food and town life: Chukai, for markets, kopitiam breakfasts and night markets.
• Business at Kerteh: Singgah Kertih, close to the PETRONAS regional office.
• Port or supply-base business: Chukai, the nearest town to Teluk Kalong.
• Space for the family: Kemasik’s village stays, or the waterpark resort at Kerteh.

Whichever base you choose, Kemaman is compact enough to explore from any of them. Breakfast in Chukai, a swim at Kijal and sunset at Kemasik all fit into one unhurried day. Book the bed; the coast will do the rest.

Stayed somewhere in Kemaman we should know about? Tell us in the comments below.

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