Kota Kuala Kedah

This fort, completed in 1780, is opposite Kuala Kedah town on the far bank of Sungai Kedah, a 10-minute taxi ride from the ferry terminal. It was once used as a base by the Portuguese in Melaka and was later a bastion of Malay independence against the Siamese until finally falling to the invaders in 1821. On the well-kept site there is also a museum providing background on the history of the fort and Kedah state. Look out for Meriam Badak Berendam (the Wallowing Rhino), a cannon believed to be the abode of the fortress’s guardian spirit.