Johor Bahru



Johor Bahru (Jawi: جوهر بهرو, Chinese: 新山) (also Johor Baru or Johore Baharu, informally called JB) is a city and the state capital of Johor in Malaysia. It is the second largest city of the country and the financial centre of the state of Johor. The city is surrounded by suburbs, industrial parks and long waterfront areas, in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Johor Bahru together with Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang cities and Kukup, Kulai, Pekan Nanas and Senai towns form the megaregion Iskandar Malaysia.

Areas
Johor Bahru's metropolitan area can be easily divided into four parts - North, South, East and West.


 * North - Its main centres are Taman Daya, Taman Mount Austin, Taman Desa Tebrau and Ulu Tiram, which can be accessed via the trunk road, Jalan Tebrau. There can be a relatively frequent peak hour jam along this road. The area is a very popular place for the local to patronise due to the latest development of AEON Tebrau, Lotus's Tebrau, IKEA Tebrau, Toppen Shopping Centre and Mount Austin's bustling socialising and entertainment district.
 * South - It is the main city centre (IIBD) where most of the city government agencies are located. This area is also where many of the old town areas are located, including its Chinatown, Little India and Stulang Laut waterfront areas. It is an area with housing estates which have been around for more than three decades. Important estates include Taman Pelangi, Taman Century and Taman Sentosa.
 * East - The main suburbs here are Plentong and Permas Jaya, a housing suburb; other part is industrial areas and the Sultan Iskandar Reservoir.
 * West - The main centres is Danga Bay area, an integrated waterfront development. The main suburbs here are Bandar Baru UDA, Tampoi and Kempas.

Understand
Johor Bahru is a fast-growing city. The city has about 860,000 inhabitants (2020), and its district has about 1.7 million. Johor Bahru is mostly suburban and lacks a condensed metropolitan environment. Given its relatively large land space, the city is not as dense as many other cities in the country. Many of the world's top electronics manufacturers have at least one plant in Johor Bahru.

Due to its proximity to Singapore, Johor Bahru is frequently visited by tourists from Singapore particularly on weekends, in order to benefit from lower comparable restaurant and accommodation prices of at least 50%. Congestion at the border checkpoints is particularly heavy during long weekends or extended public holidays. Shopping and eating in the city can be a real adventure, with many shopping complexes, restaurants, cafes and a wide variety of local, Asian and Western food establishments offering from street food to fine dining. There are also plenty of spas, massage parlours, resort hotels, karaoke, night markets, pubs and nightclubs in the city. The city also houses many establishments for arts, sports, games and outdoor activities.

Johor Bahru has a good mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures, with racial and religious harmony actively promoted by the Sultan of Johor. The city has been receiving large investments, particular from Chinese property developers, as part of the Iskandar Malaysia project. As result, there is massive construction all over the city. While mostly residential properties are being built, some are aiming to create man-made tourist attractions such as Danga Bay (Country Garden, Greenland) and Princess Cove (R&F). Johor Bahru is a sprawling city; its city centre is rather small for a metropolis of its size, and many of the city's best shopping areas and restaurants are in the suburbs rather than in the city centre. While the public transportation leaves much to be desired and may be too complex or inadequate for tourists in general, local inexpensive ride-hailing apps such as Grab makes the task of exploring the city much easier.

History
The city was founded in 1855 as Tanjung Puteri during the rule of Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim of the Johor Sultanate. In 1862, it was renamed as Johore Bahru when the Sultanate moved its capital there from Telok Blangah. After the independence of Malaya in 1957, Johor Bahru became the capital of Johor State and continued as such after the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Johor Bahru was declared a town in 1977, and then a city in 1994. Subsequently, with the establishment of Nusajaya, many of the state administration offices were moved to the new town. In 2020, the new city hall of Johor Bahru was established in Bukit Senyum.

Climate
Like the rest of other areas in Malaysia, Johor Bahru has an equatorial climate with consistent temperature throughout the year. It has a considerable amount of rain and high humidity. Daily average temperature ranges from 26.4 °C (79.5 °F) to 27.8 °C (82.0 °F). Although the climate is relatively uniform, it does show some seasonal variation due to the effects of monsoons. Day time can be a bit hot, thus bringing a hat, cap or umbrella may always be a good idea, because sometimes rain will also pour down unexpectedly.

Tourist offices
The official at Jalan Ayer Molek (about 1 km southwest of JB Sentral) is a tiny office on the 3rd level in a sprawling white building of the same name, a 10-min walk from JB Sentral station; M-F 8AM-5PM. There are two other tourist offices located at:


 * 1) Johor Bahru CIQ ('Tourist Information Centre' open daily 9AM-1PM and 2-6PM). 50 m from Sultan Iskandar Building.
 * 2) JB Sentral ('Tourist Information Centre', next to the passenger waiting area on level 2 daily 9AM-6PM). You can get free brochures and maps on various destinations in West Malaysia, including free maps of JB.

Talk
Malay is the official language of the state and Malaysia, and spoken by virtually all locals. English, however, is widely used as a second language in public and for business, commercial and tourism purposes. Teochew is the main language spoken by the Chinese community, with many of them able to speak Mandarin as well, while Tamil is the main language spoken by the Indian community. Other languages from East, Southeast and South Asian countries can also be found in the city due to the significant presence of migrant workers from those countries.

Generally, most of the public commercial signs are bilingual in Malay and English. Many private establishments will also include Chinese or Tamil signs. However, road signs are mostly written in Malay only. Road names are mostly written in both the Rumi and Jawi scripts.

By plane
The most practical way for most international visitors to enter is through Singapore Changi Airport (see below).

Senai International Airport
is the main airport serving Johor Bahru, located in the neighbouring town of Senai. It has several international flights from other Southeast Asian countries, and it has also domestic flights from major airports around Malaysia, including connecting flights from Malaysia's main airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Selangor, which is served by flights from major destinations around the globe.


