MY · Pahang · 3.80°N 101.86°E

raub

Musang King durian, fish head curry and Hakka noodles in an old gold-mining town.

Best time
Any time for the food. Durian season usually runs from about June to August, when the orchards and roadside stalls are full and the roads from KL are busy at weekends. The crop shifts with the weather, so ask a grower before you build the whole trip around it.
How long
1 day
Getting there
About 1.5–2 hours' drive from KL: the Karak Expressway to Bentong, then north on Route 8. There's no train, so drive.
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MY · Pahangraub3.80°N 101.86°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Musang King durian, fish head curry and Hakka noodles in an old gold-mining town.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingRaubMY, Pahang
KLraub
≈ 76 km from KL, as the crow flies
Raub District, Pahang, Malaysia

Photo: Ardeka Balian Aga Fo… · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

An old gold-mining town in the hills north of Bentong, and the name most Malaysians link with Musang King. Come in durian season for the orchards around Sungai Ruan, or any time of year for fish head curry, Hakka noodles and a kopitiam breakfast.

Makan

  1. Fish head curryRatha has been cooking its Indian-style fish head curry, with okra and brinjal, in Raub since 1981. Mop it up with roti canai.Map ↗
  2. Hakka knife-cut noodlesRaub has a big Hakka community. Its dao ma qie is pan mee-style noodles in a light broth with minced pork and crispy fried beancurd skin.Map ↗
  3. Kopitiam breakfastToast with homemade kaya, soft-boiled eggs and kopi at Tong Nam Bee on Jalan Tun Razak.Map ↗
  4. DurianMusang King is the famous one, but D24 and kampung durians cost less, and every kampung tree tastes a little different.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Sungai RuanThe Chinese new village 15 minutes east, which Pahang named the home of Musang King in 2017. Orchards, durian stalls and its well-known grilled chicken wings.Map ↗
  2. Durian orchardsIn season, many orchards around town let you sit and eat under the trees. Durians are left to fall rather than picked, so the morning's haul is the freshest.Map ↗
  3. Jalan Tengku AbdullahThe old Mason Road, lined with British-era buildings from the town's gold-mining days.Map ↗

Good to know

  • In durian season, leave KL early on weekends. The Karak Expressway and Route 8 both jam.
  • The Hakka noodles and many of the Chinese dishes contain pork. For halal food, go to the Malay stalls and mamak shops around town.
  • Lurah Bilut, the country's first FELDA scheme, where the first settlers arrived in 1959, is just off Route 8 on the way up from Bentong.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.