Kelantan runs on two seasons rather than four. The northeast monsoon arrives late in the year and reshapes the coast for a few months, so the stretch from now until then is when the beaches are calm, the sky is wide and open, and the fish stalls along the shore road are at their best.
Ikan bakar is the point of the drive. A whole fish, usually kembung, siakap or whatever came off the boat that morning, gets rubbed with a chilli and tamarind paste, wrapped in banana leaf and set over charcoal until the leaf chars and the flesh steams inside it. The leaf does two jobs: it keeps the fish from drying out, and it perfumes everything it touches. It arrives with rice, ulam, and a sauce that is usually sharper than you expect.
The stalls cluster along the road out to Pantai Cahaya Bulan and further along the coast toward Bachok. Most are open-sided sheds with plastic chairs and a view of the water, and most do their best trade in the late afternoon when the heat drops. Point at the fish you want, agree the price by weight, then wait. It takes as long as it takes.
Two small things worth knowing. Prices move with the catch, so ask before you commit rather than after. And the wind picks up as the year turns, which is exactly when this stops being a lazy afternoon and starts being a wet one. Our monsoon guide covers what changes when the rains set in, and the best time to visit page has the wider picture.
For now, the weather holds. Go and eat by the sea.