A long time ago, Kijal was just a fishing village. Today, its surrounding areas are developed with tourist products and oilfields. Located north of Kemaman, Kijal is a vacation place for tourists with its long beaches dotted by coconut trees and pine trees. Nevertheless, the village folks are still engaged in traditional fishing activities.

Kijal is a famous tourist destination, attributed to the Awana Kijal Golf and Beach Resort. It is best known for its attraction as a stopover for cruise liners bringing day trippers. Besides its sun, sand and sea, the beach at Kijal is a favourite among the locals who go there for local delicacies such as otak-otak and satar. Visitors also go there for picnics, beach activities and swimming.

Kijal is also well known for its 'sleeping giant’ rocks formation at the southern part of its beach that stretches for eight kilometres from the north. It is also known for its lemang (a traditional Malay food made of glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt, cooked in bamboo lined with banana leaves) and durian (the King of Fruits in Southeast Asia).