Johor Bahru Travel Forum

we will be reaching JB in the morning from Singapore. We are to catch a train for KL in the night. What are the things we can do in JB. Is there any place of tourism interest. How is shopping ? can we also go to mallacca for short visit. How to go and what is special there.

Pls be extra careful if you are travelling to JB, the place is unsafe for tourists and locals.

Why you say so. In what way it is unsafe, will you please tell me in details. I understand it is good place for shopping.

Hi, there are no places of real interest in JB.

Basically JB has three purposes

- supply a large number of Malay and Chinese hookers for working in Singapore (especially Malay as the religious polis in Malaysia arrest Malay working girls in Malaysia but in Simngapore its legal and more profitable)

- offer cheap sex and massage for Singaporean men who dont want to pay Singaporean prices and/or want illegal sex (underage or no condoms)

- porn - exposed once in the The Star was the availability of underage porn (eg 12 year olds) openly on sale. Its a major centre for trafficking in porn especially kiddie porn

As prostitution/drugs are all around and these are run by the mafia (who pay off the polis), JB is a bit "wild west" and basically there is no tourist things to see - unless you want cheap druggie 12 year old hookers

The joke about JB as the "gateway" to Malaysia is that Singaporean expats/tourist take one look at JB (especially the waste infested "beaches") and TURN AROUND and go back to Singapore.

HI!

Have a look at VT member "bkoon"'s page on JB.

There aren't a lot of tourist sights actually - the Royal Palace Museum would be one - and to say that Singaporeans ONLY go to JB for sex is a great misnomer (and insulting). Many Singaporeans also go over for the cheap food and shopping.

Do watch out for pickpockets - they are quite prevalent and for taxi drivers to fleece.

you can spend some time to shop at City Square and have an early seafood dinner at Tebrau Market before u catch a train. both places are very near the train station.

There wont be enough time for u to travel to Melaka for a visit.

Thanks for your good advise. How about your birthday plans ?

PLease don't believe what pp had said,do see it by yourself .Many people feel the life in jb is more natural or more real than Singapore.Maybe you can go visit the Jalan Trus where few different religios temple gather in one street especialy the Johor Old Temple has over 100 years history .Hope you enjoy your trip there.

hm...you can go to danga bay not so far from the train station.ask for the meter taxi.beside thats you can visit the abu bakar mosque ,one of beautiful mosque here.the castle and abu bakar museum beside the court house and johor art gallery .state secretary building , old temple at jln trus and more and more just look into s Johor bahru VT page .You are coming here not for cheap sex right ??pirated VCD or pirated software right??so don't worry about safety.as you are not going to this place as others who think jb NOT A SAFE PLACE..

Hello everyone...NO MATTER WHAT we still love J.B,We love Malaysia!Every where in this world there are good and bad people...Sometimes things happen just because we are at the wrong place and at the wrong time!

It is NOT cheap sex or pirated VCD that makes the Johor street unsafe. It is LAZY Malaysians who refused to work a proper job but chose to rob the pple on the street cos it is an easier job and nobody catches them!

I myself witnessed TWICE where each time a lady was robbed of her handbag by men on motorcycles. It happened just on the wide street of Johor. Wat wrong places? That means Johor street itself is a wrong and unsafe place!

I really wonder why their police can't capture all these robbers over so many years.

Hi Rashid, your joke is way out and you not going to find cheep sex in JB. Enjoy BKK while you can.

Btw, there are no "beaches" in JB. I hope you get your facts right.

I read with amusement on some of the comments above and as much I agree that Johor Bharu doesnt really have much for a foreign tourist, two things really kinda shocked me. Richardlevett's comments about "The Star was the availability of underage porn (eg 12 year olds) openly on sale" and "cheap druggie 12 year old hookers".
I've been reading the Star paper religiously for many years and i've never come across such an article. I've also been to JB many many many times and have yet to come across any girls who fit into the category of "12yr old hookers". It must have taken a lot of research online for you to know this or do u have to be part of some sicko kiddie porn network to find these girls? i'm curious Rashid/Richard how you manage to find 12 yr old hookers and underage porn in JB??....was this the same social "research" you did in your time in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Russia too? Are you one of the sick pervertic Westerners who fly millions of miles to take advantage of young girls from poor families? Oh..how old is that girl in your hp....she looks about 12/13 too!
Next time you choose to critize a place, please stick to the facts and spare us the details of your sick nature. Us Singaporeans DO NOT go to JB for anything related to sex and neither do we share your sentiments on JB so next time speak for YOURSELF!
ohh...if Desaru is considered a "waste infested beach", then its pretty clear to us that you spent all your time "kiddie hunting" rather than actually checking out the beaches in JB !

