Johor Bahru is the capital of Johor province in the southern part of Malaysia, which borders Singapore to the north. It is Malaysia’s second largest city after Kuala Lumpur.

Almost half of Johor Bahru population is Malay ethnicity, while the rest are Chinese and Indian. Trading plays the biggest role for its economy and followed by the emerging tourism. It is also known as the “Southern Gateway” of Malaysia that receives 60% foreign tourists visiting the country.

Johor Bahru offers numerous tourist attractions, from family-friendly places to cultural and historical destinations. One of the most famous attractions there is Legoland Malaysia.

Dated back to the 19^th century, Johor Bahru, which formerly called Tanjung Puteri, was founded in 1855. Once a fishing village, it had begun to develop significantly after the completion of Johor-Singapore Causeway in 1923 that links Malaysia to Singapore. After the World War II, the town has flourished and continue to develop until it was officially declared a city on 1 January 1994. This event was followed by the construction of Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru (Johor Bahru city square) as a commemoration.

How to Get There

By Flight

Both international and domestic flights from and to Johor Bahru are available. You will land at Senai International Airport (JHB), Johor Bahru.

By Bus

JB Sentral Bus Terminal is located at Jalan Jim Quee. Since it is very close to Kotaraya II Terminal, all SBS Transit Bus Service and SMRT Bus Service will alight at this point starting from March 2015.

By Taxi

There are special taxies allowed to operate from Singapore to Johor Bahru and vice versa. Singapore taxis are only allowed to depart from Queen Street Terminal Bugis to JB Sentral Bus Terminal, and Johor Bahru taxis similarly are only allowed to drop off passengers at Queen Street Terminal. The fare starts from 40.00 SGD per car from Singapore and 60.00 MYR per car from Johor Bahru.

The advantage of using taxi services to cross the border is that you do not need to take the luggage and hop off the taxi to pass the immigration; it can be done from inside the taxi, using a special service. Another advantage is the 24-hour taxi service allows you to decide your schedule independently.

Tourist Attractions

The following are the top must-see destinations in Johor Bahru:

Legoland Malaysia

A renowned amusement park famed by every child’s toy Lego, legoland Malaysia gained its popularity throughout Malaysia and internationally, as this is the first Legoland built in Malaysia. The other Legoland parks can be found only in United States and a number of European countries, such as Denmark, Germany, and United Kingdom.

This amusement park offers many fascinating main attractions, such as Lego Theme Park, Lego Water Park, and Lego Hotel. Lego Theme Park is notably popular for its Miniland area, which features world’s famous landmarks like Petronas Twin Tower, for instance, all built using Lego.

Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple

Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple is the biggest Hindu temple in Johor Bahru. As its name reflects, the fascinating temple is made of glass and, recorded in 2010, is the only one in the whole country of Malaysia.

The construction of this glass temple was inspired by Guru Bhagawan Sittar’s journey to Bangkok, Thailand, when he was the temple head. During his trip, he found a temple made of glass and immediately visited the temple. It had inspired him to renovate Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman to be a glass temple as it is today to attract many people including tourists.

The temple is located at 22 Lorong 1, Jalan Tebrau, reachable by taxi or bus.

Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque

The grand Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque is able to accommodate up to 2,000 worshippers. This mosque is a unique Islamic construction because it was built by two distinguishable architectural styles. Victorian and Moorish style are adapted and mixed with a little influence of Malay style. Constructed in 1892, the mosque is located at Jalan Abu Bakar.

You can reach this mosque by taxi, fare starts from 3.00 MYR

Johor Zoo

Being the oldest zoo in Malaysia, Johor Zoo was opened in 1928. The zoo is home to more than 100 animal species, including a rare exotic animal like gorilla.

Johor Zoo is located at the heart of Johor Bahru, close to Royal Museum and Johor Bahru Palace Grounds. The zoo is reachable by taxi.

The admission fee to Johor Zoo is 2.00 MYR for adults and 1.00 MYR for children.