The majority of tourists from Singapore make Johor Bahru their next destination because of its close proximity. It’s really convenient to cross the border.

I have listed here some of the recommended things to do in Johor Bahru.

Top 10. Walking around Hutan Bandar Recreational Park

This place is very wide. It is mostly good for jogging and brisk walking.  The place is surrounded by big trees while situated in the middle of the city. It has lakes where you can see turtles and mudfishes around.

Aside from its playground, they also have their swimming pool. This is normally open to the public but because of MCO, this facility is temporarily unavailable. The place has also a lot of food places for you to have your breakfast too.

The park is believed to be crowded during the early morning from 6 AM to 8 AM and around 6 PM to 7 PM.

Top 9. Johor Premium Outlets

With MCO, each participating outlet has its own QR code for customers to scan and register their identity before entering each shop (I guess this is the new normal). Just need to be patient so everyone can enjoy shopping happily and safely.  

Going to this place from JB city center is not a problem. They have a bus service that connects you in one ride. It's very accessible.

Top 8. Walking Around Adda Heights Town Park

Parking is not an issue but bear in mind that this park is very busy during the early morning from 6 AM to 8 AM and from 6 PM to 7 PM.

Top 7. Danga Bay Park

They have a lot of rides here for everyone to enjoy. Most of their rides comes with attractive good lighting that makes the place very happening. It is a good place to explore.

They also have restaurants here serving seafood dishes. A bit pricey though but considered an outstanding one.

Top 6: The iconic Crown in Johor Bahru

It is recommended to visit this if you are in Johor Bahru. Take a walk at night here to see the colorful lights coming from the crown.  They also have fountains nearby as additional attractions to the area. It is open to the public and good for photo sessions.

Parking area is available and it's free. The parking area is just nearby “The Crown”.  

Top 5: Exploring the Old JB Town

It is also within this town where guests can walk around to explore the different shops (bakery shops) restaurants, and Kopitiam offering authentic Malaysian cuisines.  Majority of the old shops still exist. However, due to MCO, some had lessened their operation hours.

Top 4: Visiting Johor Zoo

As a traveler, I would suggest you take a photo in front of this signage as proof that you have visited and explored Johor Zoo.

Johor Zoo also provides opportunities to interact with the animals during feeding times. The entrance fee is not that expensive. It is worth going for the entire family.

Top 3: Mall Hopping

These malls cater to wellness services such as massage centers, nail polishing, hair cut services; You can also discover ongoing sales on branded and unbranded garments, clothes, shoes, phone accessories, and others.

During major events of the year such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Christmas, you will be amazed at the different themes on all these shopping malls. It is very creative.

The top most visited shopping malls in Johor Bahru include KSL City Mall, Paradigm Mall, Sutera Mall, Aeon Tebrau City, The Mall Mid Valley South Key,  Johor Bahru City Square, and R&F Shopping Mall. Each mall has its own specialty to offer.

Top 2. LEGOLAND Adventure

LEGOLAND offers more than 40 rides with different varieties of shows events and attractions which takes about 12 hours to enjoy the entire place. In 2019, the Sea Life Aquariums came in as part of the new attraction.

LEGOLAND Malaysia waterpark is the World’s largest LEGOLAND waterpark with over 20 thrilling slides for every visitor to enjoy. Children can enjoy customizing their own lego artwork with the available lego bricks inside LEGOLAND.

 Top 1. Food Exploration

Food places can be just along the road serving nasi lemak or carrot cake. You can also check out Pasar Malam where you can see a lot of street food that would really satisfy you till the end.

With the geographical structure of Johor Bahru, nearby countries like Indonesia and Singapore always visit Johor Bahru as their next destination because of the different food available in town. 

Some of the popular places for street food is at Taman Sentosa where you can have the chance to discover different street and hawker food for both halal and non-halal food.

Singaporeans also visit Gelang Patah area for a short gateway to explore seafood restaurants and other “Kopitiam” offering authentic coffees for coffee lovers.

How to get to Johor Bahru?

 There different modes of transportation on how to get to Johor Bahru.

 By Flight

• Domestic flights from Kuala Lumpur or any other parts from Malaysia and touch down at Senai International Airport.
• Upon reaching Senai International Airport, you can take taxi, private hire, or grab car to JB Sentral area. However, if you want to be economical, you can take Causeway Link Bus service from Senai International Airport to go straight to JB Sentral.

