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Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru (also Johor Baru or Johore Baharu, but commonl called JB) is the capital of Johor state in southern peninsular Malaysia, it is located just across the causeway from Singapore. JB is a bustling city, it is a significant regional transport and manufacturing hub.

Johor Bahru city is mainly easily divided into four parts - North, South, East and West.

South Johor Bahru - The main city centre which has a link to Singapore via the causeway. It is an area with housing estates which have been around for more than three decades. Important estates of this area include Taman Pelangi, Taman Century and Taman Sentosa.

North - Its main centre is Taman Johor Jaya, and it can be accessed via the trunk road, Jalan Tebrau. Recently, the Austin area has been a hive for construction activities due to the new Jusco Tebrau City located in vicinity.

West - The largest areas of the four, its hub is Skudai and important housing estates such as Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Taman Skudai Baru, Taman Bukit Indah, Taman Perling and Taman Nusa Bestari are located here. The largest port in Johor, Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas is located in this area too.

East - is a port which has been around for more than 20 years. The main hub is Pasir Gudang which is both a port city as well as a manufacturing hub. Tanjung Langsat which is located near Pasir Gudang is fast becoming a petro chemical hub.

Johor Bahru was declared a city only in 1994, it has grown rapidly and still growing. Latest census figures indicates that it is fast becoming Malaysia's second largest city, with a population of over one million. Given its relatively large land space, the town is not as dense as other cities around Malaysia.

Johor Bahru Though appreciably less organised and more messy compared to the glitz of the nearby Singapore, shopping and eating in JB can be a real adventure, with many shopping complexes and a wide variety of food establishments offering budget to fine dining.

Johor Bahru is probably more well known as an industrial city rather than a tourist-friendly town. Many of the world's top electronics manufacturers have at least one plant in Johor Bahru, and after the tough times after the 1997 economic crisis the town is stirring to life again.

Historical and modern landmarks

Other Places to see

Danga Bay (Teluk Danga in Malay), 7km northwest of the Causeway. It is set to be the premier waterfront development in Johor Bahru, with residential properties, commercial buildings and recreational facilities. Among the attractions that have opened so far are: Danga World Theme Park, Danga World Petting Zoo and Rumah Limas. To get to any of these three attractions, take any of the very frequent buses (RM 1.60 or 1.70) that goes to Skudai and beyond from the bus stop in front of the old railway station at Jalan Tun Abdul Razak. You can take a tourist tram from the Danga Convention Centre to the Festive Street Mall and back (5 RM per person, free for children below 3 years old).

Rumah Limas Here, Johor State's eight districts are represented by uniquely-designed traditional wooden Malay houses named as Rumah Kluang, Rumah Mersing, Rumah Segamat, Rumah Johor Bahru, Rumah Pontian, Rumah Kota Tinggi, Rumah Muar and Rumah Batu Pahat. In additon, there are two other traditional wooden Malay houses - Rumah Utama and Rumah Spa. All of these buildings surround a lawn, situated right at the edge of the Skudai Highway. Cultural shows unique to each district are performed in the Rumah Utama. Johor cuisine is served inside and outside some of the houses. There is an orchid garden beside the Rumah Segamat. Massage and spa therapy are offered in the Rumah Spa. Rumah Mersing offers wedding planning services. Rumah Johor Bahru has a gift shop. Rumah Kota Tinggi has a Malay arts and crafts exhibition whereas Rumah Kluang has traditional Malay games and cash crops exhibitions.

Danga World Petting Zoo is open daily from 3pm to midnight. There is an animal show at 8.30 and 10 pm. The admission price of 10 RM (5 RM for children) is very steep considering that this zoo is substantially smaller than the Johor Bahru Zoo at Jalan Gertak Merah. No video filming is allowed.

Danga World Theme Park is open daily from 3pm to midnight. This is actually an amusement park more suitable for children. Among the 20 rides are (price per person, minimum 4RM): Zamperla pirate ship (10 RM), tea cups (4 RM), two-level merry-go-round (4 RM), balloon ferris wheel (4 RM), flying elephant, bumper car, etc.