 * Domestic flights are provided by:


 * From/to Johor Bahru:
 * Causeway Link operates airport express shuttle buses between the airport and JB Sentral with 12 return journeys per day. First departure from either side is at 9AM and last departure is at 8:30PM. Tickets cost RM8 one-way and the journey time is about 45 min.
 * There are also non-express buses from and to the airport. JB Central Line's A1 bus (Larkin Sentral: 7AM-8:30PM) and Causeway Link's 333 (Larkin Sentral: 6AM-8PM about every 1½-2 hr, one-way fare RM3.50) go between Larkin Sentral terminal and the airport. The A1 bus terminates at Senai Airport and Permas Jaya, so you can board or disembark from the bus at various points.
 * Taxis are available and the ride takes about 30 min. Taxis leaving from the airport operate on a voucher system; buy your voucher from the taxi desk inside the terminal (next to the car rental desks). A trip to the city centre is RM45 for up to 4 passengers.
 * From/to Singapore:
 * If you are planning to go to Senai Airport from Singapore, the cheapest option is to travel to JB Sentral (see By bus below) and then transfer to a Causeway Link Airport (CWA) shuttle bus, or to Larkin Sentral terminal by express or non-express bus and transfer to an airport-bound bus. If you're in a hurry, you can take an ordinary Malaysian taxi for an official rate of RM45 from the taxi rank at JB Sentral, after clearing Malaysian immigration and customs. From JB to Senai takes around 30 min off peak. Buy your coupon from the counter before boarding the taxi.

Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport across the border in Singapore is commonly used by locals due to its better connections. The downside is that you will have to pass through customs and immigration twice, and getting to/from your destination can be a bit of a hassle as normal Singaporean taxis are not allowed to cross the border into Johor Bahru and vice versa. Transtar Travel's "cross border" coach service operates between Changi Airport Terminals 1 and 4, and JB CIQ, from which you can catch a taxi or public transport to anywhere in Johor Bahru.

From other parts of Malaysia
Due to the separation of East Malaysia from Peninsular Malaysia by sea, Johor Bahru can only be accessed by road from the peninsula. JB is at the southern end of the North South Expressway, the toll highway which runs the length of Peninsular Malaysia along the West Coast. Those accessing or leaving the city can exit or enter at Jalan Skudai, Jalan Adda Utama, the Pasir Gudang Highway or Jalan Tebrau.

JB is also at the southern extremity of the Federal Route One, the main trunk roads which runs the length of Peninsular Malaysia's West Coast states. Federal Route Three or the East Coast Road links JB with the East Coast cities of Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu and Kota Bharu via Kota Tinggi and Mersing. The West Coast's coastal road can be accessed from Pontian.

From Singapore
Most visitors to JB arrive from Singapore via the linking the two countries. By some measures the busiest border crossing in the world, the Causeway is a very popular and thus often congested entry point connecting directly into the heart of JB. The most crowded times tend to be on Fridays (especially from 9AM to noon and 3PM to 10PM) when many Singaporeans travel across the border to Malaysia for a weekend getaway and Malaysian residents travel back after the workweek. Saturday mornings and the eve of bank holidays (or bank holiday weekends) can see the checkpoint packed too. Sunday afternoons and evenings, as well as the last day of bank holiday weekends see the Causeway crowded in the opposite direction. The Causeway can be crossed by bus, train, taxi or car. This website provides more advice on when the best time to travel across the causeway would be.

To drive a car from Singapore to Malaysia, one must prepare the stored-value card (NETS CashCard or CEPAS Card) with sufficient funds to pay for tolls before leaving Singapore and the Touch 'n Go card when entering Johor Bahru to pay the RM20 VEP toll fee. Drivers of Singapore-registered cars must also ensure that their fuel tank is filled with ¾ of the vehicle's fuel tank when leaving Singapore. Offenders may be fined up to S$500 by Singaporean authorities, and will not be permitted to leave Singapore.

Rental agencies will frequently prohibit their cars crossing the border or may charge extra in both directions.

'Cycling across the Causeway from Singapore is possible. To do so, take the motorcycle lanes and have your exit and entry processed at the manual motorcycle counters.

By bus
serves as the major long-haul bus terminal in the whole of Johor Bahru. Buses between JB and other Malaysian or Thai cities, and those between JB and Singapore will usually start and terminate here or at JB CIQ.

West Malaysia and Thailand
Direct buses between Johor Bahru and many cities and towns in West Malaysia as well as Hat Yai in Thailand arrive at Larkin Sentral Terminal. This L-shaped terminal has coach and bus ticket booths, shops, about a dozen food and beverage outlets, a market, and a left luggage office (RM2 per bag per day, 7AM-10PM).

There is a big, open-air car park in front of the bus terminal - enter from Jalan Garuda. Several dozen bus companies run direct bus services between Larkin Sentral and various destinations in West Malaysia with services to Kuala Lumpur typically starting from just after sunrise and ending at slightly past midnight. Except during public holidays (when you should buy the ticket in advance), you can usually purchase your ticket on the day of departure or even less than an hour before the scheduled departure time. You may have to pay a hefty surcharge on top of the normal ticket price for departures on public holidays.

There are shared taxis departing from Larkin Sentral terminal to various destinations (only as far as Genting Highlands) in West Malaysia. The fare per person for the shared taxis is at least three times the coach fare per person for the further destinations. The shared taxis, unlike the intercity buses, do not depart at set times. They only depart when the shared taxi has reached a maximum of four passengers or if the passengers are willing to pay for the remaining seats. Shared taxi fares per person in RM: Genting Highlands 120, Kuala Lumpur 95, Kuala Lumpur International Airport 95, Malacca 65, Mersing 40, Senai International Airport 10, Kota Tinggi 10.

