Introduction To Johor

At the southern most tip of West Malaysia is the busy state of Johor. It does have a multitude of features to interest the tourist, and is also one of Malaysia’s most heavily populated states with over 3 million residents. The main attractions include immaculate national forests such as Enday-Rompin National Park, some interesting museums and the city of Johor Baru, the capital of the state.

Johor also has a colourful history, with its independence as a state dating back as far as the early 16^th century when the Sultanate of Johor was founded. Johor remained the only state in what is now Malaysia not to fall into Portugese rule during this time.Along with the rest of West Malaysia (or Malaya as it was known then), the state also went through British rule until independence in 1957.

Things To See & Do In Johor

Much of what’s to see in Johor can be found in the capital city area of Johor Baru. Because this is Malaysia’s closest city to Singapore, there is always the opportunity to skip over the border but there’s a fair bit to do in Johor in its own right.

With over 3 million residents, you can bet there’s a fair bit of shopping and a multitude of bars and restaurants to keep the sophisticated traveler busy.

A serious hit with most tourists is the Royal Abu Bakar Museum which displays many fine exhibits owned by a succession of sultans throughout the history of Johor. The Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque is also an impressive structure, matched only by two other stunning structures in the city - namely Roufo Gumiao (Chinese temple) and Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim (’Bangunan’ means Building in the Malay language). Rounding off the religious monuments is the equally impressive Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Johor is also terribly proud of its reputation as a shopping paradise – indeed, there are more than a couple of handsome shopping malls such as Johor Baru City Square, Plaza Kota Raya, and Plaza Pelangi.  As you can imagine, many Singaporeans cross the border to Johor to shop or enjoy the weekend because things are so much cheaper in Malaysia than in Singapore.

Johor Lama Fort is also a very interesting historic place to visit, situated right on the Johor River:

Above - Johor Fort Footage Courtesy Of YouTube

Outside of Johor Baru there are also some interesting sights and destinations – the Seribuat Archipelago is a wonderful group of islands which affords some outstanding diving opportunities.

The Endau Rompin National Park is also a highly visited destination. The park exceeds two hundred years in age and the main highlights are the splendid Sangkut Falls. You can take in some brilliant treks within the national park too.

There are also a couple of very pleasant towns to visit outside Johor Baru – Mersing a picture perfect fishing village which has almost stood still in time over the past hundred years. Muar is somewhat more lively and offers a couple of basic accommodation facilities.

You’ll also want to visit Gunung Ledang (’Gunung’ means Mountain in the Malay language) – Johor’s highest peak which affords some amazing views over waterfalls and endless jungle terrain. Legend has it that a princess, Puteri Gunung Ledang lived in the mountain waiting for her lover to return. Sadly, he never did and the princess died on the mountain.

Hotels, Guesthouses & Other Accommodation In Johor, Malaysia

As you’d expect, most of the accommodation within Johor is central to the main city area of Johor Baru. We’ve listed some of the most popular hotels and resorts to stay from five to two star rated accommodations:

Regency (5 Star)

Pulai Springs (5 Star)

Puteri Pacific (5 Star)

Mutiara (5 Star)

Hyatt Regency (5 Star)

Sofitel Palm (4 Star)

Selesa (3 Star)

Crystal Crown (3 Star)

Tropical Inn (2 Star)

The above places relate to accommodation in Johor Baru. There are more places to stay within Mersing such as the East Coast Hotel (budget), and the Teluk Iskandar Inn (slightly more upper range).

Restaurants, Café’s, Bars – Places To Eat & Drink In Johor

Some very good eateries can be found in the main city of Johor Baru.

Some excellent & cheap grub can be found at Bay Leaf Food Court (everything from Western dishes to more popular Malay cuisine is available here).

Near store shopping centre, Ah Cai Technochew is a highly popular restaurant that is celebrated for its sea cucumber dish.

If you fancy some authentic hawker food, there are no shortage of food centres available such as Tepian Tebrau and Sera Sungai Chat.

Restoran Medira does some cracking Indian food, while you can feast on wood roasted chicken at Kenny Rogers Roasters (founded by the singer himself). Closer to home, there is also a TGIF available in the city centre. For seafood, you can pop in to Straits Garden Seafood or Todak Seafood Restaurant.

For slightly more upmarket food, go to Aliff Restaurant. They serve up a variety of eastern and western cuisine.

Chocolate Banana is an interesting place to head to – especially if you like cake!

Moving on to the nightlife, Johor Baru is a bustling city and there are more than a couple of bars, clubs and discos available for you night-loving people.

The city has one or two karaoke bars such as TAM and most offer a variety of food and drink choices. Also popular are the night markets. Bayleaf has a good bar and is open quite late, while the interesting Handle Bar is a bikers bar with a pretty good atmosphere.