Iskandar Puteri

Iskandar Puteri, formerly known as Nusajaya, is a city in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The southernmost city in Malaysia, the city was created essentially from scratch since the 1990s to capitalize on the nearby Second Link to Singapore and the North-South Expressway to Kuala Lumpur. Largely residential and administrative, the main tourist draw is Legoland Malaysia, the only Lego theme park in Southeast Asia.

Areas
Iskandar Puteri can be roughly divided in to three areas, which are:
 * North - This part of the city has mostly been fully developed into residential areas, such as Taman Universiti, Skudai, Bukit Indah, and Taman Sutera. The older part of the city can be found here.
 * Central - The most developed commercial area of the city, containing the government's administrative center at Kota Iskandar, the flashy seaside enclave of Puteri Harbour, the Legoland theme park at Medini and more. Gelang Patah is the old part of this city area.
 * South - With the exception of Forest City and Port of Tanjung Pelepas, most of the part of this city area are yet to be developed. Along Pulai River bank, many parts are still covered in green and forest.

Understand
Iskandar Puteri is the administrative center for the state of Johor, which houses the office of the Chief Minister and the legislative council. It is a planned city envisioned by the 24th Sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar, and continued by his son, current Sultan Ibrahim Ismail. The city is administered under the Iskandar Puteri City Council. The central and southern part of the city is undergoing huge development where construction is happening around the places, with many administrative buildings, condominiums, shopping malls and leisure areas still being built. The developments planned for the city are rather impressive. Administratively, Iskandar Puteri is part of Johor Bahru District, the others are Johor Bahru City and Pasir Gudang Town, which are on the eastern side of Iskandar Puteri.

History
The Port of Tanjung Pelepas was completed in 2000 as one of the pet projects of then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Positioning itself as a much cheaper alternative to the long-dominant port of Singapore, it was hugely successful in its early years, attracting the world's two largest shipping lines, Maersk and Evergreen, to move their operations from Singapore. Today, it remains the second busiest port in Malaysia (after Port Klang), and serves as a complement to the port in Pasir Gudang in serving the Johor Bahru metropolitan area. Plans have been mooted to demolish the Causeway to allow ships to sail directly from Tanjung Pelepas to Pasir Gudang, though little to no progress has been made in bringing the plan to fruition.

Iskandar Puteri was established as a town with the name Nusajaya. In January 2016, it was renamed "Iskandar Puteri" by Sultan of Johor. In November 2017, it was upgraded to a city. The city's development remains patchy: while parts are busy and lively, the skyscraper-heavy areas of Puteri Harbour and particularly Forest City have largely failed to attract wealthy foreign investors, resulting in half-built developments rotting in the jungle.

Talk
Malay language is the official language of Johor. However, English is widely used as the second language by basically everyone in day-to-day trading and business activities, except in the very rural village areas. Most of the public places areas are written bilingually in Malay and English, with other places with additional Chinese or Tamil languages. The influx of expatriates and foreign workers from South and Southeast Asia has added to the mix of the languages used in the city, and also increased the importance of English language as the lingua franca.

Climate
Iskandar Puteri has an equatorial climate that's humid and hot all year round. The northeast monsoon from November to January can bring prolonged heavy rains and slightly cooler temperatures.

By plane
The city does not have its own airport. The nearest airport is the Senai International Airport serving Johor Bahru with destinations to cities in Malaysia and countries within Southeast and East Asia. It has many connecting flights to Malaysia's main airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport which serves long haul international flights globally. To reach Iskandar Puteri, take public bus (A1, 207, 333) from the airport to Larkin Sentral Terminal in Johor Bahru and change bus towards Gelang Patah (666, LM1) or towards Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal (IP) in Iskandar Puteri.

Due to the limited long-haul connections of Senai airport, many locals choose to fly from Singapore Changi Airport  across the border in Singapore instead. The downside is that you will have to pass through customs and immigration twice, and there are no direct public transportation connections between Changi Airport and Iskandar Puteri. This means that unless you want to spend a very long time on public transport and make multiple transfers, you will have to arrange for your own transportation in advance.

By train
The city doesn't have any train station. However, the nearest train stations are Kempas Baru and JB Sentral stations in the neighboring Johor Bahru.

From other cities or towns in Johor
If coming from Johor Bahru city, take Pasir Gudang Highway westward and follow to Second Link Expressway westward for paid road. For non-paid road, take Sultan Iskandar Highway westward, Skudai-Gelang Patah Road southwestward or Sutera Danga Road southwestward. If coming from Pontian District, take Tanjung Kupang Road southeastward.

From other states in Peninsular Malaysia
If coming from other states on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, take the North–South Expressway Southern Route southward and change to Second Link Expressway southward. If you're coming from the East Coast, you'll have to drive down to Johor Bahru and continue from there. Iskandar Puteri is not connected by land to East Malaysia, thus if you are coming from the area, please take flight first to Kuala Lumpur International Airport or Senai International Airport and continue the journey by land.