 By Ferry

• There are different ferry terminals in Johor Bahru and even around Johor. If you are coming from Indonesia (Batam) or Singapore, you can take any ferries that go to the Stulang Laut Ferry Terminal.
• This ferry terminal is located beside the Berjaya Waterfront Hotel in JB. It is the most recommended one. It is nearby to these places especially to shopping places in Johor Bahru.

 By Bus (Express Bus Service)

• There are different express bus service providers from the different parts of Peninsular Malaysia towards  Johor Bahru via the Larkin Bus Terminal.
• From Larkin Bus Terminal, you can take taxi, grab or even public buses to get to your desired destination. But if you want to get connected to the hotel where you book your reservation, it is advisable for you to take taxi or grab car as it is door to door.

 By Bus (Stage Bus or Cross-Border buses from Singapore)

• Johor Bahru can be accessible via 1st Link or 2nd Link from Singapore with the bus service operators from Singapore and Malaysia.
• If you want to go to Johor Bahru City Center,  you are advised to take the 1st link (from Woodland). It is more convenient. Bear in mind that during Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Malaysia and Singapore Public Holidays, the causeway and immigration clearance area will be too pack and it may take you about 3-4 hours to enter Malaysia especially during peak hour time from 6-9 at morning time and 4-9 evening time.

 By Train

• There is a train service line between Singapore and Malaysia. This is thus far the most convenient way as it only required one stopping point to clear the Causeway. The train journey will only take about 15-30 minutes traveling time including clearance from the immigration.
• Bear in mind that if you intent to take this service, you are advised to book your train ticket in advance to secure the seat. Don't last-minute buy the ticket in as you might not have enough slot on that day.

Note; This article was been published by the author from another website but it was updated in this cite with the inclusion of a topic "How to get to Johor Bahru". Some photos used were captured before MCO.

I myself have been affected by this pandemic. Hence, we joined the trending source of income—to have our home business support our daily needs.  We started a small-scale business for cakes and cookies.

As a newbie on this home business for fresh cakes and pastries, we need to look for a good supplier for fresh fruits and vegetables. And this is how I known about the fresh fruits of Share & Shine in Adda Heights.

I found out that Share & Shine in Adda Heights offers a wide variety of imported and local fruits including vegetables that you may need in order to bring the best quality of your food project be it a cake, soup, Asian delights, or any international cuisine. Name it, they have those fruits and vegetables you may need.

The shop also offers frozen fish and processed meat which maybe good for you to explore too.  

In conjunction with my #JomtaraletsSupportLocal campaign stories, let me share my experience when my wife asked me to find an Australian strawberry for her cake to be delivered the following day. I need to look for an authentic Australian Strawberry (this was specifically requested by our client).

Getting to Share and Shine is simple. Their address is easily located via Waze App or Google Map. I need to use these navigation apps since I am not familiar with the ins and outs of Johor Bahru. 

The surrounding area in Adda Heights is not that crowded. It has a lot of parking space so you don’t need to worry about it.

Inside the shop, you will be surprised with their room that has 5 degree centigrade. It is open to the public.  It’s really cold inside as if you are in the opening winter season in Canada or in New Zealand. It’s really cold. All the fruits and vegetables were displayed there to maintain their freshness.

You can’t stay inside for 10 minutes without a jacket. If you want to visit this place, please bring a jacket with you. I found this place quite interesting. The shop has available jackets for you to use in case you need one. You may need to take about 20 minutes inside the room to get what you need.

Anyway, with this fresh Australian Strawberry from this shop, our client was really satisfied. They were surprised with the freshness of the strawberry in that cake tower. They said that the strawberry was very juicy. 

For customer service wise, their team was friendly and very flexible to assist you with what you need. Perhaps you can consider them for your future fresh fruits and vegetable needs.

Despite having Movement Control Order (MCO) in some states in Malaysia  in line with our fight against the spread of Covid19 in the country, traveling like those normal days maybe not be back to normal soon. 

SOP and other traveling protocols may be reviewed for the safety of all travelers out there.

Should you be visiting Melaka for the first-time once MCO is lifted and inter-state traveling is allowed. I have listed here some of the must- visited places in this city. Let me be your tour guide to help you maximize your time at this wonderful World UNESCO Heritage Site.

Here are the recommended places in Melaka you should remember:

1. Jonker Walk at Jonker Street

With the inclusion of the Chinese tradition, the place was well decorated with lanterns which now referred to as the Chinese Town of Melaka.

