Muar is a town in Johor State, Malaysia, and situated in Muar district. It is alternatively known as Bandar Maharani by the locals, which means ‘Empress Town’. Muar town is situated around 180 kilometres from Johor Bahru and 150 kilometrs from Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.

In 2012, it was declared as a Royal Town of Johor. Muar is amongst the most popular tourist destinations in Malaysia, especially due to its tasty yet inexpensive local delicacies, coffee, and its natural wonders.

How to Get There

There are several ways to go to Muar:

By Plane

The nearest airports to Muar are Malacca’s Batu Berendam Airport (MKZ), Johor Bahru’ Senai International Airport (JHB) and Kuala Lumpur’s KLIA and LCCT in Sepang. From one of the four airports, you can transfer by bus or taxi to Muar.

By Train

There is no train railways station in Muar. The nearest train stations are Segamat and Seremban, on which you then have to continue your trip by bus or taxi.

By Car

Muar can be reached from #Kuala Lumpur through North-South Expressway (NSE) and take the Tangkak exit (Interchange 235), then just drive past the Sg. Mati and Parit Bunga. The town is approximately 27 kilometers from Tangkak exit.

If you drive from Johor Bahru, drive through NSE and take the Pagoh exit.

By Bus

Muar has two bus stations: Hentian Maharani Bus Station and Bentayan Express Bus Station (formerly known as Pagoh Bus Station).

• From Kuala Lumpur: All bus departs from terminal Bersepadu Selatan, fare starting from 16.00 MYR. The bus service providers are Mayang Sari Express, Transnasional Express, Maharani Express, and Hasry Express. The trip takes 2-3 hours.
• From Johor Bahru: All bus departs from Larkin Bus Terminal, fare starting from 12.00 MYR. The bus service providers are City Express, KKKL, and Mayang Sari. The trip takes around 2-3 hours.

Tourist Attractions

Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim and Masjid Jamek 2 Sultan Ismail

Muar interestingly has two twin mosques, the first and older one is Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim, which construction was completed in 1930 and was officially opened by Menteri Besar of Johor at that time, Dato Mustafa bin Jafaar. The newer one, Masjid Jamek 2 Sultan Ismail, was built in 1999 and is a replica of the older one. Both mosques are situated close to Muar River; Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim is at Jalan Petri, close to Muar River, and Masjid Jamek 2 is at the opposite of Muar River bank, Tanjung Agas.

The view of both bluish-white delicate, English-Victorian architectures of these grand mosques are even enhanced at night when well-lit with colourful lightings. The twin mosques display a spectacular view especially if you are coming from the river mouth direction. 

Tanjung Emas Park

Tanjung Emas recreational park overlooks the Muar River, and is also famous for the food court’s local cuisines, particularly the town’s specialty ikan asam pedas, a fish dish cooked with chilli paste and tamarind sauce. Many rest shades are provided around to facilitate visitors when the sun becomes too hot. Besides relaxing, visitors can also enjoy the one-hour Muar River Cruise while exploring scenes of Muar town. The cruise departs from the park.

The recreational park also has a 9-hole golf course integrated, called Tanjung Emas Golf Club. There is also a rest house in a garden environment, which is managed by government, to accommodate visitors that plan to stay overnight.

Gunung Ledang (Mount Ledang)

Gunung Ledang (Mount Ledang, previously known as Mount Ophir) is the highest mountain in Johor State, standing at 1,267 meters. It is well-known not only for magnificent scenery of the jungle, but also for its local legend of Putri Gunung Ledang, for instance, and other supernatural encounters.

At the mountain foot, there is a camping site situated at the side of waterfall called Puteri Waterfall. To access the mountaintop and get the information about lodgings at the mountain foot, there are two managements to choose: Taman Hutan Lagenda and Gunung Ledang Resort. The accommodations vary from dormitory to chalets. If you are planning to climb the mountain, hiring a guide from ranger’s office is compulsory to arrange the trip in advance. The climb takes 5 to 6 hours with quite challenging trails.

To reach Gunung Ledang, you can hop on bus running between Segamat and Tangkak, and get off at Sagil.

Yong Sheng Gift Shop

Yong Sheng Gift Shop, located at Jalan Sayang, is the leading confectionary shop in Malaysia. Established since 1952, this shop offers many traditional and authentic pastries and hampers, such as egg yolk pies, wife biscuits, tambun biscuits, pineapple cakes, wedding & full moon gift sets, moon cakes, new year cookies, festive hampers and cakes. This is definitely a perfect choice of souvenirs.