There are local buses connecting Larkin Sentral terminal with various parts of the city. To go from JB Sentral to Larkin Sentral, you can take the Maju bus or Transit Link's orange-red 'City Bus' (all of these do not have bus numbers - they have the word 'Larkin' prominently displayed on the front of the bus; the one-way bus fare is RM1.70 and average frequency of the Maju bus is 5-10 min). These buses stop at the bus stop opposite City Square in Jalan Wong Ah Fook and at the JB Sentral's bus bays facing Jalan Jim Quee.

To go to JB Sentral from Larkin Sentral terminal, you can take the Maju bus number 208, 224 and 227 (one-way fare RM1.70) or Transit Link's orange-red 'City Bus' (one-way fare RM1.70). Maju bus number 208, 224 and 227 go from Larkin Sentral terminal to JB Sentral en route to Masai, Pasir Gudang and Kota Tinggi respectively.

From Singapore
There are three main types of bus transport between JB and Singapore: private buses, Causeway Link buses and SBS Transit/SMRT public buses. All buses except CW3, CW3S, CW4 and CW6 use the Causeway. Other than the immigration checkpoints, all Johor Bahru bound buses can only stop at one or two destinations in Johor Bahru, while Singapore-bound Causeway Link and Singapore-Johore Express buses can only stop at one destination in Singapore. Terminals aside, all buses make one stop each at Singapore immigration checkpoint and at Malaysian immigration checkpoint, which may mean boarding (esp. on those line buses where you can pay with an EZ-link card) a different bus. At both immigration points, you must disembark with all your luggage and pass through passport control and customs, then board the same or next bus by showing your ticket or using your EZ-link card.

The following private buses run between various stops in Singapore and either JB CIQ or Larkin Sentral Terminal in Johor Bahru:


 * From Johor Bahru to Woodlands, via Johor–Singapore Causeway


 * From Iskandar Puteri to Tuas, via Malaysia–Singapore Second Link

SBS Transit and SMRT public (non-express) buses provide non-express services which charge based on distance travelled, and can be paid in cash or by EZ-link card. Exact fare is required without the EZ-Link card; you will not get any change back from the driver.
 * The Transtar Cross Border Service TS1 minibus (24 passengers) plies between Changi Airport and Johor Bahru. The service calls at coach stands at Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and terminates at Johor Bahru CIQ. The first bus leaves Changi Airport for Johor Bahru at 8:15AM, Johor Bahru for Changi Airport at 5AM with the last departures at Changi Airport and Larkin Sentral scheduled at 11:15PM and 9PM respectively. Frequency is set at every 60 min. The bus calls at 5 stops along its route in Singapore (excluding Woodlands Checkpoint) and uses the Tampines and Seletar Expressways.
 * The Transtar Cross Border Service TS8 double-decker bus plies between Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) and Johor Bahru. The bus calls at 6 stops along its route. The service terminates at Larkin Sentral, with drop off at JB CIQ. Passengers can choose to pay using their EZ-link cards or with cash. From RWS, the first bus will leave at 8AM (weekdays) or 9AM (weekends and holidays) with the last one at 12:15AM. From Larkin Sentral, the first bus departs M-F 6AM; Sa Su and public holidays 7AM. Last bus at 9:30PM. Service TS8 runs every hour.
 * The Advance Coach AC7 bus service runs between Yishun bus interchange in Singapore and Larkin Sentral Terminal. It makes numerous stops en route between Yishun bus interchange and the Woodlands checkpoint. The frequency is 20 to 30 minutes, 5:45AM-11:30PM (Singapore to Johor Bahru) and 5AM–11:50PM (Johor Bahru to Singapore).
 * The Singapore-Johore Express (SJE) runs a non-stop service between Queen Street Terminal in Singapore and Larkin Sentral Terminal from 6:30AM–1AM. At the terminals, buy tickets from the ticket counter. At Woodlands or JB checkpoints, get the ticket from the driver or the ticket seller standing beside the bus. Change will be given.
 * Bus 160 from Jurong East Interchange (next to Jurong East MRT Station)
 * Bus 170 from Queen Street Terminal to Larkin Sentral Terminal
 * Bus 170X at Kranji MRT station
 * Bus 950 from Woodlands Bus Interchange to Larkin Sentral Terminal

Causeway Link buses are bright yellow and hard to miss. Buy tickets from the ticket counter at the terminals. Boarding anywhere else will require payment to the driver with no change given. These are by far the cheapest option to cross the Johor Straits but it also causes mad rushes and queues at the checkpoints. The main CW buses are:
 * CW1 from Larkin Sentral to Kranji MRT station
 * CW2 from Larkin Sentral to Queen Street Terminal
 * CW5 from Johor Bahru CIQ to Newton Circus

The restriction of Malaysian-operated buses not stopping anywhere within Singapore and conversely, Singapore ones in Johor Bahru could be used to your advantage. 30 min could easily be shaved off the journey time within Singapore alone by boarding express buses CW2, CW5 or SJE when leaving Singapore from the Queen Street terminal or Newton Food Centre's car park. A little more time could be saved on the Johor Bahru side by hopping on to a Singapore-registered non-express bus (e.g. SBS 160/170, SMRT 950) once you clear Malaysian customs and immigration at the Johor Bahru CIQ, but you will have to pay a new fare as you did not start your journey in Singapore on a Singapore-registered non-express bus.

It is possible but more expensive to use the EZ-link card compared to paying in cash in Malaysian ringgit when boarding SBS 160, SBS 170 or SMRT 950 at Larkin Sentral/Johor Bahru CIQ to go anywhere in Singapore. The percentage price difference becomes greater the further you go into Singapore. For example, it costs S$1.90 using the EZ-link card to go from Larkin Sentral terminal to Queen Street terminal by SBS 170. This is slightly more than 100% more expensive than by paying in cash (RM2.20). It is also cheaper to pay in ringgit when travelling from the Woodlands Checkpoint to the Johor Bahru CIQ by the Singapore-Johore Express bus. Conversely, it can be cheaper using the EZ-link card for both the bus and MRT train if one has the intention to connect to the MRT train at Kranji, Marsiling or Woodlands MRT stations, due to Singapore's Distance Fare pricing policy.