Get extra drinking water with you as you walk around this area. You can save on buying drinks to hydrate yourself. The best time to roam this place is from around 5 PM onwards. It’s not that hot compared to around 11:00 am to 4.30 PM.

2. A' Famosa

This place is a perfect background for photo sessions for tourists who are looking for a heritage site. Although this place is free entry, the author is not sure if the administrator of the site is allowing the place for a wedding photo session.

3. Taming Sari Tower

The structure of the tower follows the shape of a keris, with a peak of the tower resembling its hits.  The ride to Taming Sari Tower offers a spectacular panoramic view of Melaka UNESCO Word Heritage City.

Measuring about 110 meters above the ground, the revolving structure offers a 360 degrees panoramic view of Melaka town.

4. Melaka River Cruise

The boat ride is about 45 minutes with the accompaniment of a recorded voice that explains all the historical places the boat is passing by.

5. St Paul Church

An old building situated on a hill which believed to be the Chapel of Mother of God by the Portuguese in Melaka during the olden times.

According to Asian Historical Architecture,  the church is renowned as the place where the body of Francis Xavier, the pioneering Catholic missionary of Southeast Asia, was laid to rest for a period of eight months after his death at sea (from March 22nd, 1553 to December 11th, 1553).

Various artifacts are displayed in the old roofless building written in an old writing form.

6. Melaka River Pirate Park

This is located at the banks of Melaka River just opposite the old Cathay Cinema near Jalan Hang Tuah Bridge. This park housed the Ferris Wheel which was known as the 'Eye of Melaka'.

The Ferris Wheel stands at 25 meters above the ground and it is a permanent structure. Each pod can accommodate 5 adults at a time. This place is highly recommended to be visited during nighttime to enjoy the neon lights and colorful lighting of the place.

Other places of interest that can be found here include the Pirate Ship, Trampoline Bungee, Rode Bull, Rock Climbing, Haunted Castles and the Flying Fox.

7.  Trishaw Ride

Melaka is one of also known for their small transporters or shall we say Melaka’s Trishaws which were designed with plastic flowers and lights and accented with popular anime characters such as Hello Kitty, Pokémon, Barney and Friends, Frozen, and many more.

Most of the Trishaws here are also equipped with good sound to make the ride more enjoyable.

The ride is about 20-45 minutes depending on your request. The longer place you request, the higher rate you need to pay.

8. Christ Church

This church is considered one of the oldest existing churches in Melaka. It was believed to be built in 1753.

The whole building was painted with Red which remained as the hallmark of Melaka’s Dutch–era building.

This is also the popular meeting place of tourist around the area as it is all connected to another popular site in the area such as Jonker Street, the Maritime Museum, The River cruise, A Famous, and many more.

9. Maritime Museum

Inside this museum is where various types of ships are displayed from different countries during the olden times.

When entering the museum, you are required to take off your shoes. The place inside is air-conditioned so you don’t need to worry about the warm weather. Photo taking is also allowed inside the place.

The pricing of Malaysian and foreigners to enter this museum are at a different rate.

10. Visiting other Museums in the Melaka

If you are into the cultural heritage, you may want to visit various museums in Melaka. Here are some of those Museums:

• History and Ethnography Museums (built-in 1650” by the Dutch )
• Melaka Sultanate Place Museums (this was during the time of Sultan Mansur Shah that ruled Melaka in 1456-1477)
• Submarine Museum ( this is a museum inside a Submarine)
• Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum (a family run private museums that talked about the heritage of the Peranakan- Chinese community)
• Naning Heritage and History Museum (This museum is full of history showing the uniqueness of the Naning district. The building was built in 1951.

11. Encore Melaka

One of the newest theatres in Melaka and in Malaysia that can cater to up to 2000 audiences at one time. Encore Melaka showcases an approximately 70-minute show that recounts the long-forgotten tales of the history of the city.

The thereat also highlight a 360-degree rotating audience platform and multi-stage hydraulic sets which makes as Southeast Asia’s largest permanent show theatre.

Here is the summary list in our YouTube post:

Rates maybe have changed from time to time. Please check the respective website of all Museums for updates on their rates, operation hours, and other protocols following the MCO SOPs. 

The restaurant is very nearby our workplace. It is about 15 - 20 minutes’ drive away from the city center and most of their customers were those the 'working community'. I seldom see tourist who visits this place.  But it would be an interesting one of them to try it out.

Let’s find out how was it.