I laughed out loud reading this forum. Some comments are uncalled for, quite "shallow". Since there are ignorant travellers out there, let me just share a little.

Ahh....... the place I grew up has become so notorious??? My goodness.

I think it is really a better idea to get the facts right before commenting on certain things. Well, in terms of the places of interest, you will be surprised on the places you can go. Many tourists go there for 3 main reasons which do not give justice to the place with so much flavour. Our neighbours from Singapore will spend their weekends in Malaysia and most of the time, in JB. The 3 things are : 1. To shop; 2. To eat and 3. To catch the AirAsia flights to other parts of the country. Not many go there to explore the good places, so, you do noy hear people talking about the nice places there!!!

Sometimes, in travelling, u need to exercise a lot of COMMONSENSE. Whether is it dangerous... as travellers, you just gotta use your brains!

Anyway, my favourite places are :
- Jalan Ah Fook Area (check out those buildings - good place of photographers)
- The Hindu Temple at Jalan Ah Fook (wonder how worshippers do the poojas?)
- The Skih Temple behind Hindu Temple (they are called gurudwaras and wonder why the heads of worshippers have to be covered before entering and who is Guru Nanak?)
- The Chinese Temple near the Gurudwara (the oldest temple in JB. It has been refurbished and check out the Southern China temple architecture. Count how many dragons are there and how local worshippers do their worshipping to the deities. Anyway, since I was a little girl, I visit this temple and dun be surprised to see beggars as this temple has been known for the longest time ever as "beggars' temple")
- City Square is just nearby. The above places are all near to one another. Is just a walking tour.
- Istana Garden
- Museum at Istana
- Istana Grounds (drive around the Istana as there are many ornamental gates)
- State Mosque (avoid holy Friday. check out the mihrab and the minaret where azan is called.)
- Layang Layang Museum (a distance away from JB and well, we Malaysians have a kite museum and they are different from other parts of the world.)
- Keen to race? Get to Pasir Gudang Race Track.
- Golf. Lotsa places for you to golf - Pulai Springs, Leisure Farm Heights, Royal Golf Course
- Dangan Bay - I do not need to introduce this as this is one of the most happening places in JB.
- Seafood - Tonnes of places for good seafood
- Shopping - Jaya Jusco Tebrau (Is so huge that you will need a lot of time in the mall.)
- JB square by the beach
- The list goes on ...

Cheap sex and all - I guess not just in JB, u find it everywhere. Oh yes, we have lots of people from other parts of the country living here now. And yes, some of us work in Singapore and sometimes, we shuttle to and fro each day. I am one of them. :)

Anyway, I do not recall the waste-infested beaches when I'm back home. In fact, the beach is my playground when I was young despite the fact that it is not really swimmable esp when we have great beaches in other parts of Malaysia. Hmmm... I guess whoever mentioned this will not appreciate colourful countries like India, Cambodia, Laos, etc etc. So sad. As travellers, is better to braoden up one's prespective else, you will get culture shock everywhere you go. Bad experiences do happen along the way but well, look at the brighter side of things... DUH!

dbat,

If you are visiting Malacca, I would suggest you take the coach instead of the night train. Is it too late to change the ticket? Reason being, you can plan your journey as such :

- JB to Malacca (Spend a day or two there)
- Malacca to KL
(By coach - The coaches are comfortable too and frequency is much much higher.)

Lots to see in Malacca. The history is interesting too. And a place with a lot of Peranakan culture, a very unique culture which you only find in Malaysia and Singapore as well. Good food awaits you too.

Everything is much cheaper in Malaysia, if you are coming from Singapore.

In JB, should you be hopping onto the cab, flag one along the streets and the meter will run. Pay the amount as shown on the meter. Should the cabbies "forget to do it", just remind them. Cabbies who do "special trips" are those who will park their vehicles at the side and these cabbies seldom use their meters.

Anyway, have fun and happy travels.

Bee :)