From other parts of Malaysia
Johor Bahru can be easily accessed from other parts of Johor Bahru District, such as the neighboring Iskandar Puteri or Pasir Gudang with a relatively cheap price due to its extensive highway networks. If coming from other states in Peninsular Malaysia, it is still usually acceptable although the price will be much more expensive. Taking a taxi from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the city is also generally still acceptable.

From Singapore
For any transportation between Johor Bahru and Singapore, only specially licensed taxis are allowed to operate across the border. The rules seem baffling at first, but boil down to this: Malaysian taxis are only allowed to go to the designated terminal in Singapore, and Singaporean taxis are only allowed to go to their terminal in Johor Bahru.

The "basic" direct taxi service from the Singapore Taxi Terminal at Queen Street (in Bugis) to the Larkin Sentral Terminal costs S$15 per person or S$60 per car departing from Singapore, and RM15/60 from Johor Bahru. The main advantage of a taxi is that you don't need to lug your stuff (or yourself) through customs at both ends; you can just sit in the car. This service is also available 24 hours a day.

If you want to take a taxi from Queen Street to somewhere other than the terminal in Johor Bahru, you have to use a Malaysian (yellow) taxi, and the price will be at least S$80 (depending on distance). Likewise, if you want to take a taxi from Larkin Sentral to anywhere in Singapore, you need to use a Singaporean taxi and pay at least RM120 for the service.

Taxis can also be booked to bring you from anywhere in Singapore to Larkin Sentral, or from anywhere in Johor Bahru to Queen Street or, and be sure to get the taxi's number, driver's name and his phone number.

Private limousine car services offer point-to-point services from anywhere in Singapore to anywhere in Johor Bahru, but these exist in a legal grey zone. The standard fare is start from $100 for Singapore to Johor Bahru with 7 seater Mpv Car (Toyota Innova / Toyota Alphard). Unlike normal cabs, they can also use the Second Link, which makes them by far the fastest way of getting to western parts of Johor.

Alternatively, you can arrange a 2-taxi ride through the call centre, whereby once across the Causeway, you swap taxis.

By train


Entering Johor Bahru by train, you can stop at either the or  Station, the two railway stations of the city.

JB Sentral station is the southern most railway station in Malaysia. It is located along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Jim Quee. It is connected to the CIQ, Johor Bahru City Square, KOMTAR JBCC and R&F Mall by pedestrian overhead bridges. There are retail outlets (including a 24-hr 7-Eleven store), food and beverage outlets. There are coin-operated (2 x 50 sen), small left luggage lockers, a Muslim prayer room, toilets, a police post and a tourist information booth in here as well.

Kempas Baru station is located along Jalan Permatang Utama. It has some limited shops and car parks. For those who wish to explore the northern part of Johor Bahru, this railway station is located closer to the region.

There are three pairs of shuttle trains a day from Gemas to connect to the ETS network north of Gemas all the way to Padang Besar in Perlis. Tickets for each train are sold separately; for example, when going to Kuala Lumpur from Johor Bahru, tickets are sold as JB Sentral-Gemas on the shuttle and Gemas-KL Sentral on the ETS. There is also a nightly express train that runs through the East Coast Jungle Line to Tumpat.

From Singapore
Given the long queues for road travellers, crossing the border by train can be a more convenient and less time-consuming alternative. The Johor Bahru-Singapore stretch is served by the Shuttle Tebrau shuttle train. The train station in Singapore is at Woodlands Train Checkpoint, which is 700 m from the start of the causeway. There are 14 departures per day from Woodlands and 17 per day from JB Sentral. Shuttle trains will leave Woodlands for JB Sentral at 7:20AM, 8:30AM, 9:40AM, 10:50AM, 12:20PM, 1:50PM, 3:20PM, 4:30PM, 5:40PM, 6:50PM, 8PM, 9:10PM, 10:20PM, 11:30PM and leave JB Sentral for Woodlands at 5AM, 5:25AM, 5:55AM, 6:20AM, 7:30AM, 8:40AM, 9:50AM, 11:20AM, 12:50PM, 2:20PM, 3:30PM, 4:40PM, 5:50PM, 7PM, 8:10PM, 9:20PM, 10:30PM. When you depart from Singapore by train, you get stamped out by Singapore immigration first inside the Woodlands Train Checkpoint, and just across the hallway, Malaysian immigration stamps you in before you board the KTM train. In the reverse direction, Malaysia immigration stamps you out before boarding the train at JB Sentral, and upon the train reaching Woodlands Train Checkpoint, you disembark and Singapore immigration stamps you in. Gate opens 30 minutes before departure and closes 10 minutes before departure.

Tickets from JB to Singapore are RM5 and tickets from Singapore to JB are S$5. While this is several times more expensive than the bus (though much cheaper still than taxi or rental car), the trains are the only way to completely avoid traffic jams, meaning that at popular times tickets can sell out days in advance. It's thus wise to use KTM's website or Easybook.com to buy tickets in advance, with a purchase window of up to several months to 15 minutes before departure if still available. If there are any spare seats, you can also buy tickets at the station counters but don't count on this always being available.

For JB Sentral-Woodlands, at JB Sentral there are turnstiles installed at the departure gate (Gate A); scan the barcode or QR code on your ticket (can be one stored on a mobile device) to activate the turnstile. For Woodlands-JB Sentral, tickets bought online must be exchanged at the KTMB ticket counter before departure.

