URBAN LEGEND: R&R BUKIT BESI, TERENGGANU

That R&R in the photo is the famous one – Hentian Sebelah Bukit Besi, LPT2 Jerangau – Talong. The one that everyone whispers about when they drive Terengganu at night.

Is it really haunted? 

No official record, but it is one of the most storied R&Rs on LPT2 along with R&R Perasing. And my first photo captures exactly why - it's isolated, surrounded by thick forest, foggy hills, and almost no traffic after midnight.

Here are the stories people keep sharing:

1. Why this spot feels creepy to begin with

Bukit Besi itself is a former ghost town. It was once the biggest iron mine in Southeast Asia, then abandoned in the 70s. The old mining town, Tasik Puteri, tunnels and chimneys are still there. So the whole area already has that "left behind" energy before you even add the highway.

2. The common stories at R&R Bukit Besi / Perasing cluster

LPT2 drivers often mix up Bukit Besi and Perasing because they are close and both very secluded. The stories overlap:

• "Sweet blood" / extra passenger: The most viral blog story from this stretch – a driver stopped to pray at the surau at night; an old lady warned him his blood is "manis" and told him to leave quickly with two girls heading to Melaka. On the way, cars in front and behind kept high-beaming him. When he arrived in Temerloh, people saw something on his car roof. Similar versions say the car feels heavy, like carrying extra weight.
• Lady in white on the roof / pondok: Another version from the east coast R&Rs says a woman in white is seen sitting on the rest hut roof looking towards the hill, then appears again further down the road. People call it pontianak.
• Empty but not empty surau and toilets: My second photo shows it in the day – very quiet, old design, few people. At night drivers report hearing scratching, footsteps in the toilet, or seeing people staring in the surau.

This whole LPT2 is known for a high number of night accidents, so, like Karak Highway, the accident rate itself fuels the rumours about the road being haunted.

3. So, is it true?

If you ask locals, JKR, or the PLUS/LPT2 concessionaire, there's no documented case. What makes it feel true is very explainable: 

• Geography: The stretch Jerangau - Bukit Besi is hilly and foggy, like in your first image, with sudden mist and wildlife (elephants cross LPT2 – there was even a report of a wild elephant collision recently).
• Isolation: Unlike PLUS North-South, LPT2 R&Rs can be really empty at 2-4am. Your brain fills the silence.
• Fatigue: Long, dark, straight road + heavy food = microsleep and pareidolia.

Most drivers who use it daily – lorry drivers and Terengganu-KL commuters – will tell you they stop there all the time with no issue; just don't stop too long alone at 3am.

If you're driving that way: 

• Stop before 11pm if you can, or use the bigger R&Rs like Perasing or Paka, which have petrol stations.
• Don't park at the far dark end; keep your car visible
• Pray/doa, travel in convoy if late, and if you feel really uneasy – just move to the next stop

You passed through it? 

My daytime photo looks calm, but that nighttime sign photo posted is exactly the vibe everyone talks about.

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

26 OCTOBER 2026: 8:34 P.M.