From Singapore
The Second Link (Linkedua) connects Tuas in Singapore with the Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar in Tanjung Kupang. Tolls are charged on both the Malaysian and Singaporean side for crossing the border. No visa-on-arrival is available at the border crossing, so if required for your nationality, make sure your Malaysian visa is in order before doing so.

From Johor Bahru

 * Iskandar Puteri Free Shuttle Service IP1 from Larkin bus terminal in Johor Bahru. Passes through points of interest in Iskandar Puteri.
 * LW1 between Larkin bus terminal and Gelang Patah. Passes through Legoland Malaysia and Puteri Harbour
 * SL1 from Sutera Mall and Bukit Indah in Johor Bahru. Passes through Legoland Malaysia and Puteri Harbour. Weekends and public holidays only

From Singapore
Going to Iskandar Puteri from Singapore uses the. Going from Singapore to Iskandar Puteri by public transportation, without resorting to taxi or e-hailing on at least part of the trip, may take a few hours considering the traffic in the 2nd Link and the time to commute inside Singapore to Jurong East or Boon Lay.

Buses CW3 and CW4 from Jurong East Bus Interchange, as well as bus CW6 from Boon Lay MRT, pass through the CIQ 2nd Link (immigration facilities) in Malaysia. From the CIQ 2nd Link, you can take the CW7L bus to Legoland Malaysia, or alternatively, the JPO2 bus that goes to Legoland and Puteri Harbour. From Puteri Harbour you can walk or take a taxi to Kota Iskandar. The JPO2 bus is very infrequent (it only runs 4 times per day in each direction), so you should familiarise yourself with the schedule if planning to go anywhere in Iskandar Puteri outside of Legoland Malaysia) or use taxi or e-hailing as an alternative to move between Iskandar Puteri and the CIQ 2nd Link.

However, if you are staying in the northern part of Singapore, it is probably more convenient to go to Iskandar Puteri via Johor Bahru.

By boat


Iskandar Puteri can be reached by ferry from Batam in Indonesia arriving at in Puteri Harbour. As of June 2022, the only operator on the route is Dolphin with 4 ferries daily, RM 69/114 one-way/return.

Get around
Public transport in Iskandar Puteri is limited, with limited frequencies (hourly or less is common) and most services beelining for central Johor Bahru.

By bus
Bus and taxi terminals in the city are:
 * and in Gelang Patah
 * in Kota Iskandar
 * in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah
 * in Taman Universiti

Iskandar Puteri is served by several bus companies, such as Causeway Link and Muafakat Bus (free of charge for Malaysians).

Within Iskandar Puteri

 * Causeway Link CW3S, from Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Terminal to Malaysia-Singapore Second Link
 * Causeway Link CW4G, from GP Sentral Terminal to Malaysia-Singapore Second Link
 * Causeway Link CW7L, from Mall of Medini to Malaysia-Singapore Second Link
 * Causeway Link IM05, from GP Sentral Terminal to Pendas
 * Causeway Link IM07, from Gelang Patah Terminal to Kota Iskandar Terminal
 * Muafakat Bus P201, from Taman Universiti Terminal Terminal going around Taman Universiti area and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
 * Muafakat Bus P202, from Taman Universiti Teminal to Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Terminal
 * Muafakat Bus P202, from Selesa Jaya Hub to Bukit Indah
 * Muafakat Bus P213, from Gelang Patah Terminal to Taman Universiti Terminal
 * Muafakat Bus P214, from Gelang Patah Terminal to Puteri Harbour

Out from Iskandar Puteri

 * Causeway Link BeXTRA3, from Taman Universiti Terminal to JB Sentral in Johor Bahru
 * Muafakat Bus P203, from Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Terminal to Tampoi in Johor Bahru
 * Muafakat Bus P211, from Taman Universiti Terminal to Larkin Bus Terminal in Johor Bahru

Out from Malaysia

 * Causeway Link CW4, from Pontian Terminal in Pontian Kechil through Gelang Patah Terminal and Malaysia-Singapore Second Link to Jurong East Interchange in Singapore
 * Causeway Link CW4S, from Sutera Mall through Malaysia-Singapore Second Link to Jurong East Interchange in Singapore

By taxi or rideshare
The Grab rideshare app operates in Iskandar Puteri, although it may take a while to hail a ride. Taxis can mostly be found in major tourist destinations, shopping centers or shopping malls. Make sure to always insist the driver to use meter.

By car
Driving is probably the most convenient way to explore Iskandar Puteri. Roads in the city are wide and well-paved with plenty of available parking lots during the weekdays. Malaysians drive on the left. The speed limit on the paid highway is 110 km/h and on the expressway is either 90 km/h or 70 km/h. For public parking areas with special designated parking fee by the city council, do purchase parking coupon from any convenient store, available in hourly or half-hourly basis of ticket. These tickets which are applicable for parking in Iskandar Puteri area can also be used in Johor Bahru, Senai and Kulai. Most of the parking lots in public places have lot for those with mobility disability.

Petrol stations
Petrol stations are relatively easy to find in the city. There are generally three types of fuel: RON95, RON97 and diesel. By law, foreign-registered cars (irrespective of the driver's nationality) may use RON97 fuel only.