THE AMBIANCE

CUSTOMER SERVICE

We went there during peak hours. That was lunchtime and the whole house was very busy. They have staff available to assist you. Their staff can speak basic English so you have to be considerate enough.

THE FOOD

We ordered their Master Grilled Chicken Chop, Chicken Chop with Butterfish & Prawn, Hawaiian Chicken Chop, and Seafood Baked Rice.

We didn’t order their drinks or any other side dish. They already have an overflowing buffet like fruits, drinks, nuggets, cakes, soup, bread, vegetable salad, and even tea or coffee. So, while waiting for your food to be served, we can start taking appetizer at their buffet table (found in the second floor).

Their food presentation was terrific. The way it was presented was very appetizing. The way the chicken was cooked and grilled was fantastic. The spices used in the grilled chicken chop gave a good aftertaste.

Every bite of their Master Grilled Chicken was outstanding. My mouth really loves it. The chicken was really grilled and the smokey taste is there. The whole set was sensational If you are a pasta lover, you can also go for their seafood baked pasta. I tried this before and it is nice too.

Their seafood baked rice was also nice with lots and lots of mozzarella cheese. It is thick and flavoury. The way the prawn and lobster were steamed was perfect. It was well done. The juicy part of the prawns was still there. The usage of condiments was not overdone too.

For taste-wise, I think, it was all good. The food overall for me is 10 out of 10.

After taking your main course, I would advise you to take a lot and lots of water and fruits. As for me, if I eat a lot of marinated and fried stuff, I always ensure to drink a lot of water or eat watermelon (which is available on their buffet table—all some more it's free).

DISCLAIMER

Reviewed food was based on the date the food was ordered. Reviews given were based on the honest feedback. The featured shop may also have better menus which may even better according to your preferences.

With the MCO Status in Johor, kindly please seek updates from the Restaurant Management for dine-in and other transaction for further information.

Lemon Tree is known as a local brand in Johor Bahru. It was founded by a very experienced chef named Jeffery. They serve quite a good range of local and western food. This café was established in 2003 and it first started its business in Taman Melodies. It is just a few minutes’ drives (approximately less than 2 km) from Holiday Plaza, KSL City Mall, or Holiday Villa). 

Now, they also have sprouted their branches to other Tamans in Johor Bahru. Jom with me as I share to you my food experience with their bento set.

THE FOOD

The Gong Bao Seafood bento was very satisfying in terms of taste, texture, and the whole package. The serving was absolutely complimenting its price. In terms of taste, the whole set was remarkable. The chilly content wasn’t that strong and it didn’t overpower the whole set. It was a good package indeed.

The Cheesy Chicken Cutlet bento on the other hand was also something interesting. If you like a meal that is a bit of a sweetish taste, then I guess, this would definitely be for you. If you ask me would this meal be considered a powerful lunch meal, I would say no. The protein part (the chicken cutlets) was not that much and the amount of the carbohydrates (rice) was also not that much. I think this is recommended for fellas out there who want a bit of mid-range light meal for the day.

We also ordered their Chicken Nuggets, French Fries, and Crispy Onion Rings for the kids. Wow—they love it. They keep on munching it. When we requested for the fries to be no slat content—they followed it.

Anyway, they also have other bento sets like Aglio olio with cheesy crispy chicken and coleslaw, chicken cutlet spaghetti bento, grilled chicken with black pepper sauce bento, Mee siam with fried chicken and egg, as well as steam rice with chicken sambal. All come with drinks and it's worth it. It’s all RM10.80 per set.

 DISCLAIMER

Reviewed food was based on the date the food was ordered. Reviews given were based on the honest feedback. The featured cafe may also have better menus which may even better according to your preferences.

Due to the MCO status of Johor, please check with the café management for any dine-in or take-away transaction following the SOPs from the government.

With the ongoing MCO status in Johor, traveling is still controlled followed by other SOPs released by the government.  Despite that, this travel guide can be a good reference for fellas out there who would be needing public transport.

• S1: JB Sentral  - R&F Mall - Plaza Pelangi - Holiday Plaza Mall - KSL City - JB Sentral
• MV2: JB Sentral - R&F Mall - Mid Valley Southkey - Istana Pelangi - Flat Stulang Laut - Menara Cyberport - Berjaya Waterfront - Foon Yew High School - JB Sentral
• LM1: JB Sentral - R&F Mall - Gelang Patah - Legoland -Puteri Harbour - Larkin Sentral  - JB Sentral

“We are happy and welcome the launch of these three routes.” said Richard Hu, Chairman of R&F Group Malaysia, “We believe this partnership with Causeway Link will not only benefit the locals but also help in boosting the tourism industry in Johor, be it to domestic tourists or internationals.”