The nearest MRT station (1.5 km or 15 min walk) to the KTM Woodlands Train Checkpoint is Marsiling MRT station on the North-South Line. SMRT bus number 856 goes from Marsiling MRT station to Woodlands Train Checkpoint, while SMRT bus number 950 serves the reverse direction. The last full-service southbound train leaves Marsiling MRT station for Marina Bay at 11:12PM, though there are later MRT services that end at Toa Payoh or Ang Mo Kio. In the other direction, the last train leaves for Jurong East MRT station at 12:38AM. Although Marsiling MRT station is the nearest, more buses go between Woodlands MRT station and Woodlands Train Checkpoint. From Woodlands MRT station, take SMRT buses 911, 912 (longer route), 913 or 856 to Woodlands Train Checkpoint. In the reverse direction, take SMRT buses 911, 912 (longer route), 913, 903 (longer route) or 178.

By boat


You can take 123 or S&S1 bus departing from Permas Jaya or MV2 bus departing from Mid Valley Southkey, both depart to JB Sentral terminal passing through Stulang Laut area.

From and to Batam: Ferries departing for Batam goes two two destination on the island, which are Batam Center and Harbour Bay. For destination to Batam Center, ferries depart at 7:15AM, 9:30AM, 11:45AM, 1:15PM, 3:30PM and 6PM (Malaysia time). The ferries from Batam Centre depart at 7:15AM, 9:30AM, 11:45AM, 2PM, 3:30PM and 4:30PM (Western Indonesian time). Fares: RM100/160 one-way/return for adults, RM70/100 one-way/return for children, plus surcharge of RM21 per passenger for all passengers. For destination to Harbour Bay, ferries depart at 9AM, 10:30AM, and 5:30PM (Malaysia time). The ferries from Harbour Bay depart at 6:30AM, 9:30AM and 1AM (Western Indonesian time). Fares for both destinations: RM100/160 one-way/return for adults, RM70/100 one-way/return for children, plus surcharge of RM21 per passenger for all passengers. Journey time: 120 min. Journey time for both destinations: 120 min.

From and to Bintan: Ferries depart daily at 3PM to Tanjung Pinang. The ferries from Tanjung Pinang depart at 7AM (Western Indonesian time). Fares: RM130/210 one-way/return for adults, RM95/145 one-way/return for children, plus surcharge of RM21 per passenger for all passengers. Journey time: 150 min.

Children 3 years old and below do not require tickets but are subject to surcharge of RM21. Passengers must be at the ferry terminal at least 30 min before the ferry's departure.

On foot
Walking by foot to enter Johor Bahru from surrounding city and towns (Iskandar Puteri, Pasir Gudang and Senai) is nearly impossible because the city is almost fully connected by highways. Walking from Singapore along the Causeway bridge is acceptable, although you are always encouraged to take vehicles.

On foot
The city has many suburbs or areas with concentrated tourist points or locations. Within each of those areas, it is simple to walk around to enjoy what the city can offer, especially for short distances within the downtown area. Public toilets are only located within shopping malls, petrol stations or public parks, and are not available on/along the walking pavements. In the Johor Bahru City Centre, it is possible to walk by foot to Chinatown, Little India, Old Town and Pasar Karat night market; popular roads frequented by tourists include Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Jalan Segget, Jalan Dhoby, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Jalan Pahang, Jalan Pasar, Jalan Trus and Meldrum Walk. Various major shopping centres are also frequently accessed by pedestrians arriving from the Causeway, such as the Galleria @ Kotaraya, Komtar JBCC and Johor Bahru City Square (JBCS). JBCS and Komtar JBCC are linked by an elevated overhead pedestrian walkway to the JB Sentral train station and the customs & immigration checkpoint (JB CIQ), which in turn has a pedestrian walkway to the R&F Mall and the Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House at the southern coastal tip of the city.

A very long sidewalk pavement connects the city vertically along the Tebrau Highway, which connects to several area continuously equipped with pedestrian overpasses such as Taman Pelangi, Taman Abad, Taman Century, Taman Pelangi and Taman Melodies suburbs, where visitors can walk and explore some shopping centres (Holiday Plaza, KSL City and Plaza Pelangi) and roadside restaurants. Popular weekly night markets occur along the entire Jalan Seladang (adjoining both Taman Abad and Taman Century) every Monday evenings, along with the Jalan Perang (within the centre of Taman Pelangi) every Tuesday evenings. Popular dining areas are located along Jalan Keris and Jalan Badik at Taman Sri Tebrau (known as Dai Mah Garden, 大马花园) or along the Jalan Sutera named roads at Taman Sentosa. Nearby is the Southkey district, contains both Southkey Mosaic and 'The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey ', which is the largest integrated shopping mall in Southern Malaysia, with an attached hotel, convention centre and two office towers.

East of the Causeway, Stulang Laut is a waterfront area close to and east of the Causeway which offers views of the Johor Strait by walking along the shoreline with various restaurants located along the way up until The Zon Duty Free shopping mall. The small stretches of either a beach or a seaside promenade are popular among the locals, especially during the evening. Permas Jaya is a vibrant neighbourhood whereby visitors can explore the various shops, restaurants, hotels, nightlife spots, including the AEON Permas Jaya and Stellar Walk shopping malls, a 9-hole golf course and seafood restaurants along seafront. Further east along the seafront, the Senibong Cove marina is a popular destination for tourists to enjoy waterfront dining throughout the day and nightlife.

