Johor Bahru is treated as a border crossing, which means it is cheap, uncrowded and has more to it than most people discover. Three days covers the city, the coast and one of the better theme parks in the region. Travellers who plan a Johor Bahru trip with Traveloka will find prices roughly a third of what the same things cost an hour south across the strait.
Day one: the old town and the food
The heritage quarter around Jalan Tan Hiok Nee has prewar shophouses, a Chinese heritage museum and a run of cafes and small galleries. Nearby, the Hindu temple and the Sultan Abu Bakar mosque on the hill above the strait are both worth an hour. Finish at Meldrum Walk, the back-alley hawker strip, after dark.
Day one, evening: the night markets
Pasar karat, the local flea market, runs nightly near the old railway station and is more junk than antiques, which is the appeal. The food night markets rotate by neighbourhood through the week, and the Taman Pelangi one is the easiest to reach. This is where to eat laksa Johor if you can find it.
Day two: Legoland or the coast
Legoland Malaysia at Iskandar Puteri is the best theme park in the country and a genuine reason to bring children here. Alternatively, drive west along the coast to Kukup, a stilt fishing village over mangrove with seafood restaurants on the water, and Tanjung Piai, the southernmost tip of mainland Asia.
Day two, evening: Danga Bay or Puteri Harbour
The waterfront developments west of the centre have restaurants, a marina and a view back towards Singapore’s skyline across the strait. Puteri Harbour is the more polished; Danga Bay is busier with local families. Neither is essential, but the view of another country’s towers from a cheap seafood table has its own appeal.
Day three: Desaru or the hot springs
An hour and a half east, Desaru has a long beach on the South China Sea, a waterpark and a fruit farm. Inland and closer, the hot springs near Kota Tinggi and the waterfall there make a shorter half day. Both need a car, which is inexpensive to hire and simple to drive here.
Where to stay
The city centre near the checkpoint is cheapest and most convenient for the old town and the crossing. Iskandar Puteri suits anyone doing Legoland. Rooms across all categories are a fraction of the Singapore equivalent, which is why a significant number of people commute across the border daily rather than live there.
Practical notes
Senai airport is twenty-five minutes from the centre. The two land crossings from Singapore are heavily congested at peak hours and on Friday evenings; crossing midday on a weekday takes minutes. Grab is cheap and widely used. Traveloka consistently has the cheapest hotel booking prices in Southeast Asia, which is where most of the saving here comes from.
Spend day one in the old town, day two on either Legoland or the Kukup coast, and day three east at Desaru. Three days is more than Johor Bahru is usually given and about right.