Causeway Link and R&F Mall has also announced that R&F shopping vouchers will be available to be given to the public following the mechanism set by both parties. one example released is this:

Disclaimer

For any update on the bus service operation including the daily operation of the shopping mall, please refer to their respective management for more information.

As we look forward to that to come, let me share to you a suggested way to travel cross-border  by land from this two major cities in Southeast Asia- Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Traveling by land is really exciting. You can enjoy the scenic routes and have a glance at the beauty of nature and can see different towns and cities you will be passing by. For me, I would prefer you to travel by land between Singapore and Malaysia. There are a lot of bus services that can link you between these two destinations.

• Billion Star
• Grassland
• KKKL
• 88
• Causeway Link
• Starmart
• Theone Travel
• Transtar
• City Holidays
• Golden Coach

As a traveler, I compared the pricing of each service provider from various online booking platforms such as easybook, redbus, busonlineticket, etc. I found out that Causeway Link express bus service is one of the reliable transportation services that I can use too- they are quite cheap and with good reviews.

The bus is located outside of IMM Mall bus bay area just beside Toh Guan Road in Jurong East, Singapore. The distance of the bus bay area from the Causeway Link counter is about a 2 to 3 minutes’ walk.

Our bus fare for this ride was about 43 SGD per way. It is a direct bus service to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore.

The traveling time for this bus was about 5 hours and 30 minutes via the Second Link Causeway through the Tuas Link from Singapore and Second Link in Malaysia. According to the bus driver, sometimes it will take a bit longer (about one hour delay) depend on the road condition.

Here are the points you should remember when traveling to these two destinations

1. Book your ticket online

During peak season like Chinese New Year, Christmas Holidays, Hari Raya Celebration, Deepavali, and other public holidays including long weekends, the bus is expected to be full.

It is hard for us to take a bus that is why we book our tickets online to secure our seats for our specific traveling date and time.

2. About Boarding Pass

Before boarding the bus, we were required to exchange our bus tickets to the boarding pass at the Causeway Link counter in IMM Mall and also to the ticketing counter in Terminal Bersepadu Selatan.

The boarding pass from Terminal Bersapadu Selatan has a QR code which used to scan by the officer in order for us to enter the gate (for that terminal) to get to the bus to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur.

 3. The Bus Service Is Super Cool

It is good that we have brought our jackets with us. The bus air con is quite cold. We took the seat at the second decker of the bus. The place is convenient for sightseeing, especially along the expressway. It has a lot of palm trees which makes the whole trip exciting.

 4. Toilet Breaks

We had one toilet break. But because I need to go toilet due to some stomach problem, I ask the driver to go for another R&R (Rest and Relaxation Centres)– so he brought us to another R&R for me to do my business.

5. Traveling Documents

Part of a cross-border journey is an immigration clearance between two government authorities of Malaysia and Singapore. Before the trip, we ensured that our traveling documents are good to go since we are a foreigner to both countries.

We submitted our documents to  SG Arrival Card via an App for exiting and entering Singapore as a replacement of the conventional white card usually presented to Singapore Immigration officer.

We have to take this seriously otherwise, it will affect our entire journey.

6. Luggage Allowance

According to the terms and condition of Causeway Link Express bus service, each passenger is only allowed to bring on board two (2) medium-sized luggage during the journey and the weight of both luggage must not exceed fifteen (15) kilograms.

This is luggage allowance is okay for us. By the way, when clearing the immigration, we were required to carry our own luggage and bring it with us for custom clearance as well.

7. Reaching Terminal Bersepadu Selatan

When we reach terminal Bersepadu Selatan, we drop off at the bus drop off point and we used an escalator going up to get inside the terminal to get to our destination.

This our journey between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. It was a super smooth bus ride. I hope that by reading this guide, your traveling journey can be smooth too.

Disclaimer

Due to the strict implementation for cross-border journeys, daily commuting is not yet allowed. Please seek an update from your transport service provider for any plan of traveling between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Please also seek necessary updates from the Immigration department of both countries (Malaysia and Singapore) for any related traveling requirement following the new SOP amid the impact of the new normal.

This traveling experienced was documented in 2019.