North of the Causeway and further inland, in the Larkin area around the Larkin Sentral terminal, visitors can easily explore the nearby attractions by foot such as Larkin Public Market, Dataran Larkin, Plaza Larkin, Dato Onn Village Recreational Area, Johor Craft Complex, Tan Sri Dato' Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium sport complex and the Bulat Bulat Corner food court. Together with the Majidee area (along the Jalan Masjid), they are the main focal points of the Malay community within Johor Bahru and they offer an authentic experience of the Malay heartland. Northeast of the city, Taman Desa Tebrau houses large shopping centres such as Lotus's Tebrau, AEON Tebrau City, IKEA Tebrau and the attached Toppen Shopping Centre which are all within walking distance of each other, including nearby shoplots featuring various restaurants and cafes. Taman Johor Jaya is a nearby mature neighbourhood which is one of the main modern focal points of the Chinese community within Johor Bahru and has an abundance of commercial and dining retail activity. Further north, Taman Mount Austin is a vibrant newer entertainment and dining neighbourhood filled with numerous shops, restaurants, cafes, karaoke bars and the Austin Heights Water and Adventure Park; all within walking distance of each other. Taman Setia Indah houses the Setia Indah Park with rows of shops and restaurants north of it, and also the nearby TD Point Retail Mall pedestrian zone. Eco Spring (located within Taman Eko Flora) is a notable neighbourhood with a grand Classical European-themed commercial development known as Eco Palladium, along with an adjacent outdoor retail park known as Eco Spring Labs.

West of the Causeway, in the Danga Bay area, visitors can walk and explore the seaside area with an attached theme park, convention centre, restaurants, Beletime Danga Bay shopping mall and the nearby Serene Square attraction in front of the gates of Sultan Johor's palace known as Istana Bukit Serene. Going further up northwest along the Skudai Highway, the Bandar Baru UDA township, which is a modern focal point of the Malay community within Johor Bahru, has the Plaza Angsana shopping mall and the nearby B5 Johor Street Market that are popular day and night. Further along the Skudai Highway, various shopping malls popular with tourists include Paradigm Mall and Sutera Mall, located at Taman Sutera Utama which has an adjacent vibrant entertainment and dining neighbourhood.

By taxi
Taxi prices in Johor Bahru are fairly affordable. However, always either use taxis only with meters or ask for a price estimate before proceeding with your journey; there remains a possibility of being fleeced by some unscrupulous taxi driver touts. The starting fare is RM3 for the first 2 km and the fare increases by 10 cent for every subsequent 115 m. You will only be charged for waiting time in excess of 3 min during the journey - the rate is 10 cent for every 21 seconds. Additional charges include: actual road toll charges; RM2 for telephone bookings; a 50% surcharge is levied between midnight and 6AM. There are no additional charges for a 3rd adult passenger or baggage kept in the trunk. Almost all of major shopping malls and high-star hotels in Johor Bahru feature taxi stands in front or around them.

By bus
If you wish to explore Johor Bahru by bus, the main bus terminals of the city are Larkin Sentral,, and. From these terminals, buses going to almost major suburbs of Johor Bahru as well as Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang can be found. The destination also serves up until Pontian Kechil, Ayer Hitam and Kota Tinggi in the neighboring districts of Johor Bahru. The last buses leave JB Sentral for their respective destinations at about 11PM or earlier; the last buses returning to JB Sentral leave their starting points at about 10PM or earlier. Before boarding any bus, look at the destination boards on the bus and do not hesitate to ask the bus driver directly. The frequency of the buses is inconsistent and are not regularly scheduled (especially for the buses that do not leave from the bus terminals), as buses often wait either for a sufficient number of passengers boarding at the terminal before beginning their outward journey, or are forced to drive off because of overcrowding and frequent honking at the bus terminal. There are generally more buses in the morning and there are fewer buses as it gets later into the day. Pay more attention to the people waiting at the bus stops rather than the buses on the road, as buses (particularly publicly-owned buses such as the white and yellow-roofed “MyBAS”/Causeway Link or red-white and blue-roofed “PAJ”/Maju Holding buses) may not pick-up passengers from designated bus stops. However, the privately-owned white-grey and orange-roofed “City Bus” is more receptive at picking up and dropping off passengers at both designated bus stops and undesignated parts of the road, as their drivers do not collect a salary but instead have to generate income from fare collection after paying a daily lease to the bus owner.

JB Sentral to Larkin Sentral
If you are planning to go from JB Sentral bus terminal to Larkin Sentral terminal or vice versa, you may take any of the frequent, non-stop buses that terminate at Larkin Sentral. For those who recently cleared Malaysian immigration, they may walk straight to the post-immigration bus bays downstairs at the JB CIQ Complex. These bus bays are also accessible by walking along the slip road that links the CIQ with Jalan Lingkaran Dalam. Fares from JB Sentral to Larkin Sentral: CW1, CW2 and CWL RM1.20, SBS 170 RM1.50 (payable by EZ-link card - S$1.11), Singapore-Johore Express RM1.00. These fares are payable only under the following circumstances - a. You fail to board the SBS 170 bus within 45 minutes of alighting from the SBS 160, SBS 170 or SMRT 950 bus. b. You did not buy a valid, through ticket to Larkin Sentral while in Singapore. c. You had travelled on a bus of a different bus company from Singapore to Johor Bahru CIQ (e.g. Woodland Checkpoint to JB CIQ by CW1 or CW2, then JB CIQ to Larkin Sentral by Singapore-Johore Express or SBS 170, or vice versa). The trip should take about 8-10 min in the absence of heavy traffic.

However, if you have left the JB CIQ complex and proceeded to walk towards the city centre area, you can consider taking the local buses such as MyBAS, PAJ or ‘City Bus’ at the JB Sentral bus bays (facing Jalan Jim Quee), which is located downstairs and separated outside from the main concourse area by a roadway. Buses heading there would usually have the word 'Larkin' displayed on the front of the bus; the one-way bus fare is RM1.70) to Larkin Sentral terminal.

By bicycle
Bicycle lanes in Johor Bahru are limited, with only few roads marked with such lanes. It is not possible to cycle in the paying highways in the city and it is not advisable to cycle in the non-paying highway roads. If you wish to do cycling, please use full cycling gear, such as reflectors and lights. Cycling is best to do within residential areas. The residential areas at the northern part of the city generally have more marked bicycle lanes.

