About twelve kilometres north of Kuantan, the village of Beserah is one of the most traditional fishing communities on the Pahang coast. The village is best known for its production of salted and dried fish — the catch comes in early each morning, and by mid-morning the drying racks are full. What makes Beserah distinctive is that fishermen still use buffalo-drawn carts to haul the catch from the boats to the drying area, a practice that has been filmed and photographed so often it risks becoming self-conscious, but remains genuine.
The beach at Beserah is long, curved, and comparatively quiet, backed by casuarina trees rather than hotels. There is little infrastructure for tourists — a few stalls selling dried fish and local snacks, and the sight of the morning's work being laid out in the sun. Combine it with Batu Hitam (Black Stones) beach just north, which has dramatic dark volcanic rock outcrops on the sand. A taxi or Grab from Kuantan takes around 20 minutes.