Visit quiet Sungai Lembing in the hills to explore the informative regional museum (RM2) that covers the history of local tin mining to the collapse of the industry in 1986, or head up the road for a claustrophobic tour of the abandoned tin mines. Bus 500 from the local bus station runs here (RM4, every 20 to 30 minutes, one hour). The town has its own padang (field or grassy area) and some elegant colonial-era architecture.
There are a couple of accommodation options and a decent restaurant or two if you want to spend some time here. Kuantan Waffle Station, located obliquely opposite the padang and near the big tree, serves tasty waffles while Country View Inn just down the road on Jln Sungai Lembing has comfortable rooms. You can tie in a trip to Sungai Lembing with a journey from Kuantan to Gua Charas.