By ride hailing services
Local ride hailing service app Grab is affordable and very popular in JB, and is likely the most hassle-free way for visitors to get around without a car, if they have a mobile Internet connection. Many commercial establishments have also dedicated waiting areas for e-hailing vehicles. Nevertheless, due to the recent more stringent laws pertaining ride-sharing apps, do allocate more time before you make any vehicle booking because it might take slightly longer time to get one, especially in less-crowded places. Most people in Johor Bahru speak or understand English, communication would be less of a problem.

By car
Driving is generally the most convenient way to explore the city. 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 (e.g. outside shopping malls), do purchase parking coupon from any convenient store, available in hourly or half-hourly basis of ticket, especially when you park on Saturday to Thursday at 8AM to 6PM. These tickets which are applicable for parking in Johor Bahru area can also be used in Iskandar Puteri, Senai and Kulai.

Most of the parking lots in public places have lot for those with mobility disability. Most of the parking lots in public places have reserved spaces designated for those with mobility disability. When parking at those reserved lots, please ensure your vehicle has the mobility disability sticker pasted clearly on the windscreen so that you will not get fined or your vehicle will not get clamped by the local authorities. Many public and commercial establishments have also ramps at its main entrance for those requiring wheelchair to move around.

A car can also be rented for exploring the city.

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

See
Johor Bahru has a well-mixed balance of things to see from historic, traditional and modern landmarks, cultural and religious places, sports and entertainment venues, as well as nature from city parks and seafront places. Most of the tourist places are well spread throughout the city. So if you plan to go to any corner of the city, you will always find something interesting to see, to do or to enjoy.

Places of worship
Being a melting-pot for various religions of the country, Johor Bahru houses various religious sites from all major religions in Malaysia. Many of the religious sites are heritage buildings from the old days.



Museums and galleries
Johor Bahru houses several museums and galleries in which some of them were converted from old colonial-era buildings. Entries are usually very cheap if not free of charge.

Museums






Nature
Johor Bahru houses many open green space, ranging from parks, city forests, lakes, public squares etc. Each suburb generally has community park, especially in the northern areas of the city. These areas are famous among locals to hang out, rest and do exercise in the morning or early evening before dark. All of the parks are equipped with car park and public toilet facilities. Usually animals are prohibited from being brought to the parks.

Pedestrian zones
The city houses various thematic pedestrian zones catered for younger visitors with eateries and shops, as well as arcades and hang out places.

Sports
The city houses plenty sport facilities of various types. The state of Johor also has the highest number of golf courses in Malaysia, where most of the courses are international-standard golf courses.

Cinemas


There are four major cineplexes in Johor Bahru: TGV Cinemas, Golden Screen Cinemas, MBO Cinemas and Cathay Cinemas. Minimum/maximum adult ticket prices for 2D movies (minimum prices on one or more weekdays, in particular Wednesdays; maximum prices during weekends and public holidays) - TGV Cinemas RM8/13, Golden Screen RM6/9 and Cathay RM6/12. 3D movies command higher ticket prices. Regular movie showing cinemas are almost exclusively located inside shopping centres. 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.

Arts and cultural festivals
The city organizes the annual cultural events Chingay Parade, as well as other themed-events, such as food, anime, cosplay, game festivals etc.

Organized by The Johor Society for the Performing Arts, Johor Bahru (and Iskandar Puteri) holds various annual entertainment and cultural festivals, such as Johor Bahru Arts Festival, Johor Bahru Film Festival, Johor Bahru Classical Music Festival, Johor Bahru Indigenous Festival and Johor Bahru Writers and Readers Festival since 2004, making it Malaysia's longest-running arts festival that covers all disciplines of performing arts.

Learn
When you decide to have a short stay in the city, there are several educational and skill training providers that provide short term courses.



Buy
Johor Bahru offers endless possibilities when it comes for shopping, from the full air conditioned shopping malls (equipped with supermarkets, cinemas, child playground), open air street night markets and bazaars, and dedicated handicraft and art centre. It also has plenty of convenience stores located in almost any shop lot and petrol station for a quick snack or light food. Street vendors is extremely hard to find, although you will still find people walking around to sell you things when you dine in at outdoor hawker centres.

Shopping malls
Johor Bahru houses many shopping malls with various sizes and for different segments of the society, which are fairly located throughout the whole city areas. Most of them open from 10AM until 10PM, except for the cinemas which usually open for an extended time. Many of the shopping malls are within the public bus routes and they have ample parking spaces, including dedicated parking spaces for those with mobility disability. All of the price of goods inside shopping malls are fixed and generally there is no bargaining.



Supermarkets
Supermarkets in Johor Bahru are usually in the suburbs near the residential areas. Although the general opening hours is 10AM to 10PM, some of the supermarket chains do open earlier and close later. Most of them are equipped with ample parking spaces and located within the route of public buses.



Markets
Markets in Johor Bahru can be found in almost near many suburbs for morning and afternoon groceries shopping fresh from the farms. Prices may not be fixed, thus bargaining is acceptable here.

Eat


Johor Bahru offers local delicacies of Malaysia to Western and Asian choices of food. Dining venues range from budget and mid-range eateries to high-end restaurants with various price ranges. Many of them are in restaurant and entertainment districts, shopping malls, along sea fronts, hawker centres, pedestrian zones, food courts, stand alone food stalls or even food trucks. Alternatively, you can always use food delivery apps from your mobile phone to get your favorite foods delivered straight to your accommodation from major restaurants in the city.

Halal-certified logos are displayed at many restaurant entrances. Some other restaurants also offer non-pork and non-lard foods but lack halal certification.

There are approximately 200 vegan and other vegetarian eateries across the JB metropolitan area, especially in Skudai and the entertainment district that is Mount Austin. Most but not all veg*an eateries across the JB metro area are Chinese Buddhist and thus have allium-free menus.