Toll charges
The only road sections which require payment are the Second Link Expressway sections.

By bicycle
Most of the areas of Iskandar Puteri are flat plains with no major steep hills, making it relatively easy to cycle. There are clearly marked bicycle paths which circle around Medini Iskandar and Sunway Iskandar. Due to the nature of driving habits in Malaysia which is sometimes unpredictable, it is always best to always give away first to other vehicle when you are riding bicycles.

On foot
Due to its sheer size, Iskandar Puteri houses several suburbs which are pedestrian friendly. Kota Iskandar can be explored by foot which houses the government buildings of Johor State Government and also connected to the seafront recreation area Puteri Harbour with cafes and restaurants. Medini Iskandar area around Legoland Malaysia are pedestrian friendly with well-built pavements connecting to Mall of Medini and surrounding facilities. Educity consists of the main Educity Sports Complex which are well-connected by pedestrian to nearby universities and dining areas in EcoWorld. Bukit Indah is a residential area with shopping center, supermarket, dining and other various facilities including the Bukit Indah Recreational Park which are connected to each other and accessible by foot to explore the area. Be extra careful for traffics because some sections of the road in the area are without sidewalks. It is also adjacent to the Taman Nusa Bestari where it houses various eateries and shops, as well as the Bestari Walk for outdoor rows of restaurants. Taman Sutera is another residential area with Sutera Mall as the major attraction and surrounded by a shopping mall and various dining venues, nightlife and entertainment outlets which can easily be accessed by foot.

See




Nature
The city houses several urban parks where people can enter for free for their leisure activities. Due to the hot climate of the country, most of the people visit the parks only during morning or late afternoon time when air is not that hot. Almost all of the parks have adequate parking lots for private vehicles.

Theme parks
The Legoland Malaysia complex, consisting of three separate parks, is by far the top attraction in the region. (Especially since Sanrio Hello Kitty Town closed in 2020.) Most hotels in the area operate shuttles to the park, and from Johor Bahru it is also possible to use the LM1 and SL1 public buses. One day-tickets start from RM189/149 adult/child for the Theme Park, although discounted tickets are often available from third-party booking sites and combo tickets covering multiple parks can be good value.



Cinema
The city occasionally organizes some movie festivals throughout the year in various places. Regular movie showing cinemas are almost exclusively located inside shopping centers. Generally, there are Malay and Chinese subtitles given for English-speaking movies. For movies in foreign languages, the subtitles will be in English, Malay and Chinese.

Pinewood Studios operates a state-of-the-art film studio in Iskandar Puteri. It is not open to the public, but can be viewed from the outside.

Learn
The city is home to various government and private universities. It is home to Malaysia's best technical and engineering university, the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. It is also home to many branches of overseas universities, such as University of Reading Malaysia, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, Raffles University Iskandar, University of Southampton, Netherlands Maritime Institute Of Technology, Multimedia University etc. Do checkout at their official websites for any short lectures or courses which are opened to public.

Buy
Shopping centers and supermarkets are mostly concentrated in the northern part, and some in the central part, of the city. Most of the suburbs and neighborhood has a shopping mall or supermarket. These places tend to be really crowded during the weekends because of tourists inrush. Nevertheless, some of the shopping centers tend to be less patronized by visitors due to their outdated presence and appearance, and also because of the growing competition with other retail business.

Eat
Similar to other cities or towns in Malaysia with mix demographics, Iskandar Puteri houses various local traditional food of Malaysia, such as the Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines. Due to the growing presence of foreigner in the city, it also houses various international dishes kind of restaurants.

Drink
Popular night life district in the city is in Taman Sutera area, where you'll find night clubs, karaoke, cafes and restaurants. Complete with such amenities but slightly more quite is Bukit Indah and the adjacent Taman Nusa Bestari areas. A more happening place but restricted to shopping center operating hour is Puteri Harbour. Many of the local just enjoy midnight tea drinks and supper at Mamak restaurants, where they normally enjoy movie screening or live football matches.



Sleep
Iskander Puteri's accommodations are scattered around the district, and mostly lean towards soulless service apartments, although some budget options can also be found.

Internet
The city houses several Internet cafes, although most of them are being used as gaming center. Most of the middle and upper restaurants in the city offer free WiFi to its patrons, while virtually almost accommodation places (all kinds of hotels) offer free Wi-Fi to their guests. The Johor State Government provides hundreds of free Wi-Fi hot spots around the state, including in Iskandar Puteri.

Go next
Visit the nearby cities or towns from Iskandar Puteri
 * Johor Bahru - The capital city of Johor state which is next to Iskandar Puteri. It houses various tourist sports, shopping and entertainment outlets.
 * Pasir Gudang - The industrial capital of Johor with hundreds of large-scale factories. It is famous for its various choices of seafood restaurants along the Straits of Johor and also the Kite Hill in the town center.
 * Pontian Kechil - This small and quiet town is a step away from Iskandar Puteri for weekend relax gateway. Famous for its seafood, it also houses various natural-themed tourist attractions nearby.