Taman Merdeka, 2km south of the Larkin Bus Station and 1.5km east of the Istana Bukit Serene at Jalan Kolam Ayer. This is a public park that surrounds a big lake. Here, you can find pavilions, an open-air theater,rock sculptures, an independence monument, two bridges, two twin 2-storey white buildings, cannons and a clock tower. There is an inexpensive Malay-run restaurant serving buffet and a la carte meals (Restoran JB Catering, see the 'Eat, budget' section) on the north side of the park. Free admission.

Taman Rekreasi Hutan Bandar (Recreational Park City Forest in English), Jalan Tasek Utara (Ulu Air Molek) 1.5km southeast of the Larkin bus terminal. This is a 13-hectare recreational park. Maintained by the municipality and lying within easy reach of the city center (the CIQ is only 3km away), this gem of a public recreational park contains seven lakes surrounded by tropical rain forest. There is a big fountain at the north end of the southernmost lake. Within the park are jogging/hiking tracks, wooden bridges and platforms, a children's playground and an open-air swimming pool (open Fridays to Sundays only). There is also an orchid park with many different species of orchids. Anglers can fish by the lakes. There is a car park just beyond the park's entrance on Jalan Tasek Utara. There are food and beverage outlets beside the car park.

Johor Bahru Zoo, across the street (Jalan Gertak Merah) from the Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque. This is one of the oldest zoos in Malaysia. The zoo was built by Sultan Ibrahim in 1928 and became the private menagerie of the royal family. It was was opened to the public in 1962. A 5-hectare, run-down zoo that provides a dismal diversion to local and Western tourists. It only has birds and mammals on display. There is a pond inside the zoo where you can rent boats as well as a children's playground. Admission 2 RM for adults, 1 RM (for 3-12 year olds), free for under 3 year olds. Open daily 0900-1800. To get there from the city center, take any of the very frequent buses(RM 1.20 or 1.30; however the fare for the return leg of the journey is only 1RM) that go to Skudai and beyond from the bus stop in front of the old railway station at Jalan Tun Abdul Razak

Saleng Zoo, Kulai (along the way from Jalan Skudai all the way past Senai town). A private zoo which surprisingly has been reasonably well maintained.

Orchid Valley Located in the Pulai area along Jalan Johor-Pontian road. Relatively run down.

Haji Ali House Located in Jalan Lurah 16, Kg Kempas

Istana Garden For jogging, leisure walk or a game of badminton at an open area in the park. Johor Bahru Hunts

Mawar Complex (Kompleks Mawar; Mawar is the Malay acronym for Majlis Wanita Johor), 888 Jalan Sungai Chat (tel 07-2214100)(50m west of the Thistle Hotel on the same side of the road). The complex consists of several buildings, among them a handicrafts workshop (closed to the public) and 'Rumah Mawar (also known as 'Galeri Mawar'). The latter is housed in a pretty 2-storey white building. It has photos of members (especially female) of the Johor royal family and various famous women of Johor. There are also displays of clothing worn by Sultanah Zanariah on the first level and mannequins wearing wedding clothes and traditional Malay clothes on the second level. Open only on Mon, Tue, Wed Thu and Fri 10am - 4pm, admission 5 RM for a mandatory guided tour of the 'Galeri Mawar'. You have to get one of the staff from the administration building to open the door to the 'Rumah Mawar'. He or she will act as a guide. Photography is forbidden except for the mannequin display on the second level. There is a small canteen selling Malay food at the entrance to the complex. To get there from the city center, take any of the very frequent buses(RM 1.20 or 1.30; however the fare for the return leg of the journey is only 1RM) that go to Skudai and beyond from the bus stop in front of the old railway station at Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, and alight at the bus stop in front of the red-colored Sultanah Aminah Hospital on Jalan Abu Bakar. It is about five minutes walk from here.