Hawker centres
There are many pusat penjaja or hawker centres across Johor Bahru. Hawker centres are basically a collection of pushcart or van vendors selling food or drinks in one particular area. This is the alternative of which otherwise would be the street food equivalent in other countries. The places are usually relatively decent with no air conditioners. There are usually enough tables for its patrons; therefore, there is no need to reserve any particular table. Food and drinks are sold cheaply in these areas. Food and drink stalls are usually separated from each other, in which usually one drinks stall caters to several food stalls. Among the more well-known hawker centres are as follow:

Mid-range




Drink
In some particular areas, the nightlife scene in Johor Bahru can be quite an adventure with many choices available on the ground. The most popular inland nightlife areas within the Johor Bahru metropolitan area, are the Mount Austin and Sutera Utama areas for younger crowds, where it features nightclubs, pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, karaokes, gaming centres, shops and an occasional night market. A well-known concentrated drinking area along the coast is The ZON at Stulang Laut. It features The ZON Duty Free shopping mall selling alcoholic beverages tax-free, but you must pay upon exiting the area through the customs. It also features many pubs and nightclubs within the duty-free precinct. Another popular drinking area along the coast is at Senibong Cove marina. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights have the largest crowds patronizing those establishments until late midnight except on Sunday night. There are also other nightclubs and pubs scattered throughout the city although they are located individually.

Sleep
There is plenty of accommodation in Johor Bahru to suit all budgets. The cost of a double room in a budget hotel right in the city centre (i.e. around Jalan Meldrum, between Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Wong Ah Fook near City Square) starts from RM50 net per room per night. In general, the budget hotels outside the city centre are cheaper and most of them are located within shop lots areas. Backpacker hostels with dormitories (dorms) are not as commonly found in Johor Bahru as in Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and George Town. For short term stay, the city offers many choices of accommodation from Airbnb's platform. For non-Malaysians, rooms are generally quoted without the tourism taxes, in which you still need to pay upon check-in, which costs RM10 per room per night.

Stay safe
Johor Bahru has somewhat developed a reputation for crime, due in part to sensationalised reports by some foreign media of crimes committed against their citizens; the proximity to super safe Singapore doesn't help perceptions. Although Johor Bahru's crime rate is generally higher than elsewhere in Malaysia, by taking appropriate safety precautions, you can ensure your stay, like those of the vast majority of visitors, will be an incident-free one.


 * Do not carry a handbag when walking around town. Snatch thieves have been known to snatch handbags away while their victims are walking on the street, using a motorcycle. If they do manage to grab your handbag, let them have it as some snatch thieves are known to drag their victims along the road with their motorbikes until they release their grip, almost certainly resulting in severe injuries.
 * Keep your passport safe and close to you because it is a highly prized valuable to robbers.
 * Lock the car door immediately or as soon as you get into the car.
 * Avoid walking around the city alone. You should walk around the city in groups of preferably 3 or more for safety.
 * Only go to areas with good security such as malls and private clubs at night.

If you are robbed, you are advised to give up most, if not all, of your valuables to avoid putting your personal safety in jeopardy.

As a rule of thumb, the general hawker food scene in Johor Bahru is hygienic though certain areas are less so. So keep an eye out for those dirty hawkers who pay very little attention to hygiene.

Water
Tap water should be boiled before drinking. Nevertheless, bottled water is widely available at a cheap price in almost all eateries, shops, and convenience stores.

Consulates

 * 🇮🇩 Indonesia
 * 🇸🇬 Singapore

Publications

 * WAVES Lifestyle Magazine is a free monthly lifestyle magazine for young adults and tourists in Johor Bahru who are on the look out for fresh and trendy stuff covering topics ranging from health, fashion, food reviews, ‘Things to do in JB’, entertainment, technology, finance, community. WAVES Lifestyle Magazine can be picked up at most Information Counters at shopping malls across Johor Bahru, selected office towers, Tourism Malaysia Information Counters at JOTIC, JB Sentral, CIQ, Senai Airport.

Internet
Generally many of the eating establishments in the city will have free Wi-Fi connection for Internet access and almost all of accommodations will have one. Due to the abundance of cheap Internet plan on mobile phone and Internet ownership at homes in Malaysia, Internet cafés in Johor Bahru are thin on the ground. Nevertheless, some can still be found at some location although most of them are most likely be shared with online gaming centres.
 * Meeting Point Internet Café, No. 59 Jalan Meldrum (beside Gateway Hotel). Open daily 10AM-9PM. There are 10 PC terminals. RM3 per hour. There is a minimum charge of RM2 if the usage is 40 min or less; after 40 min, it is 50 sen for every 10 min.
 * Obizcom, on the ground level of Plaza Larkin, opposite the Larkin Sentral Terminal on Jalan Geruda. RM2 per hour. Open daily 10AM-10PM.
 * Obizcom, on the ground level of Plaza Larkin, opposite the Larkin Sentral Terminal on Jalan Geruda. RM2 per hour. Open daily 10AM-10PM.

Post offices
Generally post offices are not that hard to find, and you will always be able to find one in any major suburb of the city.

Go next

 * Desaru - seaside resort town located on the eastern part of Johor, about 2 hours away by car
 * Iskandar Puteri - the administrative capital of the Johor, containing the Legoland Malaysia and the Kota Iskandar complex of administrative buildings
 * Endau Rompin National Park - a national park in the northern part of Johor
 * Mount Ledang - 1276m high mountain near the border of Johor and Malacca states, popular with trekkers, campers and students on field trips
 * Kota Tinggi - town with waterfall and many fireflies attractions
 * Kukup - a seaside town along the western part of Johor, well known for its water village which can be rented relatively cheap, and its good and reasonably priced seafood
 * Mersing - in the north eastern part of Johor, about 2½ hours drive from Johor Bahru, and the gateway to the beautiful island of Tioman
 * Sibu Island - dive resort about two hours away
 * Batam - an Indonesian island south of Johor Bahru, about 2 hours away by ferry
 * Singapore - right across the Causeway you will have to cross the border and meet the county's entry requirements