Kraftangan Malaysia Cawangan Negeri Johor (Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation of Johore State), Lot. PBT 20002, Jalan Cenderasari, Off Jalan Datin Halimah, 80350 Larkin. Tel : 07-2350433, 07-2350431 (T/T) Fax : 607-2350432. Located 1.5km northwest of Larkin bus terminal and opposite Foon Yew 4 school, this government body has a so-called Treasured Possession Gallery (open Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm) that exhibits batik, embroidery and beads. It also hosts a handicrafts fair on its premises once a year (the last fair was held from 6 to 8 Aug 2010).

Golf courses in Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru is reasonably well known for its golf courses. During the height of the country's boom, there is almost a golf course planned every 3 months. Here are some of the best in Johor Bahru.

Royal Johor Country Club probably the most expensive club in Johor Bahru. It is also the first course in this city.

Tanjung Puteri Resort one of the largest courses in Johor Bahru and boasts of many awards. Very well designed courses and attracts a fair amount of visitors.

Leisure Farm easily accessible by Singaporeans via the second link.

Pulai Spring Resort Partly owned by a Singapore company and hence a popular joint among the Singaporeans.

Austin Hills Golf Resort within the Tebrau Corridor and nearby Tesco hypermarket and Aeon Jusco shopping mall. Nestled amidst the lush greens of 27 hole golf course, the resort clubhouse boasts 66 exclusive suites, free-form swimming pool, tennis courts, 8-lane bowling alley, sauna, jacuzzi, karaoke and banqueting facilities all under one roof.

Water sports

Danga Bay There have been some addition recently to Danga Bay. You can rent a paddle boat to explore the area.
Stulang Laut You can find some windsurfing activities around this area.

Pulau Sibu PADI Dive Centre,. The nearest PADI dive centre to JB located on the small island of Pulau Sibu within the Cabanas Resort; an excellent weekend island break for Scuba Divers. PADI Scuba Diving courses are also available.

Dan's Nasty Frogmen Dive Base at Sea Gypsy Village on Pulau Sibu There are boat dives & Try Scuba Dives daily, morning & afternoon. Scuba diving is taught from the age of 8 years starting with Scuba Rangers. There are also morning & afternoon snorkeling excursions to uninhabited islands. Sailing is availble using Solsa sail boats plus paddle skis, kayaks & boogie boards for hire. Taxis to Tanjong Leman are easily available, depart at 7AM for the 9AM boat. You can depart Pulau Sibu at 5:30PM or 8:30PM, the resort will order a taxi to Johor Bahru for your return trip. Sea Gypsy Village operate a bus service from Johor Bahru daily at midday to connect with their 2PM boat, guests are on the island by 2:30PM.

Cinemas in Johor Baru

There are three major cineplexes in Johor Bahru, Tanjung Golden Village located in AEON Tebrau City, Golden Screen Cinemas in Pelangi Leisure Mall and Cathay Cinemas located in City Square. Minimum/maximum adult ticket prices (minimum prices only on Wednesdays, maximum prices during weekends) - Tanjung Golden Village 8/13 RM, Golden Screen 7/11 RM, Cathay 6/10 RM. There is also a Tamil movie theater ('Broadway') in the city center, about 100m southeast of the Hindu Sri Raja Mariamman temple.

Others  Place to visit

The Johor Society for the Performing Arts (JSPA), T: +60-12-7179388, . A non-commercial Society dedicated to the advancement,promotion and development of the performing arts in JB.

Massage Gallery Home Spa, Taman Perling (T: 07-2352369 or 016-7609779) . A transformed single storey terrace house with two small but clean and comfortable massage rooms and a semi-open body scrubbing area. Male masseurs only.

Cruise from and to Danga Bay. There are two types of cruises available. The speedboat cruise (daily every hour; adult - 10RM, child under 12 years old - 5RM; duration of cruise 20 to 25 min) goes from the pier beside the Marina Club building (this is where you will find the International Restaurants) to the Causeway and back. The Danga Cruise 8 (a triple-deck cruise ship) also sails the Straits of Johor (from Danga Bay to the Causeway and back). The pier for this ship is located off Danga Beach. The Danga Cruise 8 starts at 8pm every Fri, Sat and Sun and costs 50 RM net, inclusive of buffet dinner on board the ship.

Hotels in Johor Baru

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